Category: New York

Havana NY – New York, NY

There are so many choices of cuisine in New York City. I usually get sushi or Italian when I visit. This most recent visit I wanted to try something different. I went for Cuban food at Havana NY.

It was a smaller restaurant on the inside. Lucky for me I made a reservation earlier in the day, so my table was ready when I arrived.

I started off by ordering the Blanco Sangria. This was a white wine sangria mixed with fresh apples and oranges. It was the right amount of sweetness.

I ordered a small bowl of the Sopa De Pollo. This was a fresh chicken soup with lots of vegetables and noodles. It had a real comforting feeling.

For my dinner I ordered the Lechon Con Mojo. This was a slow roasted pork that was so tender it shredded with just a fork. The pork was marinated in a mojo sauce that added a ton of flavor. The sauce brought out the essences of different citrus juices and garlic.

The pork was accompanied by yellow rice and red beans. The yellow rice had a subtle taste and went well with the savory flavor of the beans. It was a light side dish that went perfectly with the pork.

I did save room for dessert. I went for the Churros Con Chocolate. These were homemade churros that were still warm when they came to the table. The pieces were dusted with cinnamon and sugar. They had a nice crispy crunch on the outside bur still soft on the inside. A chocolate sauce came on the side for dipping. I ate a few pieces with the chocolate. It added even more sweetness to the churro. It was an awesome dessert. It would be perfect for sharing.

I really enjoy my meal at Havana NY. The staff was very friendly and made me feel welcomed. If you are looking for some delicious Cuban food in New York check them out. www.havanany.com

Enjoy!

T

The Rag Trader – New York, NY

There was a great bar and restaurant that I came across in New York called The Rag Trader.

It has a speak-easy feel on the inside. Their bar is beautiful with mirrors and trinkets to look at.

I started off with a Rose sangria. It was a blend of rose wine, elderflower, peach schnapps, orange liqueur, and ginger syrup. The drink was sweet and refreshing. There were chunks of granny smith apples in the sangria that added a sour accent and a crunch.

I ordered a few appetizers to have for my dinner. I figured it would be nice to try a couple of things without getting too much food.

I started with the Sriracha deviled eggs. The filling was smooth and creamy. I expected these to be spicy but there were not spicy at all. They placed crispy shallots on top that added a crunch and extra flavor.

The stuffed squash blossoms were a nice surprise on the menu. It has been a few years since I have gotten to enjoy these. These delicate blossoms were stuffed with ricotta cheese which made them extremely creamy. There was a buttermilk dressing on the plate that added a slight sour taste. They sprinkled lemon zest on top that added a hint of acidic tang.

The last thing that I ordered were the fried chicken sliders. It was the perfect portion size with two mini sandwiches. The little pieces of chicken were extremely crispy. There was a sriracha aioli on top that added a creamy texture but no heat. They included a red slaw on top that added a sour taste and crunch. It was a great complement to the chicken.

This was a great place for cocktails and some small bites. There were a few other dishes on the menu that I would want to try on my next visit.

Check them out at www.ragtraderny.com

Enjoy!

T

Clinton Hall – New York, NY

I was told about a great burger place in New York called Clinton Hall. So, the last time I was in the city I visited their newest location on 36th Street.

As soon as I walked through the door I knew this would be a fun place. They had games throughout like giant chess and connect four. They also had tons of board games you could borrow and play at the table.

If you like beer, then Clinton Hall is the right place for you. They have a full assortment of beers on tap.

I started off with the Waffle Fries. These crispy fries were covered in a melted cheese sauce. They sprinkled scallions and jalapenos on top. I ate a few jalapenos with the cheese, but they ended up being too spicy.

The cheese sauce was very creamy. The salty taste was perfect on the waffle fries and there was no other salt needed.

I ordered the CH Classic. This was their traditional burger. The beef patty was extra juicy and tender. They cooked it to a perfect medium. I got American cheese on top. This added a nice creaminess. The lettuce and tomato added freshness.

The burger also came with their CH sauce on the bun. This was almost like a thousand island dressing. It added a nice sweet taste to the burger.

Clinton hall was a great place for a burger and for watching football. They had huge televisions throughout the restaurant.

Check out one of their locations at www.clintonhallny.com

Enjoy!

T

Casa Nonna – New York, NY – Visit #2

I was so excited to make a second visit to Casa Nonna in New York City. I loved my meal the last time I went. I could not wait to try something new on the menu.

Similar to the last visit, I arrived at the restaurant earlier than everyone else in my group. So, I headed over to the bar for a cocktail. I ordered an Aperol Spritzer. This blended prosecco, aperol, and seltzer water. It was semi-sweet with lots of bubbles.

