Posts Tagged ‘restaurants’

Dry January, Damp January and Mocktail Week – Celebrating in New York City

Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? Even if it’s past January 1, there’s still time to do something nice for yourself.

Dry January, Damp January and National Mocktail Week (January 8-14) all seem to be taking over our lives this month. As we recover from overindulging during the holidays, there seem to be plenty of options to help us retrench. Damp January is a newish concept, a , if you will, for those not quite ready to take the plunge into total abstention. Its concept is simple: tone down your drinking and you’ll put yourself in a healthier place. But for the rest of us who have experienced or want to experience the benefits of a month (or longer) without alcohol, there are many options that go beyond National Mocktail Week to help you survive a sober month. If you find you like the results, there’s no need to stop on January 31. Or maybe just moderate until Sober October arrives.

You won’t be alone. According to CGA research, an agency specializing in the food and drink industries, about 35% of legal aged adults in the U.S. participated in Dry January in 2022, an increase of some 15% from the previous year. Perhaps the excesses of the pandemic period have motivated people to take the NA (non-alcoholic) plunge. But whatever it was, bars, restaurants and drink manufacturers have responded with many zero-proof choices to fill in the taste and variety blanks as you enjoy socializing and relaxing without alcohol.

Booze-free Bars and Mocktails

New York City invites you to dabble in innovative drink and flavor combinations with a baker’s dozen choices.

L’Amico - Crimson & Clover Cocktail © Jason Hedges

Laurent Tourondel’s L’Amico shows off the versatility of zero-proof Seedlip spirit, using Seedlip Grove in a Crimson & Clover mocktail, adding fresh blood orange juice, lime juice, honey/clove syrup and club soda. It pairs beautiful with any of the restaurant’s pasta dishes.

Sama Street - Same Same but Virgin © Eric Medsker

Pan-Asian Sama Street, in Brooklyn’s trendy Greenpoint neighborhood, offers a selection of Asian-inflected mocktails that are sure to make you look cool and satisfy the urge to imbibe. Try their humorously named Same Same but Virgin, a novel blend of spicy ginger turmeric tea, Coco Lopez, lime juice, fish sauce, mint and dill sprigs for a dramatic beverage served in a blue ceramic fish. Or the Baby Buck, a spin on Sama’s famous Shanghai Buck , a fresh cocktail made with winter melon tea syrup, lime juice, angostura bitters, and topped with ice and ginger beer.

Dante © Steve Freihon

Popular NYC cocktail bar Dante has curated a cocktail experience for those withholding from alcohol for Dry January. Special NA  (non-alcoholic) cocktails include the Fall Fox (Seedlip Spice, pear shrub, and London Essence ginger beer), Dante Spritz (Lyre’s Italian Spritz, Classic N/A Prosecco, San Pellegrino), the Espresso Shakerato (Three Spirits Nightcap, Lyre’s Coffee Liqueur, simple syrup, espresso, rose water and saline), and an NA Cosmojito (lime, Dante Cranberry, simple syrup, mint leaves, and orange bitters).

Rosa Mexicano - Mango-Ginger Refresco © Cody Rasmussen

Rosa Mexicano helps you tame the fire of their spicy cocina with a Mango-Ginger Refresco, a cooling combo of mango purée, lemon, chia seed and ginger beer.  It’s offered at their multiple locations in the city.

Courtesy Hideout at Gallow Green

At the Alpine-decorated Hideout at Gallow Green, the month goes dry with two refreshing mocktails, the Dry Northern made with pomegranate juice, citrus and soda, and the Dew Drop, a mix of ginger, grapefruit juice and rose lemonade.

Berries & Bubbles Courtesy Ocean Prime

Playing off its near-Broadway location, Ocean Prime is all about theatricality with its signature Berries & Bubbles. The Instagrammable libation is made with Sprite, marinated blackberries, fresh lemon and dry ice smoke.

Courtesy Skylark Lounge

Soak in the city views instead of alcohol from the 30th floor at the Skylark Lounge. Master Mixologist Johnny Swet takes full advantage of winter flavors with his Harvest Honey Lemonade, a dreamy mix of pear puree, honey syrup, apple cider and lemon juice.

NR - Ginger Soda © Zenith Richards

Not-so-secret speakeasy/restaurant NR offers their acclaimed ramen and small bites menu along with their cocktail magic turned NA. Mocktail offerings include the Ginger Soda with a blend of ginger, house-spiced syrup, ginger ale and lime. For something bitter, the Bitter Sweet has Bitter Sweet Non-Alcohol Spirit, pineapple, pomegranate, elderflower and tonic.

Courtesy Oiji Mi

Michelin-starred contemporary Korean restaurant Oiji Mi offers a mocktail menu worthy of its acclaim. Addressing both plant-forward and zero-proof trends, the Peter Rabbit is  made with carrot, orange oleo, Meyer lemon, and vanilla bean ice cream. A new version of Mexican horchata, the Jatchata is made with pine nut, cinnamon and vanilla.

