Posts Tagged ‘Manhattan’

A British Comedy Festival Comes to New York City

Three stellar comedians from the UK will have New York City audiences in stitches thanks to the new “Crossing the Pond” comedy festival taking place this winter and spring at Town Hall. The British standup stars will take the stage in January, February and June.

Romesh Ranganathan © Anthony Mulcahy

Netflix and BBC star Romesh Ranganathan led off this weekend with his uproarious brand of misanthropic comedic commentary, leaving no stone unturned. Romesh’s jibes ranged from a prepared, yet flawlessly delivered routine to spontaneous digressions keyed off of interactions from the audience. The title of his memoir, “Straight Outta Crawley: The Memoirs of a Distinctly Average Human Being” hinted at what was to come in his monologue.

Romesh Ranganathan © Anthony Mulcahy

No subject is taboo for Mr. Ranganathan. His Sri Lankan-British background is fodder for a “fish out of water” dialogue, repeatedly self-deprecating, noting his brown skin as a contrast to those he grew up with. A discussion about bathroom hygiene was far more ribald than that sounds – I’ll leave it to your imagination. He, at times, skewered his British counterparts, detailing the differences between their responses and the American reaction to his shows. As he strode across the stage, changing gears and tempos, talking intermittently about his wife, his kids, the world, his love of hip hop music, and his own appearance in contrast to those around him, he would pause to seemingly take a breath, regroup, and “read” those sitting in the front row.

Hilarious, risqué and a pure treat on an unusually balmy Saturday night in New York City, the show was a marvel reminding us to take a look at the pandemic that we have survived and turn it into memories that could be tinged with laughter. It would be a pleasure to welcome Romesh back for more comedic skewering. If you missed him in person, you can get a sense of his brand of humor by googlinge his appearances on James Corden’s Late Late Show and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. His standup special “The Cynic” is available on Netflix.

Joanne McNally Courtesy of Off the Kerb Productions

On February 3, Joanne McNally brings her “Prosecco Express” routine to Town Hall. With appearances on the BBC Festival of Funny, Comedy Central and others, the comedienne has a brand of comedy that can only be labelled “joyously nuts.” Audiences in Ireland and the UK also know her for her stand-up show The Wine Tamer presented at major venues including the London Palladium and Vicar Street in Dublin. For more of her humor, you can listen to her podcast “My Therapist Ghosted Me.” Her shows with insightful titles such as “Baby Hater” and “Bite Me” have been viewed on Comedy Central as well.

Alan Carr Courtesy of Off the Kerb Productions

The final performance in the series, BAFTA-winning comedian Alan Carr makes his US debut on Friday, June 2. He is known to audiences in the UK form his 16 series of Channel 4’s Chatty Man and has been a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. Carr also has a popular podcast, “Life’s a Beach” so you can have a taste of his routines prior to the US show.

Tickets for all shows are available at www.thetownhall.org in Manhattan. The festival is in conjunction with Off the Kerb Productions, representing the finest in comedy in the UK.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Foodies, Get Your Forks Ready! It’s Restaurant Week (er, Restaurant Month) Again in New York City through February 12

This year 515 restaurants are giving foodies a chance to enjoy some deep discounts while tucking into wonderful chef creations. Offering two-course lunch (starter and main, or main and dessert) and three course dinner (appetizer, entrée, dessert) prix fixe menus priced at $30, $45 and $60 with some variations, these New York City eateries invite you to sample their culinary wizardry without breaking the bank. Fortunately, the “week” lasts until mid-February so you have time to choose. Check the details as some meals are only offered on certain days. And, no worries, none of these will give you an experience like the one “enjoyed” by invited guests at Le Menu — you can still order a hamburger at some, no strings attached.

Here are 23 exceptional choices for your consideration for Winter Restaurant Week 2023.

Courtesy David Burke Tavern

David Burke Tavern’s three-course Restaurant Week dinner is priced low at $45, offered Tuesday through Sunday. You’ll be able to try Burke’s signature entrees like DB brined and roasted chicken with toasted faro, wild mushrooms and kale; and wild mushroom ravioli with its intriguing combination flavor profile of parmesan, sage, pomegranate and chocolate balsamic. All can be complemented by a selection from the special Restaurant Week $40 wine list. Three sides are also being offered for a reduced price of $15. The restaurant offers a $30 two-course lunch Restaurant Week menu as well.

