Eating Out

8.20 Union Square Cafe barista had never tasted espresso when he took the first plunge. Now he does drawings in foam.

8.12 Waiting 45 min for my pizza at OlioPizza E Piu on Greenwich Av not my idea of lovely summer evening, nevermind how many apologies.

8.8 Got a paper letter from Eataly,by mail,with a stamp,cream colored stationary, very classy in this age of email. I'll RSVP by email alas.

5.4.10 Chef at Sangho Hotel baked lamb in a jar for dinner tonight, with wonderful stuffed breads. A troop of French boys jumped into the pool.

4.30.10 Dinner@Le Corail in Sfax,Tunisia. Surrounded by smokers and chain smokers. Even a guy w/a pipe. I'd forgotten how awful that can be.

3.29.10 Dar Zaghouan dinner: best soup so far,rich vegetable ooze cumin,curry unique pasta squares, lamb steamed in foil, quail bursting flavor

4.23.10 Just had fabulous lunch at Chez Khairil workingman place in Tunis w/guide Rakhan, spicy soup, seafood rice, lqmb chop, ripe strawberries

4.15.10 Not that often we finish dinner & friends say, "That was wonderful. We'll be back." Last night at ABC Kitchen. Unanimously wonderful.

4.7.10 I really like Govind's cooking at Table 8 in NYC and he seemed to love NY...it was a shock when the place didn't make it.

4.3.10 Pulino's oven-roasted sausage w/onions&peppers challenges DBGB's sausage artistry across the street. Love the idea of Houston sausage war

3.30.10 Saw Joey calling the moves at Kenmare lasngt. One week old. Not all dishes as good as luscious poached egg risotto and basil gnocchi

3.20.10 Soho's Le Pescadeux looks&feels like a local hangout w/better food than you expect Fine duck duo, pici pasta & odd but good pike "gnocchi"

3.18.10 Ate in Pies & Thighs chilly garage lasngt. Great dark meat fried chicken w/side $10, splendid apple pie.U need to be young, live nearby.

3.13.10 Second night in a row at Jean Georges' ABCKitchen. Marvelous roast cod with asparagus in hollandaise. JG himself schmoozing the fans.

3.10.10 I send friends&readers 2 Strip House 4 great sirloin,fabulous duck fat potatoes,transcendent chocolate cake.Sifton cud hv worked up 3 stars

3.5.10 Dinner at jammed SD26 lasngt. Dieters had salad, perfectly cooked shrimp.I had garganelli 2/caviar & fish veloute, & sea urchin raviolini

2.24.10 Late night hot crowd @Bagatelle on a rainy Tuesday. Where do they come from?I ate frisee w/ an egg, moist&flavorful chicken w/ grt potatoes

2.17.10 Vegetarian niece Dana asked chef at Bistro Vendome if he could do somethg for her: fettucine with vegetables best dish of the night.

2.14.10 Doesn't matter if the food is good when you can't see it as Julia famously said. Should have worn our coal miner's lights at Ilili lasngt.

2.13.10 New Dad Scott Conant back at Faustina lasngt: wowed by lardo-wrapped prawns, tenderest olive-oil-poached octopus, truffled cabbage.

2.12.10 Ducked next door to Dessert Truck Shop for truffle cake, lovely financiere (to share) and sensational hot chocolate. Dark melted velvet

2.9.10 We didn't need salted peanuts on brownie sundae @5Napkin Burger,got them anyway. Sexy little extra. see my BITE

1.28.10 Shivers of sensual pleasure on $92 dinner: sea urchin pan cotta w/caviar & raw Nantucket Bay scallops lasngt at Michelin 2 star Picholine

1.7.10 Dinner @Maialino lasngt with Gail Simmons,chef sent out delicious malfatti w/suckling pig&arugula/friend @next table sent piglet too.

1.7.10 Back at Cascabel Taqueria lasngt:flavorful puerco en adobo to stuff into warm tortilla. Chicken, a riot of flavors too, a bit too cooked.