Courtesy The Ivory Peacock

The Ivory Peacock, an elegant new cocktail bar in NoMad/Chelsea dedicated to all things gin, offers a zero-proof gin cocktail this month. The Super Lemon is made with Clean & Co. ‘gin,’ lemon cordial Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic, and mint oil.

N.A.GRONI Courtesy Celestine

Capitalizing on the popularity of the non-alcoholic botanical aperitif Ghia, DUMBO’s Celestine pairs a Negroni mocktail with its Mediterranean-inspired menu. The N.A.GRONI features Amass “Riverine” N.A. Gin  from California along with Ghia and verjus, a tart juice made from pressing unripe grapes.

Courtesy Alice

At Alice in the West Village, the Italian and seafood restaurant serves up fancified mocktails with aromatics, tinctures and various zero proof spirits that mimic the real thing. Order your baked lobster or oysters paired with Prima Pavé Rose Brut sparkling AF (alcohol-free) wine or a mocktail like the Body Language, mixed with  Pathfinder, a zero-proof, fermented and distilled spirit, date molasses, grape syrup, lemon, and spritzed with rosewater for an aromatic finish.

Courtesy Madame George

Spirits  specialist Madame George adds a few mocktails to their New York-themed cocktail list. Try the Mulberry Blend, a malty and caffeine-rich concoction of Lyre’s American malt, Lyre’s amaretti, lemon juice, cola redux, and Manhattan Special Espresso soda.

Fun at Home

You’ll need to check the web for online sites to purchase these NA beverages for your home enjoyment, but many are available on Amazon. Others are available at liquor stores and grocery stores, so you’ll have no trouble keeping your refrigerator stocked during the month.

Courtesy Uncle Waithley’s

A non-alcoholic small batch ginger beer, Uncle Waithley’s Vincy Brew, Ginger Beer with Scotch Bonnet Pepper is a refreshing beverage and an ideal mixer enhanced and balanced  with pepper.

Kombucha Mixed Berry Courtesy Remedy Kombucha

Remedy Drinks is a great Dry January choice for kombucha fans. Remedy has a line of tasty Ginger Beer and Kombuchas that contain no sugar and taste like seltzers with organic acids and antioxidants. Rotate their  ginger beer, mixed berry, peach and raspberry lemonade flavors for a variety-filled, gut-friendly month.

Courtesy De Soi

Inspired by the French ethos of pleasure and restraint, De Soi is a line of sparkling, ready-to-drink non-alcoholic aperitifs created by Katy Perry and award-winning Master Distiller Morgan McLachlan.  Reminiscent of a light-, medium-, and full-bodied wine, De Soi’s three flavors, Golden Hour, Champignon Dreams, and Purple Lune, layer botanicals with natural adaptogens.

Courtesy MIXOLOSHE

MIXOLOSHE is a new female-founded beverage brand of ready-to-drink non-alcoholic, low-sugar beverages and spirits with tempting flavors like Orange Old Fashioned Cosmic Bitter Spritz, Blueberry G&T and Tropical Smoky Margarita.

Courtesy Cut Above

For beverages you can drink straight or mix, Cut Above is a line of zero-proof gin, mezcal, agave blanco and whisky. The website includes many mocktail suggestions such as Tommy’s Skinny Margarita, a NA Old Fashioned, and the  Naughty & Nice Punch made with their mezcal, fresh fruit and sparkling water.

Courtesy Stone Hollow Farmstead

I’ve always found that a Virgin Mary or, as some call it, a Bloody Shame tastes pretty darn good given all its pickled vegetables, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and other peppery ingredients. Red or green Bloody Mary mixes from Stone Hollow Farmstead in Alabama have nailed them with their own farm veggies.  And, I’m not kidding you, you won’t miss the vodka. Or the hangover.

Seedlip © Meryl Pearlstein

Other mocktail favorites for your at-home dinners include creatively layered beverages with a base of Seedlip, a distilled, non-alcoholic spirit, made with botanicals. There’s Spice 94, herbal Seedlip Garden 108 or citrus-based Grove 42. The website inspires your creativity with recipe suggestions or take a cue from the mixology wizards at La Societe at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa who mix Seedlip Garden with lemon, basil syrup, elderflower and elderflower tonic to create their refreshing Nonna’s Garden, or from Denver’s Tamayo with their Non-Collins, mixing Seedlip Grove with strawberry, lemon, mint and sparkling water.

Courtesy Lyre’s

Two other base liquors give you many opportunities to express your NA creativity. Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic spirits offer a range of wines and liquors to add plenty of variety during the month. They will ship premixed cocktails like their non-alcoholic G&T or the Dry London spirit, an NA gin, American Malt, a NA classic bourbon malt wherever you live. Liqueur and aperitif fans can try their Italian orange, a NA red Italian bitter aperitivo style drink, or Amaretti, a NA nutty amaretto liqueur. There are many choices to tempt. Ghia gives you the option of a full-bottle aperitivo or canned spritzes in flavors like ginger and line and salt.

