Best Summer Eats

With summer officially underway I always find specific foods go best with that hot sunny weather. While the go to's may be anything off a grill and a cold beer there are a handful of delights out there which just taste better in the summer time.

- A slice of Pizza - we can debate and debate over which slice joint in the city is best, but which ever is your favorite trying taking it to go and simply strolling around the city with it. A perfect on the walk snack or meal, a good slice of pizza should hold up as you eat while walking. Stick with one slice or it can get a little messy. Recommendations for slices (not pies): Joe's Pizzeria, Bleecker Street Pizza, Grandaisy Bakery and Lazarra's

- Falafel - A falafel sandwich if made and wrapped correctly is quite a package. So many flavors and textures that could create potential disaster if not wrapped in wax paper and aluminum foil correctly. When done with you can walk for blocks without worrying about tahini dripping down on your clothes. My recommendation for falafel: Mamoun's, Yatagan, Taim, Azuri Cafe and some assorted street vendors.

- Gelato - this is a given, but with all of the fro-yo and gelato spots popping up, and NYMag's recent coverage of the best gelato in the W.Village I thought it deserved a mention. Whether walking around or sitting peacefully in Washington Square Park a nice cold, creamy cup of gelato can be uplifting. I like to grab mine from Grom, Il Laboratorio and Otto (only dine-in, but they have pints).

- Ice cold Lemonade or Iced Tea - Another obvious choice, but there are some really impressive 'ades and teas in the city that go unnoticed. Refreshing and better for you than say a Coke, Summer time is the perfect time for these drinks. Recommendations include: Taim's Ginger Mint Lemonade, Westville Blended Mint Lemonade, Hill Country's Iced Tea, the variety of fresh lemonade's and teas at the Greenmarket in Union Square/Grand Army Plaza

Restaurant Review (Revisited): Degustation

I recently made it back to one of my favorite restaurants. I was introduced to Degustation and Chef Wesley Genovart's cooking awhile back for a generous birthday meal and never looked back when calling it one of my top places to eat. The combination of fantastic unique flavors, wonderful ambiance and proximity to the cooking and chefs is hard to beat anywhere. Fortunately I found a good reason to get back this past weekend and while the menu has been updated everything else was just as good as I remembered.

We had an 8pm reservation on Saturday evening and came into a calm yet busy atmosphere. Our seats were waiting for us and as I sat down I noticed Chef Genovart was actually behind the saute station which was a nice surprise, he was simply plating last time I was here. The menu changes seasonally so we were in for a fresh assortment of tastes reminiscent of my earlier trip to the greenmarket. Personally I always enjoy ordering my own dishes as opposed to ordering the tasting menu here, I feel it allows for a bit more control of what you may eat, but that just my opinion.

Our decision was to order up a handful, ultimately nine dishes, and share them each. The first plates were our smallest bites of the evening, croquettes with ham and the Spanish "tortilla". Both playful, fun and easy to eat we could have put away a dozen of so of each without a second thought. Our next dish was from the 10-course tasting menu as we had inquired about a dish being prepared earlier. It was grilled bluefish on a bed of strawberries, asparagus and what appeared to be cracklin's of some sort topped with peanuts. The combination of fish and strawberries seemed very interesting and odd to me requiring me to order and thankfully it was delicious; soft, crunchy and chewy textures mingled with smoky, sweet and nutty flavors that were quite memorable.

The next two courses brought a remarkably fresh and crisp salad of sugar snap peas with lamb bacon and olive oil poached cod with peas and serrano. The sugar snap pea salad was the a taste of summer in a bowl and its presentation matched this. Crisp, refreshing with a hint of smokiness from the bacon it was a very well crafted dish. The cod offered a softer variety of textures and was perfectly cooked. Most importantly the sauce below (which Chef Genovart provided a detailed description of ) was addictive to say the least. A combination of chicken stock, white wine, a variety of herbs and more ingredients than I can't remember, I sure wish I had the opportunity to write it down.

Our next two plates brought the meat courses of the night. Here is where there was a slight stumble from the stellar path so far. A dish of quail, pine nut paste and sorrel was overly seasoned with pepper and did not wow me nearly as much as the dishes prior though the breast was well cooked. A filet of wagyu with pickled radishes and an unidentifiable foam looked wonderful, but missed the mark. While good, I've had better beef dishes here and found this to be bland.