Seeds and Weeds credit Hallie Burton

New York City has recently announced the arrival of the Tin Building, the sprawling culinary marketplace at The Seaport brought to life by Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Weekly lunch specials can be found at four of the building’s new restaurants: T. Brasserie, a French brasserie; The Frenchman’s Dough, where freshly made pizzas and pastas are served daily; House of the Red Pearl, a sexy fine dining restaurant serving Chinese-inspired dishes; and Seeds and Weeds, a sustainable and artisanal plant-based eatery focusing on using the fresh ingredients of the day. Seeds and Weeds also offers a Restaurant Week dinner.

Courtesy The Fulton

Nearby, set in the heart of the Seaport with stunning river views, The Fulton serves up Restaurant Week lunch and dinner menus featuring the celebratory-feeling petit seafood plateau of oysters, shrimp cocktail and sashimi; and mains such as ume sesame crusted salmon. And, here’s where you can order a French take on a hamburger, Fulton’s Gruyère cheeseburger au jus.

Street Performers Courtesy Mercado Little Spain

How about a movie with your specially priced dinner?  Mercado Little Spain from superstar chef Jose Andres is hosting Monday Movie Nights on the big screen at Spanish Diner, extending beyond the end of Restaurant Week until February 27. Grab some complimentary popcorn and settle in to watch a selection of Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar movies while munching on Spanish Diner’s beloved huevos rotos (broken eggs) and fricando de ternera (traditional Catalan beef stew). Movies are shown at 7:30pm with a lineup of Bad Education, Volver, Parallel Mothers, All About My Mother, Julieta and Matador. Come prepared to read subtitles and have a great time. Not enough evening entertainment? On Thursday evenings from 6-8pm, Mercado Little Spain is bringing in street performers who will roam the market space.

Courtesy Tavern on the Green

You can’t find a prettier place to dine at than Tavern on the Green. Tavern’s $45 lunch includes a choice of appetizers such as Tavern black bean soup, baby spinach salad and grilled portobello mushroom flatbread. Entrées include pan-roasted medallions of monkfish and Angus skirt steak. For just $15 more, you can enjoy a lovely dinner including additional appetizer choices like caramelized garlic shrimp and a three-leaf salad. Dinner offerings include hearth-baked Chatham codfish and mustard-crusted organic chicken breast. For dessert, there’s New York cheesecake, warm apple crisp and carrot cake.

Courtesy Piggyback

Who doesn’t want to enjoy a cocktail tasting with their Restaurant Week special? Piggyback, sibling to the Lower East Side’s Pig and Khao by Chef Leah Cohen, is an Asian-inspired gastropub in Chelsea. Tuesday through Friday, diners can enjoy a three-course lunch prix fixe menu for $28 or a three-course dinner experience for $60 from Tuesday through Saturday. In addition, a vegetarian prix fixe dinner option is offered for $50 per person. Highlights include lumpia Shanghai, Malaysian fried chicken and sticky toffee cake. For those not observing Dry January or if you’re dining in February, Piggyback also offers a cocktail tasting for $32 per person.

Courtesy The Grid at Great Jones Distilling Co.

Whisky drinkers can add a flight of spirits to their meal at The Grid at Great Jones Distilling Co. At this restaurant within Manhattan’s first whiskey distillery since Prohibition, you’ll enjoy a three-course prix fixe menu along with a Great Jones Distilling Co. whiskey flight of three signature whiskies, all for only $45. The menu takes advantage of the season with mushrooms in their porcini mushroom veloute appetizer and the forest mushroom fusilli. Dessert is a fabulous sticky toffee pudding that blends perfectly with a whiskey. This is also the home of another delicious NYC burger, served with Great Jones bourbon and bacon jam. There’s no way to lose here!

Baar Baar © Noah Fecks

Baar Baar, a modern Indian gastro pub located in the East Village, offers a well-priced opportunity to sample Chef Sarkar’s homage to regional Indian cuisine. For Restaurant Week, the restaurant has put together a three-course dinner for $45, Monday through Friday and Sunday. There are many exotic choices to tempt you to be adventurous including pork belly or lamb keema Hyderabadi to start, beef short rib curry or bronzini Paturi with Bengal mustard cream for mains, and carrot halwa cake with phirni mousse and saffron-pistachio ice cream for dessert. As a bonus, you also get a canape and choice of side.