Courtesy Clausthaler

Clausthaler craft non-alcoholic beers taste just like the real brew. The German brewery has the pedigree, too, as they are an exclusively N/A brewery in existence for more than 40 years with a patented process for making beer that doesn’t create alcohol. There are dry-hopped beers, IPAs, and, for a kick, try their grapefruit beer.

Courtesy HOP WTR

Offered in three flavors, Classic, Mango and Blood Orange, HOP WTR is a non-alcoholic brew of crisp, bold hops, sparkling water and mood-boosting adaptogens and nootropics crafted without calories or sugar. The tasty beer alternatives are bright and refreshing, perfect for Superbowl parties or anytime during Dry January or beyond.

Courtesy Surely

Love California wines? Sonoma Valley has a lovely alcohol-free wine collection. Surelys non-alcoholic wine is made from wine with the alcohol removed. A favorite is their non-alcoholic cabernet sauvignon, bold and full-bodied, and made with 100% Sonoma Valley grapes.

Gift a Kit for the Month

Courtesy Raising The Bar - Zero-Proof Subscription Box

Keep it coming with Raising The Bar – Zero-Proof Subscription Box. DIY cocktail creations that keep on giving is the name of the game with this program. You can subscribe for as long as you want for creative alcohol-free beverages shipped to you directly. Boxes are themed with fun names like “Love Potion,” and each kit makes a minimum of four drinks.

Courtesy Something Else

For another package of Dry January goodies, non-alcoholic brand, Something Else, is offering a bundle fora month of fun and renewal. The Best January Kit comes with a six-pack sampler of NA sippers: Kally, a verjus-based sipper, and Lili, a sparkler that is all bubbles and no booze; a candle; gratitude journal; herbal tea; and a digital guide.

Damp January instead?

Courtesy Sommarøy Spirits

If you haven’t yet made the full zero-proof commitment, that’s not a problem.

Sommarøy Spirits are a new line of lower-proof premium spirits with 1/3 less alcohol so you can drink in moderation for a Dry-ish January. Look for them at Whole Foods.

Courtesy HEAVENSAKE

The first lifestyle sake brand, HEAVENSAKE is all natural, gluten-free and three times less acidic than wine. Junmai translates to pure in Japanese, and taking inspiration from the rosés of Provence and the lightness of Champagne HEAVENSAKE Junmai 12 is no exception. With notes of salted caramel, cacao and kumquat, this 12% ABV sake can be used in low-alcohol cocktails such as highballs and mules to replace full-strength spirits.

Courtesy Sunny with a Chance of Flowers

With only 85 calories, 9% alcohol and zero sugar across the entire product range, Sunny with a Chance of Flowers is a new wine line made with fully ripened grapes that pass through a special filtration system to carefully remove the alcohol,. Try their Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

New Year’s Eve in New York City: 2023

We’ve all had enough of 2022, right? And the awful freezing weather isn’t helping much. If you’ve already gotten rid of those bad memories at Good Riddance Day in Times Square, made your wish on the Wishing Wall for next year and you’re prepared to put your New Year’s resolutions into play, it’s time to party like it’s 1999 (apologies to Prince). Let’s say goodbye to the past and move forward with wonderful and festive memories.

Watch the Ball Drop at Home or with a Personal Escort (No, It’s Not What You think)

An online event for those who aren’t willing to join the hordes in chilly Times Square on New Year’s Eve, the New Year’s Eve celebration will be livestreamed along with non-stop merriment and music. Click here to get notified about details for the webcast.

Courtesy Brooklyn Delicatessen Times Square

The new Brooklyn Deli Times Square will offer live entertainment, a five-course prix-fixe menu featuring an elaborate buffet and an “escort” to view the ball drop in Times Square. Brian “Mr. Taptastic” Davis and his group of NYC Musicians will be joined by Broadway’s Haley Lampart (Kinky Boots) for all-night eats and entertainment.  Just before midnight, you’ll be escorted to watch the Times Square festivities from a less crowded location. To reserve, email newyearseve@thefiremangroup.com.

New Year’s Eve Midnight Run and Fireworks in Central Park

The Annual Emerald Nuts Midnight Run is ready to kick off again this year at midnight on New Year’s Eve.  Starting at 10pm, Central Park will be alive with DJ Music and Dancing, a Costume Parade and a spectacular Fireworks and Laser Show. Then, at midnight, the 4M Race winds its way through the park, finishing near the entrance to Cherry Hill. Dress warmly  and enjoy the festivities .Dancing and the costume contest will be held at the Central Park Bandshell, just south of the 72nd Street Transverse in Central Park.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry – International Style

New Year’s Eve in New York City is back and many restaurants have sent out invitations to come and enjoy in person. Here are some of the international options for you to consider.