To munch on they gave me some of their homemade flatbread. I remembered these and they were delicious. These were crispy like crackers and topped with spices and parmesan cheese that was melted and crispy as well.

Once the rest of my group arrived we got seated at a cozy booth.  This was nicer than a table because it allowed for easier dinner conversation.

We ordered several appetizers to share around the table. The fried calamari were a must. I remember I had this before and really liked it. The tender calamari were breaded and fried until crispy. They also included julienne vegetables, that consisted of red peppers and pepperoncini peppers. I liked the tangy flavor that the peppers added to the taste of the calamari.

Out next was the Mozzarella in Carrozza. This fresh made cheese came with fresh heirloom cherry tomatoes and a basil pesto. The cheese was extremely creamy and sweet. The basil pesto added an herby taste that really paired well with the tomatoes.

The last appetizer was the Bruschetta. Now they offer three different kinds. We went for the Sicilian Eggplant Caponata, which is a marinated mixture of eggplant, ricotta cheese blended with herbs, and chopped up squash. This entire mixture was then topped with a drizzle of balsamic and piled high onto some toasted baguette pieces. There was such a sweet taste to the eggplant mixture. The balsamic added a slight tartness but it was very mild. The baguette pieces added a nice crunch to each bite.

I was excited to try my dinner. This time I ordered the Pici Alla Toscana. It was a twisted pasta that was covered in a Tuscan beef-pork ragu. The rich, creamy aroma of the pasta smelled wonderful as soon as my waiter placed the bowl in front of me.

There was an overall creamy texture to the sauce. It had a full savory flavor. The pasta was tender even though the noodles were slightly thick. The portion was the right size because it was rich. If it was any larger I would not have been able to finish it.

The last time I ate at Casa Nonna I was not able to try any of their desserts. I made sure I ordered a cannoli this visit. It came out in a beautiful presentation on the plate. There were fresh berries on the plate and the cannoli was gently placed on top. It was dusted with powered sugar.

Each end of the cannoli was covered in chopped up pistachios. I really liked the salty and crunchy element it added. The cream was very smooth and creamy. It filled the entire shell, which had a slight cinnamon taste.

I once again enjoyed my entire meal at Casa Nonna. It is definitely a place I would keep going back to. Check them out at www.casanonna.com

Enjoy!

T

A.B. Sushi – New York, NY

So here I am, back in New York City. It’s lunch time and I have found another sushi restaurant to try. This time it is A.B. Sushi.

This was the perfect place for lunch in-between my meetings. Luckily for me I got there a few minutes before the lunch rush. While I was sitting there I watched the place fill up.

I ordered the Maki Lunch, which was a great value, especially for New York. It came with salad, soup, and two rolls.

The miso soup had a generous amount of seaweed leaves and a little tofu. The flavor of the broth was savory. I wish they had included more tofu in the soup.

For the salad, the ginger dressing was a little different from others I have had. It was creamier and slightly sweet. It was till full of ginger flavor.

My rolls came out beautifully on the plate. The first roll I got was the spicy tuna. This is always my go-to-roll. I never seem to be disappointed by this option. This roll had a crunchy rice on the inside that added a unique texture to the tuna.

My other roll was the eel and avocado. The eel was fresh and paired well with the creamy avocado. It to is always a good go-to-roll for me. They drizzled a generous amount of the sweet eel sauce on top. This is my favorite part of an eel roll.

This was a perfect quick spot to grab lunch. They had a few more Japanese specialties on the menu that sounded good, but I highly recommend the sushi.

Check them out at www.absushinyc.com

Enjoy!

T

STK Midtown – New York, NY

I was invited out for a nice dinner in New York and was taken to STK – Midtown.

Even though we had a reservation, our table still was not ready when we got there. So, we headed to the bar to grab a cocktail.

I decided to order the Troublemaker. They used Ketel One Botanical vodka – peach ad orange blossom, which was mixed with rose wine cordial and club soda. This cocktail was extremely refreshing. It was almost like a sangria in taste, just without all the fruit. I will have to try replicating this drink when I am at home.

Once we sat down at our table, our wonderful waitress brought over some fresh made pop-over bread. They served it with a creamy blue cheese butter. The bread was amazing. It was so hot that the butter melted instantly when it hit the bread. The sweetness of the bread paired well with the tangy blue cheese.