Courtesy IRIS

Inspired by the rich culinary traditions of the Mediterranean, talented Chef John Fraser explores the cuisine of the Aegean at IRIS, drawing upon his Greek heritage and admiration for Turkish cuisine. The special menus include the likes of delicata squash flatbread or grilled octopus with candied citrus to start, moussaka and branzino fillet entrees, and fig sorbet and pistachio baklava for dessert. The restaurant’s wine program covers Turkey and Greece offering an extensive e selection of vintages from the two countries as well as from other areas of the world. IRIS is perfectly located for those planning to attend a performance at Carnegie Hall or a Broadway play.

Courtesy La Marchande

Moving from the Mediterranean to France, La Marchande is Chef Fraser’s modernized take on the French brasserie in a FiDi location convenient for those working in the Wall Street area. Signature dishes show off Fraser’s global dexterity with French onion dumplings in mushroom consommé, hanger steak with shiso chimichurri sauce, and apple tarte tatin for dessert.

Fandi Mat © Andrea Grujic

Brooklyn’s Fandi Mata is a bi-level, industrial space featuring a Mediterranean-inspired menu. Specials here are a $60 three-course menu and $30 bottle of wine. The menu features appetizers such as spice-crusted tuna topped with ginger Champagne sauce and tahini, and burrata and heirloom tomato salad with spiced date jam, mint, pistachio and pea sprouts. For your mains, creative dishes include ribeye with bone marrow with black pepper sauce, lamb tagine, branzino en papillote, or one of Fandi Mata’s signature pizzas. Dessert is a surprise – it’s the chef’s selection.

Courtesy Lincoln Ristorante

Have you been dying to see the inside of the new David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center? Here’s the perfect restaurant for your pre-concert or post-concert dinner. Onsite Lincoln Ristorante presents an authentic Italian feast for $60. Choose among burrata, frito misto, or a romaine salad with anchovy-garlic dressing to start your meal. For your entree, order the gnocco alla romana with oxtail and shitakes. You can also opt for spaghetti cacio e pepe served with shaved cured egg yolk. Finish with a sweet warm pear and raisin crostata with grappa caramel or pinola al chocolate.

Courtesy IXTA

If Mexican is your preference, you won’t be lacking for choices at IXTA, the Mexican Cocina and Mezcal Bar on the Bowery. The restaurant offer an elevated twist on the traditional flavors of Oaxacan cuisine for $60. Choices include guacamole and flautas dorados to begin, followed by half organic roasted chicken with housemade mole poblano and sesame, braised short ribs, or enchiladas divorciadas. For dessert, you’d be remiss if you didn’t order the restaurant’s fabulous tres leche cake.

Courtesy The Mermaid Oyster Bar

For some delicious fun in Times Square, The Mermaid Oyster Bar is participating with Chef Michael Cressotti’s well-priced, $35 lunch menu and $45 dinner menu. First-course choices include fried Point Judith calamari with hot peppers, lemon and Old Bay aioli; “Dressed” Naked Cowboy oysters (every visitor to Times Square knows him!) with ponzu sesame and nori; or smoked salmon “Niçoise” with haricot vert, cooked egg and cured olive vinaigrette. Entrees include blackened fish tacos with pico de gallo, cilantro crème and slaw; and mussels Fra Diavolo with crushed tomatoes, Calabrian chili and arugula. Add a sweet finish to your meal with a Key Lime tart or salted caramel soft-serve ice cream.

Courtesy Vestry

Über-prolific Chef Shaun Hergatt offers an elegant take on Restaurant Week at his Michelin-starred restaurant, Vestry, with a three-course dinner menu for $60, Monday through Friday. Starters include Carnaroli rice risotto with saffron, tomato confit and pine nuts; or celeriac soup with hot panna cotta, parmesan tuile and extra virgin olive oil. Entree options such as potato gnocchi with wild mushrooms, vin jaune and chives; and Wagyu beef with shitake mushrooms, potato purée and miso-mustard are offered. Dessert choices include Guanaja chocolate with passionfruit and cacao nibs, and homemade cheesecake with honey crisp apple.

Courtesy MIFUNE

Beloved midtown Japanese MIFUNE will be offering a three-course dinner for Restaurant Week. Also a Michelin-starred restaurant, MIFUNE focuses on Neo-Washoku cooking, with the chefs’ signature style an infusion of French culinary techniques and flavors into Japanese cuisine. The typically omakase menu changes for each seating but is sure to be a standout.