Courtesy GG Tokyo

I miss Tokyo a lot, and the Golden Gai district is certainly one of the liveliest parts of the city. New York’s version, GG Tokyo in the Park South Hotel, invites you to celebrate the New Year with a party to remember. With its Japanese-inspired cuisine and cocktails, GG Tokyo will offer an open bar from 9pm to 12am with an extensive Champagne and spirit list, a Tarlant Champagne toast, hors d’oeuvres for the first hour, and a DJ to keep the spirits high. Tickets are available on Tock. The party will run from 9pm until 1am.

Courtesy Sushi by Boū

I can’t get enough of Japan and here’s an option to keep you feeling “bougie” à la japonais on New Year’s Eve. Modern speakeasy-inspired /omakase concept Sushi by Boū is offering a Bou-gie 17-course seating with a New Year’s Eve party package. At New York City locations in Nomad, Chelsea and Flatiron at 11pm, guests can enjoy an omakase experience that includes 2023 glasses, party hats, noisemakers, beads, and a Champagne toast at midnight.

Courtesy Sushi by Boū

For the ultimate experience, you can choose to ‘check in’ at Sushi Suite 1001 for a 17-course omakase at their 11:15pm seating that comes with a sake flight as well.

Balvanera - Photo Credit Mark Zhelezoglo

Argentina is known for its lively music and dance and Balnvanera does it up Punta Alta-style to celebrate New Year’s Eve.  Authentic dishes, special for the evening and created by Chef Fernando Navas, include New Year’s Eve langosta with Maine lobster, black trumpet butter, frisée salad; panqueques with dulce de leche; and other specials. There will be two seatings at the Lower East side restaurant: an early dinner starting at 7pm, and a second one at 8:30pm that takes you through the New Year’s Eve countdown with party hats and noisemakers.

Courtesy IXTA

For a Mexican fiesta, IXTA on the Bowery is holding a noche filled with Champagne, cocina mexicana and mezcal.  The trendy Tulum-themed restaurant and mezcal bar will celebrate New Year’s Eve with a DJ, live entertainment, three-hour premium open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres, a Champagne toast at midnight and live viewing of the Times Square festivities. Tickets can be purchased at Posh.

More Dining and Parties

Courtesy Blackbarn

At Nomad’s farm-to-Table, American restaurant Blackbarn, Chef John Doherty is once again teaming up with Executive Chef Brian Fowler to create a special New Year’s Eve menu featuring a la carte choices as well as a prix fixe menu with or without wine pairing. Menu highlights include foie gras terrine, Black Barn tomahawk steak for two presented tableside, Dover sole, and rum butterscotch pudding. The party continues until 1am.

Courtesy The Fulton by Jean-Georges

To ring in 2023, The Fulton by Jean-Georges at Pier 17 will be offering two seatings for their five-course prix fixe menu. Upscale choices include caviar service, white truffle tagliatelle and seared wagyu tenderloin. The waterside restaurant sits on the East River with beautiful skyline views of both Manhattan and Brooklyn.

9 Jones - Photo Credit Andy Stark

New York’s newest supper club, 9 Jones, will be ringing in the New Year with Champagne and caviar and an elegant prix fixe dinner with two seatings. Guests enjoying the six-course dinner will have with the option for Caviar Bump and a glass of Champagne or a bottle of Champagne and a two-ounce caviar tin served with accoutrements. The Cocktail Trolley will be available for bottle service with top shelf Champagne options served tableside. 9 Jones’s modern Greek menu includes options such as spice feta with warm pita, lobster bisque, grilled octopus, truffle butter pasta, and butter-poached lobster tail. Dress attire is elegant like the menu, and televisions at the West Village club will be live streaming the festivities all night with the ball drop.

Courtesy Arlo SoHo

Arlo SoHo is transforming their entire hotel into a New Year’s Eve multi-floor extravaganza with a variety of experiences throughout with multiple DJs, dancers, acrobatic performers and robots as well as a four-hour open bar, endless bites and more. The evening also includes access to speakeasy Foxtail hosting a midnight balloon drop and rooftop lounge Art SoHo. Tickets are available via Eventbrite . The hotel’s lovely restaurant Lindens is available for a dining with a prix fixe menu including signature Parker House rolls, honeynut squash ravioli and roast chicken, offered with optional wine or cocktail pairings.

Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge - Courtesy TAO Group Hospitality

Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge at Moxy Times Square’s seasonal holiday pop-up, the Pink Winter Edition: Frosted Edition, offers a spectacular view of New York City and the Empire State Building along with white frosted details, a carousel glistening with more than 25,000 rhinestones, and a sparkling white gondola.