1.4.10 Ed's Chowderhouse getting up off floor after NYTimes hit. New manager, fab winter squash chowder w/spiced cremefraiche, toasted pumpkin seeds

1.2.10 Stayed in gathering strength for 2010. Ate baked yam w/sourcream & fine Kobe Frank regular size Wagyu dogs deliverd by Frank Valenza himself

12.31.09 Friends w/gift card take us 2 Piquant in Brklyn for delicious Tex/Mex fantasy food. Sweet potato tamal, brisket flauta, first-rate guacamole

12.28.09 Clubby Square Meal is a cozy twilight zone on E.92nd 4 lush crab cakes, dessert heaven.What did I eat? See BITE

12.28.09 Grilled pizza, butternut squash-mushroom salad, perfectly cooked, lemony dorata at Fiore (284Grand, Brklyn) more than worth the detour

12.18.09 Love the Breslin look. The waiter's vivid description of how April does pig's feet was almost enuf to make me give up pig. But not quite.

12.18.09 Today breakfast treat:Le Cendrillon surprisingly mild and creamy goat in cinders from Quebec, voted world's best at World Cheese awards.

12.16.09 Happy to be back at Salumeria Rosi lasnght,Cesare driving the kitchen. Loved his new fusilli mama's style. Met Mama in Lucca, Fabulous cook

12.15.09 Gilroy' Eastside Social: decent prices for midtown, needs time to shape up. Grace at the door is a charmer. Chef Devon cute and humble

12.9.09 Slept all the way f/Paris on American's stretch out flat seat.Woke 4 lunch, faux pizza and sensational ripe fruit cup:papaya,pineapple, melon

12.7.09 Our last night in Paris of two week stay.Friend sent us to Costes' Societe, a hotty nearby.Dark, pretentious, $48 for very good lobster pasta

11.27.09 Steven had never been to Atelier de Robuchon before. Had great seats w/amazing kitchen view.Voluptuous scallop carpaccio with uni. oh my

11.27.09 lunch in Paris: Made sandwiches of leftover turkey thigh, truffled brie on Paul five grain baguette and Mulot black bread w/nuts&raisins.

11.26.09 What really annoyed me at Itineraires last night was cornichon granita. The black rice with sea critters was not especially good either.

11.24.09 I always say, if I had one night in Paris, I'd go to l'Ami Louis -we usually go for baby lamb & tt wild garlic potato cake.

11.24.09 Dinner lastngt at new westside Accademia di Vino-loved the grilled robiola pizza and ricotta cheesecake. Service green if not grim.

11.17.09 Great touch at new LA Bouchon: shelf under seat to stash your handbag or briefcase.Signature tree of life baguette & smooth white bean puree

11.17.09 Don't think I said where we found really good pupusas, El Chiplin 4170 w. Beverly blvd. If you live in LA you'll be driving by one day

11.15.09 Sweet raw shrimp + shrimp cooked three ways at Mariscos Chente 4532 S. Centinella Fri, a revelation with LA Street food guru Bill Esparza

11.13.09 Hit Starbucks 4 Fri Times.Got free cuplet new instant coffee w/milk. Instant regret.Not my idea ofcoffee.Rushed home 2 get rid of ugly taste

11.11.09 I can't remember any gnocchi lignter, more ethereal,than last night's at Wolgang Puck Bar and Grill at the raucous LiveLA Mall, downtown.

11.7.09 I just had the most marvelous chocolate financier & a thrilling chocolate ganache-caramel tart brunching at Bottega Louie on Grand in LA

11.7.09 Burger for breakfast? Rare Bar and Grill offers a grilled burger encased in an omelet. Yoicks. Not my idea of breakfast.

11.4.09 Late dinner at Spago last night, fresh, exciting, evolved. Wolfgang had instructed the house to shower us with truffles, his gift $20 a gram

10.28.09 Truffles & exotic mushrooms at SD26 last night. Whole fried egg on soft polenta w/ Robiola cried out for truffles, $8 a gram. I was too cheap!