Courtesy Dowling's at The Carlyle

Notch the class quotient up at Dowling’s at The Carlyle with special lunch and dinner menus. Chef Sylvain Delpique’s menus include choices such as carrot-coconut soup with pumpkin seeds, mint and basil oil; and tuna tartare with avocado, lemon cream and taro chips. Vegetarian s can choose roasted acorn squash with curried pepper sauce for their main course while omnivores can pick from Faroe Island poached salmon with horseradish cream and asparagus, chicken paillard or lobster Caesar salad. This is where you can also have an exquisite burger, Carlyle style. At dinner, the entrees shine with Peking duck and Steak Diane flambéed with cognac. For a sweet finish, don’t miss the restaurant’s lovely crepes Suzette served tableside or their raspberry soufflé for dinner. That’s true class.

Courtesy Archer & Goat

One of my favorite “finds,” Harlem’s Archer & Goat draws culinary inspiration from the husband-wife owners’ Latin American and South Asian heritages with a menu built around flavors and ingredients from Puerto Rico, Ecuador and Bangladesh. Their three-course $30 dinner is a true bargain and is available Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Try the elaborately prepared crispy Brussel sprouts with cilantro chimichurri and pickled chilis; roasted carrots with tamarind chutney, sesame seeds and dill; arugula salad with spicy chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickled red onions for starters. Follow with Goan shrimp curry or vegetable curry with turmeric rice, zucchini and cabbage slaw; chicken Vindaloo arepas with cucumber raita and cotija cheese; or vegetarian-friendly portobello mushroom arepas with cilantro chimichurri. For dessert, the “chef-wouldn’t-give-me-the-recipe” flan de Celeste with rose whipped cream is a knockout.

Courtesy Benjamin Steakhouse

Steak lovers aren’t left out. Benjamin Steakhouse serves a $45 weekday lunch menu items including, wedge salad classic Caesar salad, junior New York sirloin, grilled Norwegian salmon, New York cheesecake and more. On weekdays also, the restaurant’s special dinner menu, priced at $60, lets you choose from more steakhouse favorites like fried calamari, sizzling Canadian bacon, filet mignon, chicken parmesan and carrot cake.

Courtesy Merchants Cigar Bar

Making sure there’s something for everyone, clubby Merchants Cigar Bar on the Upper East Side is participating in Restaurant Week at their midcentury-styled lounge. To celebrate, in addition to their every day menu, the cigar bar presents a special dinner for $60 including deviled eggs, chicken lollipops, short rib pumpkin ravioli, garlic-ginger prawns, strip steak, lava chocolate cake and more.

The full list of restaurants can be found at nycgo.com.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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The Karpovsky Variations: A Brilliant, Engaging and Haunting Study in Family Relations

Playing through the end of the month, Adam Kraar’s is a study in family relations. The off-Broadway play makes its world premiere courtesy of Boomerang Theatre Company.

Courtesy Boomerang Theatre Company

Julia Karpovsky’s father Lawrence is brilliant and talented. Living away from his family, somewhere across the globe, with his daughter Julia and a very absent mother, he is always on a plane or smoking a pipe to seemingly hide from something, Laurence is struggling with his wife and also having difficulty establishing a relationship with Julia. His brothers, Barry and Harold, live in the US and have welcomed Julia into their complicated lives as she moves to the United States for school.

Photo by Isaiah Tanenbaum Theatrica

Growing up among her eccentric and disparate relatives, Julia navigates her way through a family with a missing piece and a father who has walked back from his musicality to a life of running from country to country as a journalist. She, herself, is trying to find herself as a musician, linking her clarinet play to elusive notes connected with Jewish melodies that she heard her father play when she was a child. We see her evolve from a child to an adolescent all in the opening scene, leading to her transformation as a “wandering Jew,” unsure of how she fits in.

Photo by Isaiah Tanenbaum Theatrica

The play runs for 120 minutes with a short 10-minute intermission and switches back and forth in time periods, not unlike many of our favorite television shows today such as This Is Us. The matriarch of the family, Great Momma Rose, appears both in real time and in after-death flashbacks as a symbol of what the Karpovsky family was and could be in different times. A fascinating glimpse into the search for connection with people and through music, the play traces the Karpovskys’ encounters at airport lounges over two decades as they improvise what it means to be a family, bringing kugel to share along with tales of disappointments and problems.