Courtesy The Cauldron NYC

The Cauldron NYC downtown has a crazy party night in store with a four-hour open bar from 10pm – 2am, two hours of passed hors d’oeuvres and witch hats. There will be a livestream of the ball drop, a live DJ, a drag show and plenty of additional tricks. The party doesn’t have to end when you leave, as you’ll be given a special potion and grilled cheese to take home or to your next destination. Standing tickets and table reservations are available. For table reservations, email nycbar@thecauldron.io.  For standing tickets, buy them online through Eventbrite.

Courtesy CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE

CHELSEA TABLE + STAGE will present a special immersive New Year’s Eve Celebration “The Romp on 26.” From 9pm until 1am. The soiree will feature The CT+S Follies, fresh from Burlesque Nights at the dining and music hot spot, with performances by Seedy Edie and more. Patrons  will enjoy an open bar, passed delights, and a midnight toast. General admission tickets include Burlesque performers, dancing to the music of DJ A Ball, a limited menu, passed hors d’oeuvres, and a bubbles toast at midnight with a balloon drop. Various packages are available with bottle service and tables offered.  Black tie suggested. 21 and over only . Tickets are available through Eventbrite.

Courtesy The Sandbar Rooftop

The Sandbar Rooftop will offer its second annual “Beach White Party” from 9pm until 1am. Come dressed in your best beach chic whites and ring in the New Year. Guests will experience views of Manhattan’s cityscape while relaxing in the Fashion District’s “beach” on the 23rd floor of the Hilton. Open bar, DJ and dancing,  a bubbles toast at midnight, and light bites are offered. 21 and over only. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.

Courtesy Paris Cafe

The newly revamped 150-year old Paris Cafe in the Seaport welcomes you to join their list of notable guests past and present including such luminaries as Thomas Edison, Teddy Roosevelt , Jimmy Hoffa and Lauren Bacall. For New Year’s Eve, the restaurant will host a “ Midnight in Paris” dinner party followed by open bar, bottle service and live entertainment along with a DJ, saxophonist, magicians, dancers and Champagne.

Courtesy Wiggle Room

For the late night party, Wiggle Room bar in the East Village will keep the vibes happening until 3am with sets by DJs Babybro and Ben Baker and an open bar for all-night dancing. Tickets are available through Eventbrite. Cocktail highlights the spicily named Hot Lava, made with Milagro tequila, Ayuk pasilla, pineapple, toasted sesame, lime and hot honey; and the Wiggle ‘Tini, a potent combination of Nordes gin, Ketel One vodka, cherry blossom vermouth and Champagne vinegar.

And for New Year’s Day

Courtesy The Poetry Project

The Poetry Project’s 49th annual New Year’s Day Marathon is live again this year, starting at 2pm on January 1 and continuing until 1am at St. Marks Church with non-stop readings and performances from more than 153 poets, writers, artists, musicians, actors and dancers around the world. Don’t tune out if you don’t like poetry — the event is filled with music sets, cooking segments, films and other theatrical bits to keep you entertained into the next day. The Marathon will take place over two five-hour periods with an hour break in between. The sections of the marathon will be ticketed separately with a limit of 300 tickets per section. Tickets are $25 per section in advance, $30 at the door.

To help with your hangover, these three  brunch specials at Mercado Little Spain will bring much-needed (and delicious) relief.

Lena Courtesy Mercado Little Spain

At Leña, a restaurant dedicated to paellas and grilled meats over live fire, enjoy scrambled eggs with roasted seasonal mushrooms and morcilla sausage and tortilla de patatas con caviar, a  Spanish potato and onions omelet served with caviar, perfect for soaking up whatever you might have imbibed the evening before.

Spanish Diner Courtesy Mercado Little Spain

Inside the all-day Spanish Diner, you can munch on Ibérico Benedict eggs, made with Ibérico hollandaise sauce and jamón Ibérico or mollete de tortilla de patatas, a Spanish potato and onions omelet sandwich served on a crispy bun with piquillo peppers and aioli.

La Barra Courtesy Mercado Little Spain

Tapas specialist La Barra serves up tortilla vaga con caviar, an open-face tortilla with potato chips and caviar and bikini de queso y trufa, a truffled Spanish cheese sandwich.

Where to Get the Best Waterfront Dining in New York City

City dwellers love dining with a waterside view. Here are five exceptional choices to catch a breeze and enjoy a great meal.

The Fulton

The Fulton © Meryl Pearlstein

Jean-Georges Vongerichten has captured the heart of the Seaport with his multi-story, multi-room dining emporium The Fulton. At the Chef’s first seafood restaurant, the downstairs dining area features an open-air setting and outdoor patio seating, all with fabulous views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn.

The Fulton © Meryl Pearlstein

The most popular room is on the second floor where diners feel like they’re sitting right on the East River with waves lapping at their feet. If you plan ahead, you can also book one of the private rooks set with its own banquette and chairs for a two-sided waterfront affair. The seafood (and meat) menu updates by season with some recent specials including a roasted Mediterranean turbot, presented whole and fileted tableside for a deft extraction of the delicate white meat.