One thing many diners way about Degustation is that the portions are small. I won't hesitate to agree here and unless you plan to spend you may be left a bit hungry. Fortunately this was a celebration so we ordered up two dishes. The first brought me back to my meal at Ko, it was a slowly poached egg split open with smoked cheese foam, prosciutto and sesame crusted asparagus. While quite salty I really enjoyed this dish. It would have been better suited earlier in the meal, but that was our mistake. Each element in the dish was able to stand out without being overpowered. Our final savory course was the fish crudo, this evening the fish was kampachi. The fish was gorgeous and had smoky salty flavor that tricked the taste buds shortly into thinking it was prosciutto.

The meal did consist of some rather salty options and with a very interesting dessert on the menu we did not hesitate to order one a person. The name escapes me, but the dish was compared to a Spanish version of French Toast and was placed upon fresh raspberries. Bruleed prior to serving the brioche used was crisp on top and creamy and sweet on the inside. A very nice way to end the meal. A definite success and enjoyable meal I think I'll keep Degustation as one of my top restaurants for the same reasons as before further impressed with Chef Genovart's inventive culinary mind.
239 E 5th St, New York, NY 10003, (212) 979-1012, Reservations - Highly Recommended, Price - Expensive ($60-80/pp)

NYC Summer Restaurant Week

For some restaurant weeks are a real drag. Poor options, poor service and overall not a good represenation of what a restaurants real capabilities are. For others it is a challenge, a challenge to make the most of the restaurant week offer and really select the spots they've always wanted to dine at without worrying about poor menu selections. With that said I personally think restaurant week is great. Yes, it could be better on many levels, but I still remember my meals at Tribeca Grill, The Bar Room, Applewood and more not because they were inexpensive, but because they were in fact very good meals.

There are a few spots I'm considering this year, all for dinner as I can't make any for lunch unfortunately:

- Perry Street
- Mia Dona
- Bar Room @ The Modern
- Anthos
- Grayz

Any opinions about these spots or experiences would be great, but I'm confident I can get a great 3-course meal at any of these spots.

For more on NYC Summer Restaurant Week 2008 click here

New York City Wine and Food Festival

For most of us planning a month ahead can be daunting, but how about 5 months? Well start planning as the 1st NYC Wine and Food Festival, presented by The Food Network and Food & Wine Magazine, comes to town October 8th - 11th. Tickets went on sale this past Monday, my apologies for the delay, with a few popular events already being sold out. The most exciting and affordable, is the Anthony Bourdain and Ferran Adria talk at the TimesCenter building. Unfortunatly it is sold out, I managed to get myself a ticket at least, but there are plenty other events. If you're willing to shell out $200 to eat some gourmet burgers and mingle with top-notch chefs check out Rachel Ray's Burger Bash in Brooklyn. For more details on the events and pricing click below.

New York City Wine and Food Festival

Ticket Prices

Dining in Aruba

My vacation to Aruba a few weeks back was eye opening for a variety of reasons. Never before had I seen such clear blue water or won money on a blackjack table. I had never held a live sea urchin, or let a sea spider crawl over my hand before diving down to view gorgeous 50ft coral reefs. All of these were very memorable first-time experiences that I hope to repeat again and again as I anticipate future trips to the Caribbean and this gorgeous island. Of course during my stay food was a big question mark for me. There is little grown on the island in terms of produce, aloe is their main export, but there are a number of quality places to dine.

After much research (expected by all from me) I brought a short list of places for lunch and dinner for the 5 day, 4 night stay. Our first meal would be at a seaside spot, Brisas Del Mar, located on the South East end of the island. A long drive from our hotel, The Marriot Surf Club, filled with dark streets, quick turns and a detour, but ultimately arrived at our destination. On first appearance I felt as if I had led us in the wrong direction. A divey looking building with a handful of cars was in front of us, however, upon entering through the gate we discovered a gorgeous patio with plush chairs, tables and lounges all merely feet from the ocean. While we were too late for the sunset, we arrived closer to 8pm, the setting was still wonderfully relaxing, especially on our first night. The food, also was very nice, but did have its troubles. To begin an amuse-bouche was presented to all of us of cranberry soup and a calamari fritter. Word to the wise, cranberry soup doesn't work. It was part cold, part hot, and just overall not very good. On the flip side there were some highlights including a delicious Mahi Mahi special which was perfectly cooked and well seasoned as well as some garlicky baby shrimp and fresh mussels. Looking back the food was good, not great, but it was the setting and kind service that made the experience enjoyable.