Playwright Adam Kraar creates stories about cross-cultural clashes and connections, including works about American families in Asia, the Civil Rights Movement, and quixotic rebels who challenge societal boundaries. Adam’s plays have been developed and/or produced at Primary Stages, The Public Theatre, Theater for the New City, Theatreworks U.S.A., The New Group, N.Y. Theatre Workshop, Cherry Lane, LaMama, Stella Adler Studio, Geva Theatre, and many others.

The talented ensemble includes:

Photo by Isaiah Tanenbaum Theatrica

Ezra Barnes as Lawrence Karpovsky has performed in many off-Broadway shows including Queen, Breakfast with Mugabe, Transparent Falsehood, To Kill a Mockingbird in White, America English Bride, The Miser and Richard II.

Photo by Isaiah Tanenbaum Theatrica

Like her character Julia Karpovsky, Rivka Borek is a third culture kid, growing up in Hong Kong and London before moving to America at 15. She has been seen in Off-Broadway in Love’s Labour’s Lost and in regional productions including Hamlet; Sense and Sensibility, Oh Gastronomy! , Shrew, and Romeo and Juliet.

Photo by Isaiah Tanenbaum Theatrica

Barbara Broughton, Great Momma Rose, is familiar to New York theater audiences from Sunday in The Park with George and Music Music on Broadway and off-Broadway in Grey Gardens and A Little Night Music.

Photo by Isaiah Tanenbaum Theatrica

J. Anthony Crane, Barry Karpovsky, has played in NYC on Broadway in The Country House, Sight Unseen, Butley and The Winslow Boy and is familiar from TV’s Succession.

Photo by Isaiah Tanenbaum Theatrica

Michelle Liu Coughlin, Maxine, is an actress, singer, and producer. Michelle toured with Lincoln Center’s Tony-winning revival of The King and I and has worked extensively in New York and regional theatre including City Center, Playwrights Horizons, and York Theatre.

Photo by Isaiah Tanenbaum Theatrica

Chris Thorn plays Harold Karpovsky and has been seen on Broadway in Bernhardt/Hamlet and Off-Broadway in Pride and Prejudice and Twelfth Night.

Tickets are available at Boomerang Theatre Company Presents: The Karpovsky Variations – Events (onthestage.tickets) with the last performance scheduled for Sunday, May 29 at The Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at A.R.T./NY , 502 West 53rd Street, New York, New York.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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A Dozen Delicious Ways to Celebrate the Eight Days of Chanukah in NYC

Hungry for Chanukah treats? Here are a dozen places to grab some latkes, sufganiyot, brisket and more. Chanukah goes through December 6.

Manhattan

Veselka © Meryl Pearlstein

Veselka

Late-night revelers know Veselka in the East Village. The Ukrainian restaurant has been addressing munchies and warding off hangovers with their hearty borscht and pierogis since 1954. But, truly, it’s their latkes that are a standout for Chanukah. Dense and packed with potato flavor without any trace of greasiness, Veselka latkes have mastered the art of the potato pancake. You can sit outside in one of their private booths with heat lamps or join the party spirit indoors with the cool kids.

Courtesy Dagon

Dagon

Light your Menorah and then then head to the Upper West Side to the new Levantine restaurant Dagon from Chef Ari Bokovza. The pandemic-be-damned restaurant is serving up fresh grated potato latkes with a choice of three creative sides for their first Chanukah meal. Have it your way with a choice of horseradish-za’atar yogurt, smoked salmon, silan (date) and ginger apple sauce, pastrami-spiced short rib marmalade, harissa ketchup, tahini-amba (pickled mango), roasted bone marrow or American paddlefish caviar.

Courtesy The Regency Bar & Grill

The Regency Bar & Grill

Well-known among NYC’s power brokers, The Regency Bar & Grill on Park Avenue welcomes all with its Festival of Lights celebrations for lunch and dinner. Spice up your meal with classic Matzah Ball Soup and Carrots or a stack of potato latkes as you discuss the fate of the world and NYC business.

Courtesy Zou Zou’s

Zou Zou’s

In the new Manhattan West development behind Penn Station, the lively Eastern Mediterranean restaurant from Chef Madeline Sperling joins Executive Sous Chef Juliana Latif to celebrate Chanukah with an updated take on potato latkes, Zou Zou’s Crispy Latkes with Frizzled Thyme.