The Fulton © Meryl Pearlstein

Served with a side of heat-packing chili oil and shallots, the seasonal fish is a most appropriate choice for the location. Other specials – order them when they’re available – include uni from California, a full raw bar with seasonal East coast oysters, and roasted summer carrots with an herbaceous basil pistou and tarragon. Add a touch of whimsy to your meal with a strawberry plant pot dessert to fish.

The Fulton © Meryl Pearlstein

The entire creation, a strawberry rhubarb smush topped with chocolate crumble and filling an edible flower pot with an edible flower as garnish, is a fun share to finish your meal.

Island Oyster

Courtesy Island Oyster

A secret to many, Manhattan island has its own satellite island with its own island culture, Governors Island. Sitting between Manhattan and Brooklyn, the island is a gem for parks, picnics and staying cool on a sweltering city day. Here, the seasonal Island Oyster is a casual open-air hangout for bivalves and other seafood while offering an in-city island holiday. Try the blue-toned rummy Permanent Vacation — it’ll definitely put you in a Jimmy Buffett frame of mind. Prepare to get wet, as tables are so close to the water that waves often crash onto diners. For even more fun, there’s ping pong, live music and a kids’ menu. To get to Governors Island, grab a ferry just north of the Staten Island ferry terminal. Stand to the right side and you’ll get close-up views of the Statue of Liberty and

Grand Banks

Courtesy Grand Banks

A wooden schooner-turned-restaurant and bar, Grand Banks is a former fishing vessel (the Sherman Zwicker) beautifully appointed with yellow-and-white sails at Pier 25 in TriBeCa. Views are guaranteed here, but you’ll have to decide which way to face: towards the Hudson River and the New Jersey skyline or towards Downtown Manhattan where One World Trade Center and the cityscape present a photographic background like no other. Menu highlights by Chef Kerry Heffernan are seared sea scallops with sweet corn succotash and coriander, and a lobster roll dressed with fennel, lemon and dulse emulsion. A delicious dessert, key lime mousse keeps the summer spirit going as does the Revolución, a summer-light libation of rum, mint, lime and bitters. Plan to visit during a weekday, if possible, as the post-work bar scene and weekend crowds create long lines to get on board.  If the perfect waterfront sunset is on your bucket list, consider the rooftop at City Vineyard instead, one pier north. The views are equally stunning and you can try one of City Winery’s eight vintages on tap.

Pilot

Courtesy Pilot

For a similar experience, if you’re in Brooklyn, head to Brooklyn Bridge Park to Pier 6 where Pilot sits. A pilot boat-turned oyster bar and restaurant, the beautiful schooner opens on a seasonal basis for seafood-oriented dining on the water.  Pilot shares the same menu as Grand Banks but offers a striking view of the Manhattan skyline and the East River. Come early – like Grand Banks, lines form quickly on beautiful days.

The River Café

Courtesy The River Café

For a fine dining experience in Brooklyn, The River Café in DUMBO has commanded the city’s waterside dining scene for 45 years. Here, venue and views match the caliber of food and service. The beloved restaurant’s very specific dress code adds to the specialness of the experience, and diners reserve well in advance for a waterside table with stunning views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges and the East River. The prix fixe menu is fine dining at its loftiest with starters including caviar and foie gras, followed by rack of lamb, butter-poached Nova Scotia lobster, or duck breast. While desserts vary, you can expect the likes of soufflés and other seasonal creations. A Madeira dessert flight is paired with petite sweets for an extra treat. The restaurant sits on an underwater pier and, while stationary, you’ll clearly have the sense that you’re dining right on the water. After acknowledging the tuxedoed doorman who welcomes you, be sure to look around the entry ramp where oversized flower arrangements and seafaring memorabilia make you feel like you’ve just boarded a private yacht. The River Café is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday.

Eataly Flatiron’s Manzo and Chef Adam Hill Offer Special Chef Collaborations All Summer

Diners are invited to enjoy a program featuring the best of New York, with local chefs and local producers coming together in a delicious way, courtesy of Manzo located in the everything-Italian-emporium Eataly in Flatiron.  The collaborations also benefit Grow To Learn by GrowNYC, a local charity.  Started in 2017, the highly successful multi-chef dinners, “From New York to New York – Manzo,” will continue through September.

Manzo

Earlier this summer, Chef Fortunato Nicotra from the acclaimed restaurant Felidia treated diners to his exceptional tutto tonno, with tuna prepared three ways: a semicarpaccio tartare, preserved, and tonnato sauce. He also created an exceptional prime beef striploin battutina pounded thin, and served with housemade burrata and heirloom tomatoes. The tutto tonno special was added to Manzo’s menu for the month of July.

In August, Manzo will show off the special menu creation of Chef Ali Larais of The Sosta with her corn agnolotti with an Invincible Summer Farms heirloom tomato pomodoro sauce added to the menu at Manzo. Sosta is an authentic Italian restaurant located between New York City’s Little Italy and NoLiTa neighborhoods.

