Finding food to cure your hangover is easy. Finding amazing gourmet food to cure your hangover is not. Enter: Dinner on Ludlow. Their weekend brunch (available 11:30am until 4pm) is crafted by executive chef John Keller and can make the grumpiest person all smiles. First of all, the restaurant itself is to die for. Picture leather banquette seating, dozens of crystal chandeliers, draped curtains—basically, a completely regal setting. It's a great way to start your day. Next comes the menu, and with options like cornflake crusted french toast, pork belly confit, and chicken and biscuits, it's a wonder anyone can narrow down their choice to just one entree. Since most of us don't have stomachs the appropriate size to eat everything on the menu, it guarantees a return trip just to make your way through it all. Trust us, you'll want to. Additionally, each entree comes with a complimentary mimosa, bloody mary or maria, or bellini, which is just what we need on a weekend morning, er afternoon. Finish it up with one of the chef's equally delicious desserts and you are set to take on the rest of the day...or go into a food coma.
Let's preface this review by saying that this is some of the best damn pasta we've ever eaten. Seriously. Located in SoHo, Galli opened up in late 2012 and continues serving up delicious Italian comfort food. Envisioned by Steve Gallo, Karen Gallo, and Michael Forrest, this hip downtown restaurant exudes sophistication with an edge. Upon entering, you will find cozy cafe-style seating and a marble bar that's just the right size. Head back into the main dining room, where you will find booth seating and communal tables underneath a fun glass roof, perfect for both intimate occasions and larger parties. But enough about the scenery—what you'll really be feasting your eyes on is the food, and it sure does look just as delicious as it tastes.
The third of Zeb Stewart aka Mr. Williamsburg’s impressive drinking and feeding hole portfolio, (think Union Pool and Hotel Delmano), Cafe Colette is the perfect mix of a polished yet informal aesthetic. The bistro, which adopts a mix of French inspired American cuisine, combines painted floors with cement tables and brightly colored walls adorned with quirky black and white photographs, to create a space that feels equally appropriate for lunch, brunch, dinner or drinks.
A staple of Gramercy's dining scene, Parea Bistro, recently re-branded and now presents Parea Prime, a fusion of Greek cuisine and traditional steakhouse. The first of its kind, the restaurant features a sophisticated Mediterranean dining experience, as well as the conventions of an American steakhouse. General manager Jean Christophe Villard says, "I wanted to create a unique restaurant concept, to provide fine diners with meat and more exciting European items." And that he did.
The menu features hand-selected USDA Prime Dry Aged steaks and chops from Pat LaFrieda & Sons, each aged at least 28 days in the LaFrieda Himalayan Salt room. In addition to their meats, Parea Prime also offers a fine selection of classic Greek dishes like tender lamb riblets and hearty vegetable moussaka, as well as a raw bar. Joonbug had the opportunity to attend an exclusive tasting at the recently re-branded restaurant and we were happily scarfing down all they had to offer. From the meatballs and the flavorful spanakopita to the expertly selected wine, we enjoyed everything that came across our plate (and glass). The restaurant has an in-house sommelier to help you with any pairings, as well as an expert mixologist ready to serve you cocktails. Additionally, every Friday evening from 8-11pm, the restaurant features live Greek music as the perfect backdrop to your meal.
Parea Prime is located at 36 E. 20th St.
Park Slope has quite the pizzaiolo on their hands - Robert Patriarca opened Brooklyn Central in October 2012, where he fuses "Old World" and "New World" dishes. With a focus on Neapolitan pizza, "Old World" refers to the buffalo mozzarella imported from Italy with conventional toppings, while "New World" pizza incorporate fresh mozzarella made in Brooklyn. The pizzeria sources many of their ingredients locally, and by local we mean right down the street. Since Neapolitan pizzas seem to be on trend in New York City, it can be very difficult to know where to go to get a great slice. Even for Manhattanites, a trek to Brooklyn is worth a slice here.
Brooklyn Central is located at 289 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. 347-725-4891
If you’ve ever been to BaoHaus, the casual Taiwanese bun shop in New York’s East Village, you may have noticed Eddie Huang one of the chefs and co-owners, probably freestyling along to the music dressed in renegade street clothes. By looking at him though, you would never guess that this former stand-up comic turn celebrity chef actually practiced corporate law. Huang’s newest venture is his memoir, Fresh Off the Boat, published by Random House. The memoir, entitled the same as his hysterically fun food and travel show produced by Vice, touches on Eddie’s unique views on America, , the culinary world, Asian stereotypes, and basically Eddie’s critiques of everything and everyone he comes in contact with.
New York area foodies and cooks are in for a treat! Chefday, a Brooklyn-based start-up, delivers pre-measured, fresh ingredients right to your doorstep in order to cook custom recipes designed by NYC restaurant chefs. Seriously, why hasn't anyone come up with this idea sooner?
Some of the city's finest chefs have created recipe designed just for you! All recipes come with a video of the chef in action, cooking your meal. The videos even pause to wait for you at the end of each step. Your fresh ingredients also come with a recipe card. Each recipe allows you to choose different serving sizes, so whether you're cooking for two or eight, they've got you covered. The freshest ingredients are picked from the chef's food suppliers and your food can be delivered between 3-5pm or 7-9pm on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday at your office or home.
Dirty words can be good sometimes...that is, when they have another meaning. To most who grew up speaking Spanish (myself included), one hears the word “carajo” (meaning crap or hell) used as a cursing exclamation, as in the phrase popular among my Cuban breed “Vete pa’l carajo!” (Go to hell). It's a risk when a business, moreover a restaurant where the last thing you want to taste is crap, appropriates the word as its own. But in this instance El Carajo, a Miami Spanish tapas and wine spot, the word grabs our off-put attention and then wafts it under our noses so we can wake up and smell the roses - the roses of meaning. The restaurant’s “carajo” refers to the lookout basket at the top of a Spanish ship's mast.
You probably remember Aarti Sequeira from Seaon 6 of the Food Network's Next Food Network Star, where she won gold and got her own TV show. Now, the famed chef is starting a brand new program on the Cooking Channel, which airs each Friday at 9pm, called Taste in Translation. On her new show, Aarti explores the most popular dishes from around the world, as well as the history and culture behind them. From Thailand to the United States, Aarti gives viewers the chance to discover new flavors and recipes from coast to coast. We got to chat with Aarti all about her new show and some of her favorite dishes she got to try while filming.
Surely most foodie fiends know about Roger Mooking, the Trinidadian-Canadian chef who hosts Everyday Exotic on the Cooking Channel, stars on the Food Network's Heat Seekers with Aaron Sanchez, and most recently, aired his latest show, Man Fire Food, on the Cooking Channel, which debuted in September. In the show, Roger travels the country to discover intentive ways in which others cook with fire. We got to chat with the chef about his favorite cuisine, why he likes to grill, and what he's up to right now.