Courtesy Balaboosta

Balaboosta

Star of Israeli-Persian-Yemenite cuisine at her Meatpacking District restaurant, Chef Einat Admony has added holiday specials to Balaboosta’s menu. You can order Sufganiyot, the Israeli jelly donut staple of Chanukah, here filled with savory chicken liver mousse and topped with sweet amarena cherry compote. Additionally, try the Zengoula, a fresh Middle Eastern take on Chanukah sweets. The crisp funnel cakes are made with rose water, saffron honey and pistachio.

Courtesy PJ Bernstein

PJ Bernstein

Delis are a no-brainer when it comes to finding latkes on the menu year-round. Steve and Eugene Slobodksi’s PJ Bernstein on the Upper East Side has one of the best choices with more than half century of experience. Served up with apple sauce or sour cream, the latkes are delicious and worthy of ordering a bunch to go to freeze for the week. I’d prefer that you ignore the sour cream and just let the potatoes and apple combination work its magic.

Courtesy 2nd Ave. Deli

2nd Ave. Deli

The Second Avenue Deli may no longer be located on Second Avenue, but no matter, this is the real deal when it comes to deli dining and especially latkes. The latkes at their two locations on the Upper East Side and Midtown have been perfected over the deli’s 65-year history and it shows. They’re crispy with no trace of oil. The deli even uses them to create a crazy sandwich worthy of sharing, the Instant Heart Attack: it’s a mountain of a creation with corned beef, pastrami, turkey or salami between two latkes. I’m not sure that apple sauce would work with that.

Who’s Jac W.? © A. H. Reiss Photography

Who’s Jac W.?

This upstart restaurant featuring a mashup of styles and nationalities is offering latkes for their inaugural season. Indeed, Chef Joel Reiss’s latkes continue the inventive theme with Scallion Latkes turned into a meal with braised short rib, horseradish sour cream, natural jus and chive oil. For a sweet spin on a beverage to accompany, the Who’s Jac W.? sangria is made with Manischewitz wine, brandy, apple pucker, berry syrup and cranberry juice.

Courtesy Samesa

Samesa

Brisket is the name of the game at this Mediterranean fast-casual eatery at Rockefeller Center. After a day of skating or watching the light spectacular on the façade of Saks Fifth Avenue, head indoors to Samesa to warm up with this rib-sticking version made Mediterranean-style with apricots, dates, leeks and oranges as well as the usual holiday root veggies.

Courtesy Butterfield Market

Butterfield Market

Technically, Butterfield Market isn’t a restaurant – it’s where you order your takeout to create your at-home “restaurant.” Lucky for us, Butterfield Market doesn’t restrict selling their fabulous latkes to Chanukah. The light and golden potato pancakes are a tad on the pricy side but they’re worth it. And Butterfield’s homemade apple sauce is truly a thing of gastronomic beauty. Be sure to order a large portion of that as well, as you’ll want to eat it by the spoon even after you’ve finished all of your latkes

Brooklyn

Courtesy Olmsted

Olmsted

The acclaimed Prospect Heights restaurant from Chef Greg Baxtrom is offering a Giant Latke at their popular weekend brunch. Each Giant Latke is served in its own cast iron skillet and is topped with lemon crème fraiche and trout roe, very much Olmsted-style and very much delicious.

Courtesy Clinton Street Baking Company

Clinton Street Baking Company

Combining a brunch staple with a Hanukkah twist, the Time Out Market restaurant-bakery entices you to Brooklyn with its rich Latke Eggs Benedict. Chef Neil Kleinberg poaches cage-free eggs, pairs them with house smoked salmon and adds a bath of classic Hollandaise sauce, all served over crispy potato pancakes.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Road and Water Trips for Leaf Peepers: New England, Upstate New York and the Big Apple Have Some of the Most Striking Colors This Fall

While this year’s climate vagaries of heavy rains mixed with droughts, fires and hurricanes have significantly changed weather patterns, the fall still offers a bounty of colors with deeply saturated hues that mix with bright greens.

The Beautiful Berkshires

Heading north along the winding Taconic Parkway will take you to some of the most vibrant fall foliage in New York and Massachusetts. As you head east along route 23 through Hillsdale, S. Egremont and Great Barrington, past numerous antique shops and farm settings, you’ll see the colors gradually intensify as you enter the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. The hills here become a carpet of colors, perfectly framing the historic towns along route 7 including West Stockbridge, Stockbridge, Lenox, Lee and Becket.