Chef Ali Laraia

September ‘s guest chef and menu will be announced soon.

The special menus are featured throughout the month with a special cocktail and wine pairing.  A percentage of the proceeds from the dish are donated to the Grow To Learn by GrowNYC, an environmental non-profit that runs a New York City farmers’ market program, builds urban farms and community gardens, and teaches the city about recycling. GrowNYC is active in creating school gardens in each and every public school in New York City that wants one and is currently working with more than 750 schools in all five boroughs.

For information and reservations, contact Manzo, https://www.eataly.com/us_en/stores/nyc-flatiron/nyc-manzo, Eataly, 200 Fifth Avenue, Flatiron District.

Celebrate Chinese New Year: Where to Dine for Good Luck and Prosperity during the Year of the Dog

The Year of the Dog celebrates the return of spring and the beginning of the Chinese New Year.  This is a festival of unity, a way for friends and family to come together to enjoy traditions that will bring good fortune for the coming year. 2018 celebrates the dog, a symbol of loyalty and honesty, as we breathe some optimism into the days ahead. Unlike one-night New Year’s celebrations, Chinese New Year is celebrated for two weeks, through March 2 so you have plenty of time to enjoy. Here are some ways you can participate in this important holiday:

The sexiest celebration in New York City happens at Hakkasan in the Theater District. Kicked off by a lion dance on the first evening, the two weeks of the Chinese New Year are filled with special dinners and drinks.  For 2018, there is a $118 prix fixe menu (for a minimum of two guests) featuring the best of Hakkasan’s modern Cantonese signature dishes. Dishes have been selected for the cultural significance of their ingredients and their ability to portend good fortune. Baked Chilean sea bass with kumquat glaze will bring prosperity as eating fish at the New Year is said to increase wealth. Similarly, oysters, traditionally symbolizing fortune and good luck, are included in Szechuan oyster with lotus root and crispy rice in mantau.  Fat choy is an ingredient that means “to grow wealth” in Chinese and is found in the abalone fried rice in bean curd wrap with Chinese sausage and shiitake mushroom.

Hakkasan’s dinner also features a special Chinese New Year cocktail, the Good Fortune, made with Grey Goose Orange and fresh blood orange ice (oranges are traditionally given during the new year to symbolize good luck, happiness and abundance); five-spice pomegranate syrup, adding red to the drink, an important color of good luck, and the pomegranates to inspire fertility; satsuma godai; lime juice; and an orange peel rosette to add a touch of floral design, signifying rebirth and luck. Toast away!

A sweet finish is provided with Hakkasan’s reimagined fortune cookie, the macartune, which has 88 (8 represents prosperity in Chinese tradition) New York-centric fortunes written by author Jay McInerney like “Your train will arrive on time and there will be a seat available” (happy) or “A new skyscraper is being built next door to your building and your view is about to disappear” (sad). The writer of “Bright Lights, Big City” and Hakkasan  Executive Pastry Chef Alexander Zecena have imagined the vanilla-flavored cooked as a riff on New York’s beloved black and white, with one half coated in chocolate and then stamped with a red chocolate seal to symbolize good luck for the New Year.

Another tradition continues at Hakkasan, too, the annual wishing tree. Guests receive a red ribbon upon arrival on which they write their wishes. Ribbons are hung around the dining areas, a custom that is said to have begun hundreds of years ago in Hong Kong. In Lam Tsuen, Hong Kong, villagers would arrive to visit the secret Wishing Trees and hang notes on the branches with wishes for the year ahead.  Today, as yesterday, guests are encouraged to write their wishes with the hope that all written down will come true. www.hakkasan.com/newyork.

Little Tong Noodle Shop in the East Village pays homage to its Yunnanese roots with its first-ever 16-Day Chinese New Year Celebration.  The mixian menu here is enhanced with a special dish at both lunch and dinner such as Day 3’s goubull 18-fold dumplings and Day 16’s Yuan Xiao, a sweet sticky rice ball soup.  Each day represents a different celebration starting with the Celebration of the Chicken on February 16 with shaokao, fire-grilled chicken wings with gingko and the Celebration of the Dog on February 17 and finishing with the Celebration of the Dragon on March 1 when red snapper and dragon fruit slaw will be served. The grand finale happens on March 2, the Lantern Festival. www.littletong.com.