The next evening we wandered only a short distance from our hotel to a beach side restaurant Moomba Beach and Bar. A gorgeous setting, it is situated right on the beach with perfect views of the sunset as well as some of the peaceful sailboats. The food however is not as good as the view. Every dish fell short, some by a small margin others massive. The only thing keeping us in our seats were the sunset and the convenience of this restaurant to our hotel. Cajun Chicken strips came out and looked like bread crumb strips fried to a deep brown. Fresh Grouper was ruined with a horrendous butter sauce, how can you mess up a butter sauce? The rest of the meal does not warrant listing.

Hoping to put our poor meal from night two behind us we set off for Papiamento Restaurant, further inland than we had been going, but worth the trip. The restaurant is set in and around a 175+ year old manor house surrounded by a small jungle of trees and a lit pool it was an enchanting setting. Some of our highlights included very well done baked Escargot, a unique and surprisingly good smoked salmon appetizer with passionfruit, tenderloin topped with a rich mushroom sauce and a well-rounded wine list. The best meal so far, we enjoyed the ambiance, peaceful setting and the cordial service which even offered us a tour of the manor house post-meal.

Our last evening in Aruba offered our best dining experience. The Flying Fishbone was the venue, which we had booked reservations at weeks in advance, and it surely lived up to the hype. We had dined on the ocean, on the beach, under a "jungle" of sorts, but now we were dining shoes off with the tide coming up feet from our toes. Unique to say the least, it offers a unique ocean to table experience especially as you see fish, crab and eels as you dine on their ocean friends. The Fishbone offers one of the best views of the sunset, is extremely romantic, but also puts a lot of importance on the quality and thought that goes into each dish. A starter of Homemade Pastrami with Pesto was enlightening and delicious as was the Carpaccio of Artichoke with Goat Cheese. I took a chance and ordered Mahi Mahi with Gorgonzola sauce, the special, and was pleasantly surprised when the sauce did not overpower the fish, but rather complimented it nicely. The Sea Bass Provincial was a hearty, rustic dish that still managed to be light on the appetite. Dessert of dark chocolate mousse and a thick slice of apple pie helped end the meal on a sweet note.

You may notice every review is for dinner possibly wondering where the breakfast and lunch meals were. Well, breakfast was always at the hotel in our room, trying to be economical. Lunch on the other hand wasn't really worth sharing. Aruba may have some great dining destinations, but lunch is a little more limited. Tony Roma's, Wendy's, Pizza Hut and a variety of mediocre beach bars and grills are the most obvious and abundant lunch options. Grouper sandwich at one may be a Grouper Sandwich with grilled vegetables at another, both equally disappointing. That's not to say good lunch can't be found, it just is not going to be on the beach or that cheap.


Brisas Del Mar, Savanetta 222A, Savanetta, Reservations - not necessary, Price - Moderate-Expensive ($40-60/person)
Moomba Beach and Bar, JE Irausquin BLVD 230, Aruba, Reservations - not necessary, Price - Moderate ($30-40/person
Papiamento Restaurant, Washington 61, Nord, Reservations - Recommended, Price - Expensive ($50-70/person)
The Flying Fishbone, Savaneta 344, Savanetta, Reservations - Highly recommended, Price - Expensive ($60-80/person)

Restaurant Review: Peter Lugers

So I begin this review with a pledge, a pledge to myself to cut back on the red meat for the next few weeks. After Lugers (which was actually two weeks ago) and the Big Apple BBQ Festival this past weekend I think I need to opt for vegetables and fish for a handful of meals. Would I change a thing about how I've been eating the past few weeks? Most certainly not. With that said, let's get into the details of Lugers based on my first ever trip to the famed steakhouse.


It has been a goal of mine to get to Luger's for quite sometime, but due to a variety of reasons (reservations, cost, appetite, etc.) it took sometime and nimble planing. Fortunately I was able to arrange a meal there with some family which made the experience all the more appealing. For many, Luger's is an institution, not just a steakhouse. They are the inspiration, even the blueprint, for many steakhouses in Manhattan and beyond. Some love it, some don't. There are great debates about whether it is the best steakhouse in the city and even the country. While I cannot make a claim that it is the best steakhouse in the country at this point I can safely say it is the best steakhouse in the metro area.