10.22.09  Two oh-my-god moments at Jean Georges today -- the caviar on molten egg and the intense butternut squash soup with creme fraiche.

10.14.09 Stepping into the past at La Grenouille, table lamps, gorgeous flowers, same cookies, a few customers leftover from the 60's

10.13.09 Warm service, fine pastas,great chicken.I see why Il Poeta is a gift for Forest Hills, but alas, not really worth a commute from Manhattan

10.12.09 Forgot to say chef at Esca sent out perfectly cooked blowfish tail as a gift last week. Nice gesture. nice dish. Nothing I crave.

10.10.09 Excellent dinner@Ed's Chowderhouse:lobster crumble, different chowder 4 each of us 2 pass,banana split 2 share. Can skip New Eng clam chowd

10.8.09 I finally got enough sea urchin blast in spaghetti alla cittara at Esca lasnight to make me happy. Across the Street from Ephron show.

10.4.09 I love a big fat kosher "special" --we used to get them at Carnegie in the old days. Also chili cheese dogs at Gus & Gabriel

10.1.09 Lunch at Salumeria Rossi. Loved orzotto with zucchini & pesto. Cesare getting thinner at Weight Watchers, with $1 a lb lost for charity.

9.30.09 The kitchen pulls its own mozzarella @3pm Thur&Fri at Porterhouse so stop at the bar for a glass of wine and their fabulous fresh cheese.

9.29.09 Had to have escarole with soft boiled egg again at A Voce last night. Loved ricotta gnocchi, with zucchini, squash blossoms, mint & bottarga.

9.27.09 Ed's voluptuous lobster crumble. Butter and lobster roe. Don't know if I should eat it before or after I take my lipator.

9.23.09 Serene spot to advance your next illicit affair: Room 2E bar/lounge at the spiffed up Pierre Hotel. Undiscovered. Surprisingly good food...Order arctic char tartare, a flute of champagne and a room overlooking the park.

9.20.09 Happy to eat at Salumeria Rosi again with Peru friends. Shared favorites plus spicy pork sandwich, great new zucchini-polenta porridge.

9.18.09 I only allow myself one Daisy Mae's pig-out every 6 months. It's the best. Especially BBQ rack of lamb and BBQshort ribs.

9.17.09 Loved all the chowders but especially Ed's loaded shellfish chowder, & ambrosial corn soup too at Ed's Chowderhouse. Sublime crab cakes.

9.15.09 I see Clinton took Obama to Il Mulino, lovely relic famous for stuffing you up.Like fried zucchini giveaway.Wonder if Obama had a salad?

9.15.09 France's 3star Michel Bras worked non-stop arranging vegetables on the place lasngt w/Wylie at WD50. I surprised myself by loving it.

9.11.09 Had big spicy sausage and a Nathan's frank in our VIP seats at Citifield before racing off for Shanghai dumplings.

9.9.09 I wonder if Salman Rushdie was as happy as I to rate a prime table in the back room at crowded Minetta.Tony May studying secrets of success.

9.3.09 Best Asian: Pho Sure on Christopher for great Vietnamese. I've always liked Spice Market.Chinatown Brasserie,Devi for Indian

9.3.09 Olana's $35 four course pasta menu starts tomorrow. Beer braised pork tagliatelle, espresso pappardelle w/meat ragu, creamy potato ravioli

9.3.09 Sipped Tiger beer at Bia Garden on Orchard lasnight. Michael boosts he only spent $100,000 to open it. I would have said much less

9.2.09 When our friends complained about the noise, the chef showed them a quieter courtyard out back..perfect weather permitting. 9.2.09 Friends at Locanda Verde on my rave, liked the food but "we couldn't relax because we were screaming at each other to be heard."

9.1.09 My vintage dissection of George Lang dusting off Cafe des Artistes in 1975 made me smile. Click here to read it now. http://bit.ly/iHih3

8.31.09 What a shock that Cafe des Artistes is closed.George Lang rescued it f/dusty oblivion 35 years ago.He & Jenifer Lang kept it vital so long.