Where to Eat Now in New York City: Healthy and Not So Much

Hawaiian poke is a newish trend in New York City – it’s healthy, fresh, and relatively inexpensive.  Try Pokeworks on 37th and 6th, next to a restaurant that’s anything but healthy, Chick-fil-a. You start by picking your fish – tuna, salmon, shrimp (or even chicken), add toppings like seaweed, pineapple, and garlic flakes, and create a personalized bowl that’s far superior to those quinoa or salad bar things.
Sushi Nakazawa and O-Ya – two splurge-y restaurants for sushi and fish.  You can request no meat dishes and have an outrageous omakase (chef’s choice) meal.  Sushi Nakazawa is on Barrow Street in the Village.  O-Ya is in Murray Hill. Both feature superstar food talents, Chef Daisuke Nakazawa, a protégé of Japan’s acclaimed Jiro Ono and the O-Ya team from Boston,  Tim and Nancy Cushman.
Chicken is high on everyone’s list for healthy foods.  Le Coq Rico in the Flatiron District is Antoine Westermann’s tribute to the bird.  He brings his French-Alsatian expertise from Paris to NYC with chicken sourced from the farms of New York.  Roasted, it’s a healthy alternative to that breaded or fried version. I’d save my calories for Chef’s wonderful Ile Flôtante. For pure, unadulterated rotisserie chicken in a luxe setting, visit Rotisserie  Georgette on East 60th Street, where the owner’s many years of experience working with Daniel Boulud is in play at this sophisticated midtown restaurant.
When I’m craving something decadent, I love ordering fried chicken. It’s not something I do every day, and I realize that’s it less-than-healthy, but it’s always wonderful. My go-to is the tiny, quirky Birds and Bubbles on the Lower East Side. You go down a narrow metal stairway to a very narrow restaurant where Southern food is the star. Sarah Simmons, most recently of City Grit fame, has brought her North Carolina upbringing to NYC and paired her amazing dry-brined, fried chicken with Champagne. Who would have thought? It’s pure brilliance.

I always like finding the small bistros that really make you feel at home.  Little Frog sits quietly on busy East 86th Street, an authentic French bistro from people you should know from their time at Balthazar, and also from Minetta Tavern.  Order all seafood – try their amazing oysters — or splurge on the fab coq au vin, and you’ll have a wonderful cozy meal. It’s a quick walk from the new Second Avenue subway stop, too.

Indian cuisine has always been notable for offering wondrous vegetarian dishes, and NYC has a Michelin-starred one that takes Indian cooking to a new level.  Tulsi, on East 46th Street, brings cooking from Goa, mixes it up with street food, resulting in a showcase of unusual takes on somewhat familiar dishes.  Here, it’s worth saving room (and calories) for dessert as well. The creations from Chef Eric McCarthy (yes, that’s really his name and he IS from Goa) are anything but ordinary.

Finding a good restaurant after going to Carnegie Hall just got a little bit easier with the return of Jams to New York City. The original California cuisine restaurant of the 1980s, Jonathan Waxman’s Jams is now on the West Side walkable from the Theater District as well as Carnegie Hall. The airy room is a great choice for sampling their signature Jams chicken and pancakes with caviar and smoked salmon, both from the menu of the original restaurant.

For that special-occasion, serene but sensational dinner, book a table at Gabriel Kreuther.  The former chef at The Modern, Chef Kreuther serves up a meticulous menu of Alsatian dishes that are as beautiful as they are delicious. If you don’t want to have the full set menu every night, there’s a separate bar with its own menu where you can order the tarte flambée, a pizza-like creation with sweet onions, smoked bacon and fromage blanc that put this chef on the map.  The restaurant is an oasis across from Bryant Park and has an extraordinary wine list, too. Walk next door to the amazing new handcrafted chocolate shop.

And speaking about wine, how about a wine bar and a tapas bar that’s so small that you’re advised to arrive by 5:30?  Desnuda on the Lower East Side on East 7th Street will thrill you with its tiny space and its chef’s prowess and creativity. Tea-smoked oysters are sensational — it looks like they’re being cooked in a bong — as are the ceviches.

Photo By: Daniel Krieger

If a scene is more your speed, head to the back of the NoMad, to the NoMad Bar in the city’s newly coined NoMad district (north of Madison Park), where the bar is lively and the menu is pure comfort.  In cold weather, the perfectly indulgent chicken pot pie with foie gras and truffles is a knockout, as is Chef Daniel Humm’s Humm dog, a hot dog unlike any you’ve had before. Trying to eat healthy?  The carrot tartare, originally on the menu at sister restaurant Eleven Madison Park, is an exceptional vegetarian dish, with the consistency and ingredients of its meat-based counterparts sans the meat.  Add a touch of caraway seeds, horseradish, apples and … because we’re talking about carrots after all.  It’s pretty and delicious.

And, finally, one of the newest “hot” restaurants on the Manhattan scene is in Midtown, just behind Bryant Park. Coffeemania is NOT a coffee shop.  Rather it’s a Euro-Russian-American eatery that’s chic and has unusual choices in both beverages and food. The menu is so creative that you can eat healthy (or not, as you wish).  I love the hamachi tartare (very healthy) but also the bone marrow (definitely not healthy) and the warm borscht. Teas from around the world are as creatively curated as the wine list.

Happy eating!

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