Beginning with the restaurant itself, it is a very old building with great personality and history. You just know thousands of people have leaned on the bar at the entrance and an equal amount of steaks have been hustled through the restaurant by the wait staff. (On the topic of wait staff, I personally found them very helpful and cheerful, whereas some people have found them gruff and rude. My only recommendation is steer clear of the fish and try not to take anything personal, they have likely been doing this for decades). To get a table at Luger's is not as difficult as I believed it to be. You call, you say when you want to come and what time, they tell you what's available and you hang up content and licking your lips. Problem is your 6:45 table may not actually be ready until 7:30. What I did not know is that your reservation merely puts you on a check-in list. Once on this list you wait to be called. Whether you like it or not, this is the process. One point I want to make here, many get frustrated by this, but Luger's is such a popular place with so many covers a night that there are bound to be delays. You just need to be understanding.

Moving on to the most important aspect of Lugers: the food. If you have been there before, or looked at the menu beforehand, there is no need to get a menu (you may not even be brought one unless you ask). Just order up and the waiters will answer the questions you have. Most important question of the night: "How would you like your steak cooked?" Easily the single most important thing of the night, if you mess this up you could potentially be ruining a $160+ piece of meat (see porterhouse for 4). My choice is medium-rare, leaning a little towards medium just to keep it from being overly chewy. Of course with a table of 4 we did just that, ordered the Porterhouse for 4 cooked medium-rare. Now what you choose to accompany your steak is equally important as the steak itself. A bad side can bring down your mood and put too much emphasis on the meat. My recommendation (and Lugers') order up the amazing Creamed Spinach, German Potatoes and to start, maybe a Shrimp Cocktail and a Tomato and Onion Salad. It is a lot of food, but if you come hungry you should be okay; we were.

The appetizers, were quite good, but very simple. The tomatoes and onions went great with the sweet and tangy Luger sauce. While I'm not a huge shrimp fan I could appreciate the size of the shrimp, easily twice the size of a typical shrimp cocktail. Bread arrives in three varieties, onion rolls which were very good and worth saving for later, as well as bread stick like rolls and another plain roll.

The main course, or show in my opinion, is the presentation of the steak. It fits perfectly in the middle of our table and sizzles quite loudly. The steak is pre-sliced with a gorgeous thick char all around complimented by a juicy pink center. The smell of beef and butter (the plate is doused with melted butter prior to putting the steak on it) permeates the air, and neighboring tables take a few jealous ganders. A few slices of beef are served to each diner and then it's time to dig in. Take it slow, there is plenty of steak. Each bite is worth savoring with the first and last being the best (the last gets dipped in all of the remaining juices). The steak is similar to other steaks I've had, but the crust is what sets it apart. Not burnt, but slightly crunchy it provides a great textural element and that grilled/charred flavor I really enjoy.

The steak was perfectly complimented by intensely creamy creamed spinach, I mean that in a good way, and the potatoes which were finished off in the oven to get little crispy bits all around. We also spontaneously ordered some Onion Rings which were unnecessary and overly soggy.

Of course each and every inch of steak was canvased for more meat until we all finally threw in the towel. For most the indulgence would end here, but I suggest you push on just as we did and order up some of their delicious desserts. We all shared a Chocolate Mousse and Key Lime Pie served with a overflowing bowl of Schalg (homemade German whip cream). The mousse was rich, creamy and very nice after a heavy meal while the pie was good, but not great. In all honesty it was the Schlag that really elevated both desserts, this is certainly not Cool Whip.

Overall a fantastic, food filled evening. Minor things such as poor onion rings, a little more salt on the steak and perhaps lower prices were not major factors. Was it a perfect steak? No, it was not. Was it close? Very much so. However, as I said before the sides are just as important as the steak and it is for that reason which Luger's is now my favorite steakhouse.

178 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY, (718) 387-7400, Reservations - Required, Price - Expensive ($70 - 90/person and cash only)

Big Apple BBQ: An Afternoon to Remember

My excitement has been building for months and it finally came to it's peak today as I emerged from the subway and walked over to Madison Avenue swept away by the sights and smells of the 6th annual Big Apple BBQ. I was a newbie here at the BBQ, unfortunately I had been unable to attend the past two years, but I was well prepared. Armed with a fastpass, mandatory by the way in my opinion, and a small group of hungry friends we plotted our course. There were a handful of must eat places on my list, Mike Mills 17th Street Bar and Grill, Mr. Cecil's California Ribs, Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q, Ed Mitchell's "The Pit" and Blue Smoke for desserts.


