April 28, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Le Bernardin in its Prime
There are masses of cherry blossoms everywhere. There is Maguy offering champagne, in Parisienne chic as always…It’s a room where you can talk, where you can see your food…
April 21, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Bar Milano/ParkAvSpring
Bar Milano with its $22 pinci pasta and luminiscent rainbow marble walls is a far cry from $3 panini at ‘ino where the Denton brothers, Jason and Joe, first dipped into the feeding game. But we all have to grow up, I guess
April 14, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Eli’s Passover/Fig and Olive
Where a feather and a candle are essential, and Eli sells the store... Fig & Olive flower across from La Grenouille...
April 7, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Peeved/Elettaria
Guests have unseemly habits too…Elettaria’s chef is as handsome as any Bollywood hero…Addicted to Commerce…
March 31, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Rao’s Famiglia
“There’s almost no point in writing about Rao’s,” as I conceded in April 1985, when I first critiqued that quaint little joint that seemed always to be booked months ahead…
March 24, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Zero Otto Nove / More Peeves
I read about Arthur Schwartz’ favorite New York pizza in his newsletter and I just had to taste it, yes, even if that instant craving meant a trek to the Bronx. I have nothing against the Bronx…
March 17, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Olana Homage
What a delightful shock. I went to Olana with no expectations because I couldn’t score a table at the first five new restaurants I called...
March 10, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Eighty One in the Nabe
For the unbridled rich, Ed Brown’s sensational black truffled rigatoni with its foie gras emulsion…(may be) the best perker-upper you can buy without a prescription…
March 2, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Best of New York
Bar Boulud was my first thought... I tortured myself for a week trying to decide. I almost forgot Anthos...
February 25, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Yucatan for Gringos
The roof garden is a near-paradise of palms and bamboo overlooking the cathedral, cool breezes, a moon above, our waiter prettier than Brad…
February 18, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Eating Yucatan
We arrive in Merida, capital of the Yucatan, midway through carnaval…each day there’s a different group on parade…On Sunday it’s sleek beauty queens…
February 11, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Happy 40th
New York magazine is forty years old and this is my fortieth year as a restaurant critic. I seem to be the only survivor still on the staff from that year of launch, still reviewing restaurants after four decades. Am I stubborn or just hungry…
February 4, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Tasting Adour
Surprised by how moved I am by the traumas of Alain Ducasse...I desperately hoped
to love Adour…
January 28, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
wd~50: She Says, He Says
Ever since I gagged over wd~50’s quixotic foie gras with anchovies and cocoa nibs, I have been citing that nastiness…but Jason is totally besotted with Wylie…Sandro does it his way…
January 23, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Bar Boulud
Daniel Boulud…has tied up a lot of emotion in bringing great charcuterie to New York in this soaring tunnel across from Lincoln Center…
January 14, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Tapas Crawl
“Want to come on a tapas crawl?” It’s wine merchant Gerry Dawes…monomaniacally crazed champion of everything Spanish. No way I can resist…
January 8, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Insieme Revisited
Just thinking about returning to Insieme made me happy. I could practically taste the dishes I’d loved in two early visits. And the evening began on a pleasant déjà vu…
January 7, 2008 | BITE: My Journal
Solex/Sushi Seduction
This is where you want to go before you activate your New Year’s vow to shed a few pounds…Seduction at the sushi bar…
December 31, 2007 | BITE: My Journal
2008 Predictions/Ilili
Bobby Flay and Mario Batali will go toe to toe with new burger chains. Bobby’s will feature chili fries, guava shakes, jalapeno ketchup and life-size cutouts of Bobby…
December 17, 2007 | BITE: My Journal
Bar Blanc/Bocca di Bacco
But ghostly images of the good boy/bad boy chef Bouley vanish as I am instantly captured by that anticipated salad, tenderest rabbit – actually a bit pink – tossed with sweetbreads…