May 24, 2004 | Ask Gael
Who’s that dancing in the kitchen at Morrells?
Sure, there are 120 wines by the glass any day of the week, and oenophiles can bring that precious bottle (without a corkage fee) on BYOB Mondays at Morrells. But fussy mouths will also be pleased to discover...
May 10, 2004 | Ask Gael
Give my wallet a break
Daniel Ko knew he wanted a wine bar like the one he once ran at Soho Kitchen. He knew he wanted diner food, dim sum, and low prices. But the launch of MetroCafe & Wine Bar.
May 3, 2004 | About Gael
Is Per Se worth the wait?
Fate was a cruel bitch to Thomas Keller, shooting flames up the wall of his precious kitchen, closing down his $14 million Per Se in its infancy...
April 12, 2004 | Ask Gael
What do you eat when you’re feeling wicked?
A big, fat, squishy croque monsieur strikes me as the perfect defiance to both Atkins and Ornish. Lately, I’ve succumbed more than once to Mitch London’s crusty creation at Fairway Café.
April 5, 2004 | Ask Gael
Haven’t you had it with small plates and sharing?
I always dreamed my life would be a smorgasbord, and it is. I loved picking three or four $5 items and two or three at $10 and $15 to share with pals when chef Gerry Hayden promoted free choice at Amuse...
March 8, 2004 | Ask Gael
Will $500 buy piscatory nirvana?
It is a moment of high drama as Masa Takayama, taut and precise as any star athlete, jiggles his cutting board and slashes away at the first omakase tasting of his Manhattan career.
March 1, 2004 | Ask Gael
In a corner of Little India, how to choose?
The cultured nose knows that Kalustyan’s name on this Curry Hill awning means the new Masala Café, with its desert-sand tones and soft shaded light, will have impeccable products...
February 23, 2004 | Ask Gael
Doesn’t Washington’s birthday mean cherry pie?
The hefty chunk of oversugared and proudly primitive cherry pie I devoured on a desperate winter night at Bubby’s recently reminded me how I crave the trashy confections of my Michigan childhood...
February 16, 2004 | Ask Gael
Remind me of someone's Italian grandma
The team that charmed the Upper West Side with tiny Celeste has channeled the spirit of a Romagnese granny at Bianca, with its embroidered café curtains, milky walls, and country-cottage tchotchkes...
February 9, 2004 | Ask Gael
What's the trick to scoring a table at Casa Mono?
Forget it. With fans of Molto Mario (Batali) and partner Joe Bastianich out in full clamor and only twelve tables, you'll be lucky to land a spot at Casa Mono's fourteen-seat no-reservations bar...
January 26, 2004 | Ask Gael
We’ve moved to Chinatown and crave variety.
Once you’ve wallowed in the dumpling riches of your new turf, you’ll be desperate for a hit of vinaigrette and a pure haricot vert. Hike a few blocks east on Canal to funky Les Enfants Terribles...
January 5, 2004 | Ask Gael
Will Merry Prankster David Burke Ever Grow Up?
His fans hope not. They’ll be oohing and giggling over designer dollhouse touches on the plates at davidburke & donatella: little silver dishes hiding sea-urchin panna cotta...
December 22, 2003 | Ask Gael
Are too many cookbooks just barely enough?
Even as I deaccession my cookbook overload, I can’t resist the new. The Maccioni Family Cookbook (Stewart, Tabori & Chang) is a keeper, if only for Mama Egi’s ingenious and wonderfully moving memoir...
December 15, 2003 | Ask Gael
To hell with moderation. I want holiday excess.
You're in the right place at the Strip House, where it’s impossible to resist the monstrous hulk of the wondrous chocolate cake. Even carbophobes fold before its awesome beauty...