Seeing as how it was on the early side, slightly before 12:30, we opted to get some of the "big ticket" items out of the way. 17th Street Bar and Grill are renowned for their baby back ribs and today they were serving Baby Back Ribs and Beans. This would be the longest line of the day for me, I was lucky, and it was well worth it. The ribs were tender, smoky and perfectly moist. However, it was the beans which really sold me. An assortment of pinto, elephant and red beans in a smoky sweet base with shreds of pork, absolutely fantastic.


Trying to kill two birds with one stone I quickly hopped over to Cecil's to see what this Californian pit master had to offer; it was their first time at the festival. At first glance the food looked delicious, clearly not a typical BBQ plate of food: an enormous glistening beef rib with an asian glaze and sesame seeds, a beef and pork cajun sausage and a peppery vinegary salad of onions tomatoes and cucumbers. The food looked great, but the taste was another thing. The glaze on the ribs was quite nice, but the rib was not very moist. The salad, again looked great, but was overpowered by black pepper. The saving grace was the sausage, meaty, spicy with a great bite from the casing, it was delicious and one of the more memorable bites of the day.

Of course on any other day I would be slowing down now, but my appetite was in full swing so after a quick stroll we made our way over to 26th street with the goal of ultimately ending up at "The Pit". First stop on 26th Street, the venerable Big Bob Gibson's of the famed Chris Lilly. My day could have ended here and I would have been pleased. The Pulled Pork Shoulder served up here was everything I could have wanted, moist, tender and when topped with their award winning sauce brought to an all new level. Unfortunately, they were sold out of the sauce as of Saturday afternoon, but that is what the internet is for. The sandwich was served with coleslaw instead of the advertised beans, but it was all about the sandwich.


Moving along 26th Street we took a stop at the newly invited Wilson's Pit Barbeque to try some of their Texas Style Brisket and Slaw. I had been craving some brisket for, but this really missed the mark. I was happy to see another state represented at the festival, but the brisket was dry, tough and lacking flavor. While I did manage to finish the serving I would attribute that to the sauce which at least made the beef satisfactory. Even the slaw was bland and left me wishing I had spent my money elsewhere, but oh well no regrets.


Fortunately, Ed Mitchell's "The Pit" was close by along with his eight smokers filled with whole hogs and whole pig skin, or cracklin's. Surprisingly the line was rather tame perhaps due to the location, it was on the outskirts of the festival, or the unfamiliarity to many BBQ goers. The pork was wildly chopped by the pitmasters and served on a standard bun. The textures were quite different than the pulled pork from earlier in the afternoon, especially when topped with some of the craklin's. I was impressed with the sandwich overall, it had a very deep flavor with a strong vinegar base and a long lasting heat. A creamy simple slaw mellowed out the heat very nicely.

At this point the afternoon sun combined with the amazing amount of meat we had eaten started to take it's toll. Some peaceful bench sitting combined with a bit of wandering through the park provided a bit of relief and of course led to a trip to one of the vendor's as we slowly approached the end of our fastpass. Wildwood BBQ's dessert stand caught our eye with their S'mores and at only $2 each it was a worthy purchase. There was a pleasant hint of peanut on top of the S'more which I really appreciated.


Continuing with the dessert theme we rounded out the day with a stop at Blue Smoke's dessert setup. Serving Root Beer Float's, Chocolate Brownie's and the very popular Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes even the fastpass line was unexpectedly long. The cupcake was delicious, a creamy peanut butter topping with a soft crumbly cupcake stuffed with a small dab of jelly, it was extremely addictive. The float was light enough to keep me from going over the edge and it was remarkably refreshing after a day of heavy eating and 90 degree humid weather.


The day was filled with plenty of food, music, a variety of drinks and of course throngs of people and I can't wait to do it again next year.

A variety of photos from throughout the day can be seen below in this order: the lawn full of BBQ lovers, whole hog being flipped at "The Pit", pork being pulled at Ubon's, Mint Julips at Eleven Madison Park, live music at Eleven Madison Park and the fully used fastpass). Enjoy!