Courtesy Bershires.org

Consider an overnight at the historic Red Lion Inn where the backyard is filled with bright red leaves, brilliantly set against the white hotel buildings. The outdoor porch has heated lamps for dining so you can comfortably absorb the fresh air and the rich colors.

Courtesy Red Lion Inn

Add a cultural foray with visits to the Norman Rockwell Museum, The Mount and Naumkeag to drift back into the lazy days of the Gilded Age.

Catskills Scenic Byways

If you’re a fan of Dirty Dancing and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, you’ll recognize the Catskills Mountains of Upstate New York. The Catskills have more than their fair share of scenic byways so you can plan a full day of driving, stopping and photo-indulging against a colorful, winding backdrop.

Upper Delaware Scenic Byway © Eric Rowe

The acclaimed Upper Delaware Scenic Byway is a 70-mile stretch of Route 97 offering impossibly beautiful riverside vistas, rolling hills and rock-cut landscapes.

Courtesy sceniccatskills.com

The Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway invites you to explore frozen-in-time towns like Bethel (think Woodstock Music Festival), Woodstock and New Paltz. Encircling the Shawangunk Mountains, The Shawangunk Mountains Scenic Byway is your go-to if you’re a rock climber.

Courtesy Audrey’s Farmhouse B and B

After a day of hiking, climbing or simply exploring, settle in at Audrey’s Farmhouse B and B, dating from 1740, at the foot of the ‘Gunks.

Courtesy Emerson Resort & Spa

If you prefer fly-fishing, check-in at the luxurious Emerson Resort & Spa. The staff will arrange an excursion or perhaps a massage to soothe away any driving-related kinks. Plan for a cocktail and dinner at the Woodnotes Grille by the Esopus creek.

Pawling

Two hours from New York City, Pawling is horse country with miles of open spaces, winding drives and magnificent colors. It’s relatively unknown to leaf peepers so you may find yourself with roads to yourself. Follow Route 22 to Pawling, where you’ll see the quaint train station and downtown area. Nearby Barton Orchards is the place for a selection of crisp apples, cider doughnuts and frosty cider from their onsite Tap Room. Before you leave, pick up some pumpkins, gourds and dried corn to decorate for Halloween and Thanksgiving. You can refresh at McKinney & Doyle for a substantive meal or stop at their Corner Bakery for a sweet treat.

Courtesy Barton Orchards

Hot air ballooning will give you a spectacular overview of the valley and the mountains. If you prefer a water-based vista, head to Candlewood Lake just 20 minutes away, rent a pontoon, or simply sit by the shore and marvel at the gorgeous trees. For some top-notch entertainment, check out the music schedule at Daryl’s House.

Courtesy Daryl’s House

This fall, Sonny Landreth from New Orleans, Jay and the Americans, James Montgomery Band and others are set to wow audiences eager for live music. And the venue is as intimate as they come. At the end of the day, tuck into a room at the Station Inn Pawling, an intimate B and B downtown.

The Hudson Valley

The stunning Hudson Valley is especially appealing during the fall. The area lies on either side of the 300-mile-long Hudson River, with Interstate 87 east of the river and Highway 9 to the west. You’ll pass through many small towns, with gorgeous foliage surrounding you and many dining choices and antique shops.

Courtesy travelhudsonvalley.com

Make a point of stopping in cute-as-a-button Hudson with lots of gallery hopping and antiquing possibilities like The Antiques Warehouse with more than 3000 items on offer. Rest up for the night at the exquisite Maker with its glass-enclosed restaurant or the more Bohemian Rivertown Lodge set in a former 1920’s movie theater.

Courtesy The Maker

Visit the 230-year old Tuthilltown Distillery (a.k.a. Hudson Whiskey) for a tasting before visiting Art Omi to admire the contemporary sculptures and architecture at the outdoor park.

Courtesy Art Omi

If you love art, plan a second day to tour Frederic Church’s eclectic villa Olana and the gorgeous grounds that inspired many of the painter’s scenes of the Hudson Valley.

Cooperstown

Affectionately nicknamed “America’s Most Perfect Village,” Cooperstown sits on beautiful Otsego Lake framed by trees transformed into a mosaic of colors. Baseball lovers will enjoy a reserved time slot at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and everyone can wander charming Main Street where ice cream shops and baseball souvenirs abound.