8.30.09 And Chinatown Brasserie has, by far, the best dim sum I've ever encountered here or in China, Taiwan, San Fran, Vancouver

8.30.09 Wishing I dared sing as trashily eighties Karine Bakhourn and Terry Z dove into "Say a Little Prayer for Me" at Almond's karaoke fest.

8.30.09 Tapas at Copa in Bridgehampton mostly quite good at Terry Zarikian's birthday bash last night. Place bursting at the seams.

8.29.09 Hot crowd @ Living Room in the Maidstone Easthampton. Since when is Calif goat cheese & Breasola from Uruguay "local," & low footprint?

8.28.09 Mitch London giving homemade plum jam to friends lastnight @ Fairway Cafe. It's a treat this a.m. on oatmeal (always after burger dinners).

8.27.09 Fairway Cafe redeemed itself tonight. Great burger, perfect bacon, less mayo in the cole slaw & sensational thin onion rings (bit 2 salty).

8.27.09 Was it Michelle Obama's visit that heated up Michael Huynh's Pho Sure on Christopher? 4 me it's the fabulous Vietnamese food & mini prices

8.26.09 No sign of hardtimes at Marea lastnight. Loved the sea-pristine crudo (blowfish, razor clams. goeduck) & spaghtti w/crab and sea urchin

8.25.09 Walked into Bar Luna on Amsterdam lasnght.I loved headcheese special, splendid roast chicken,unusually juicy rabbit. Uneven but good for UWS

8.25.09 Waiter at Co. pizzeria asks: "Is everything tasty?" What a stupid question. If it isn't tasty, why are you serving it?

8.25.09 Best fried okra I know is the fabulous okra salad at Devi at 8 East 18th. Try the tasting menu.

8.24.09 Only slightly daunted in Peru by guinea pig. Loved the juicy meat in mini deep-fried cutlets in Cuzco. See photos. www.insatiablecritic.com

8.24.09 Sweet and Spicy Asian chicken at Wendy's. How far we've come! Of course, it's still dried out white meat, all-American favorite.

8.23.09 Co's chef in cutoffs with a big star tatooed on back of each calf. What does it mean? Staff unsure. Maybe two star chef?

8.22.09 I see Starbucks is counting on the reverse psychology of RAISING coffee prices to win customers back from cheaper copycats.

8.3.09 Smith's is going to become a Mermaid. That's okay. I wouldn't want to lose my favorite like mom's-mac'n'cheese at The Smith.

8.3.09 About 75% of the time I am recognized by someone in a restaurant. Sometimes not at the door but later on. I love when I'm not.

8.1.09 “Nobody who's anybody” full house @ Hotel Griffou last night sez Joe Bastianich ("just checking it out"). Loved Tasmanian trout.

7.24.09 The people from Amaranth say they will do breakfast, lunch & dinner What a choice: Jacques Torres, Rosi and Tina's halfblock from my office

7.11.09 It was thrilling to be anonymous, good chance to see welcome (we 2 got tble for 4) & proper service. Later someone tagged me, free desserts. (Redeye Grill)

7.10.09 A memorable match: Ch. Margaux w/Loup baked in seaweed w/buerre blanc by Paul Bocuse at the Four Seasons in 1974

7.2.09 Jenny LeRoy asks me to write supporting her bid to keep Tavern-on-the-Green. I loved Warner & his faith in her. She's got my vote.

6.29.09 I just agreed to meet a source this afternoon at Jacques Torres...I am my own best friend… 6.29.09 Or am I my own worst enemy?

5.20.09 Overheard at our dinner table last night: "Before Attention Deficit Disorder, there was spilkas."

5.14.09 Restaurateur legend Joe Baum defined a successful restaurant as one that survives as long as its lease.

5.12.09 You owe it to yourself and New York to eat out tonight. 12 reasons to splurge... http://bit.ly/HJKjM

Click here to return to the Collection of My Favorite Twitters