Courtesy The Farmers’ Museum

Celebrate autumn with a stroll around the lake before heading to the Fenimore Art Museum, a repository of American folk art. The Farmers’ Museum is a favorite for families with its demonstrations and exhibits of rural life in the 19th century. Be sure to refresh with a donut or moon pie from Schneider’s Bakery, satisfying hungry visitors since 1887.

Courtesy Otesaga Hotel

For a stately dinner and stay, the Otesaga Hotel is the grande dame of the town, overlooking the lake with an elegance that befits its Historic Hotels of America affiliation. If you’re traveling with kids and your visit overlaps a weekend, ask the concierge to arrange a babysitter so you can visit Cooperstown’s Brewery Ommegang for a brew or hard cider made from local apples.

Cruises for All Seasons

Don’t feel like driving? Classic Harbor Line’s Fall Foliage Cruises & Sails on elegant 1920s-style yachts will take you from the Big Apple up the Hudson River.

Courtesy Classic Harbor Cruises

You’ll be surrounded by beautiful scenery on both the New York and New Jersey sides as you sail aside the Palisades Parkway. The cruise refreshes with Champagne, beer, wine or soft drinks. Choose a brunch or luncheon cruise to add even more foliage-filled celebration with a chef-designed meal.

Courtesy The Circle Line

A second cruise along the Hudson River travels to Bear Mountain State Park on The Circle Line. The 560-mile cruise has an Oktoberfest theme with German food specials, Oktoberfest beers and even a German polka band to get you moving. The cruise leaves from Pier 83 in Midtown and is available through October 31.

© Meryl Pearlstein

As the tree colors moves south, a cruise around New York Harbor and the city’s East and Hudson rivers will show off the foliage as well as the dramatic skyline. Bateaux New York Premier Dinner cruises leave early evening in time for viewing of the changing leaves and segueing into an elegant dinner cruise with music, fine dining and a luxurious sailing.

© Meryl Pearlstein

Leave your jeans and shorts at home – this is an evening that encourages dressing up on the European-inspired yachts.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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TD Five Boro Bike Tour Returns to NYC on Sunday, August 22

It’s back! America’s “biggest bike ride” is being held in New York City on August 22. The annual charity cycling event was cancelled in 2020 to the dismay of thousands of riders who look forward to this event. Sponsored by Bike New York and its city government partners, the bike tour covers all of New York City in one glorious ride, through each of the city’s five boroughs.

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© Bike New York

The event, which typically draws up to 32,000 riders annually and opens 40 miles of NYC’s busiest roadways exclusively to cyclists for the day, returns during the city’s announced NYC Homecoming Week, (August 14-22) and the day after the We Love New York mega Homecoming Concert in Central Park. This year’s participant number has been scaled down to 20,000 to allow for greater safety and social distancing.

The tour is viewed as an exciting part of New York City’s economic revitalization. The landmark event typically attracts riders from all over the world. While this year is different from past rides with reduced numbers of riders, one can expect the same sense of excitement, or perhaps even more as part of Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s I Love New York Homecoming effort.

© Bike New York

The 40-mile route. Begins in Manhattan in TriBeCa and culminates in Staten Island after a ride over the Verrazano Narrow Bridge. For a map of the entire route, click here. To pick up your rider packet, adults must show proof of vaccination.

The TD Five Boro Bike Tour is a fundraising event for Bike New York, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to provide free bike education opportunities to New Yorkers. Proceeds from the ride fund public classes that reach over 25,000 children and adults each year, with special focus given to improving cycling access and resources to residents of neighborhoods historically overlooked in infrastructure improvements. In addition to free classes held at Community Bike Education Centers located in all five boroughs, Bike New York has introduced bike safety education programs into area middle schools, co-developed a job training and placement program for bike mechanics with Brooklyn’s One Community, and helped pilot a free bike rental system in Shirley Chisholm State Park.

© Bike New York

The ride caps off a year of virtual programming brought to cyclists through Bike New York. The 2021 TD Five Boro Bike Tour will support the return of Bike New York’s in-person classes while sustaining their online offerings, which reached more than 30,000 viewers worldwide in 2020.

To register, visit https://www.bike.nyc/events/td-five-boro-bike-tour/registration-options/ and sign up by August 13.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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