A few appetizers started coming out. First was the Big Eye Tuna Tartare. The tuna was so fresh, it cut easily with my fork. They included avocado with the tuna because they are the perfect pairing. The slices were put on top of a soy honey emulsion, that added both a sweet and salty accent. They placed the tuna/avocado mixture in-between layers of taro chips and stacked them high. The chips added a great crunch.

The second appetizer was Nueske’s Smoked Bacon. I was expecting thin slices of crispy bacon to come out. It ended up being a large slice of pork belly. They covered it in a balsamic BBQ sauce. It tasted like they seared it on a grill to get it crispy. I really enjoyed the edges of the bacon because it was extra crispy. I liked the pork belly this way because it did not feel as fatty.

The last appetizer was the crispy calamari. This was a safe dish that was cooked up pretty traditionally. They also served blistered shisito peppers on the plate as well. These were a nice added element that added extra flavor but no heat.

I ordered a filet mignon for my dinner. It was a small ounce steak, but I got crabmeat on top. I thought I would try a little land and sea combination. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium. It was tender and juicy. The crabmeat was sweet and buttery. It complemented the salty taste from the beef.

The sides all came on the side to share. The lobster mac and cheese was a must try. The macaroni was so rich and creamy. There were large chunks of lobster meat mixed throughout. It was a good think I was sharing this side. It was so rich there was no way I could eat this by myself.

The tater tots were a fun side. They were the largest tater tots I have ever seen. The potato itself was tender and they fried it just enough to make the outside crispy.

The parmesan truffle fries had the best presentation. These were thick cut fries, even larger than the typical steak fry. They took these fries and stacked them on the plate. It was easy to grab them. There was no need for ketchup with these fries. There was only a slight hint of the truffle. The parmesan cheese is what stood out on these fries.

I had a wonderful dinner at STK. The flavors for everything I ate were great. It turns out they have a couple of locations across the country. Check on their website at www.STKHouse.com for a location near you.

Enjoy!

T

Casa Nonna – New York, NY

I was invited out to a wonderful Italian dinner at Casa Nonna in New York City. I love Italian food and I was excited to try a place I had never been to before.

We started off at the bar while we waited for our table to be ready. I ordered a Bellini Classico. This was a traditional peach Bellini. They used peach nectar and caposaldo Prosecco. It was tasty. The peach flavor was strong but not overpowering. I ended up have a few more that night.

When we were walking to the table I noticed the wood fire oven in the open kitchen.

I also was mesmerized by all the artwork they had on the wall. It was all perfectly in place.

While I looked over the menu, the waiter brought out some homemade crackers. They had melted Parmesan cheese on top. There was also a slight spicy taste to these crackers that I was not expecting. They were really addicting to eat.

We started off with some appetizers to share family style with the table. The Mozzarella Carrozza was some of the creamiest cheese I have ever had. The buffalo mozzarella was also super soft. Included on the plate were heirloom cherry tomatoes and a basil pesto. The tomatoes were very sweet and tasted almost like sweet peppers.

The Calamari Fritti was classic fried calamari that was tossed with julienne vegetables that were also lightly breaded and fried. They used peppers and zucchini. The breading was the right amount so that it would add a little crunch. They served a lemon-chive aioli on the side. It had a nice tangy taste, but I preferred the calamari plain.

The last appetizer out was the Polpettine. These were beef and pork meatballs with ricotta cheese on the side and covered in a pomodoro sauce. The meatballs were light, tender, and moist. Exactly what I am looking for in meatballs. The ricotta cheese added an overall creaminess to the sauce.

For my dinner I ordered the Truffle Ricotta Gnocchi. I absolutely love gnocchi, so I could not wait to try theirs. I could smell the truffles as soon as the plate was placed in front of me. The gnocchi were in a white wine garlic parmesan sauce. It was savory and totally delicious. Tossed in with the sauce were wild mushrooms and fava beans. The beans added a creamy texture. These were some of the best gnocchi that I have had in a long time.

Since we filled up on so many appetizers as well as our main dishes, there was no room for dessert. I will have to go back just to try them. This was an amazing restaurant filled with classic Italian dishes. I would recommend this place to everyone.

Check them out at www.casanonna.com

Enjoy!

T

Mew – New York, NY

Over the last several years every time I visit New York City I try to stay at the same hotel. The main reason is because it is close to so many things. There are restaurants all around this hotel and I thought I had tried them all. Well it turns out I had missed one. Mew is located between two other restaurants in the building’s basement.

I was excited about this new find. I thought it might be able to be my new go to restaurant near the hotel. I had to wait till they opened at 5:00pm before I could head down the stairs.

It did not take long for the place to fill up. It was very cozy with the dim lighting and the music that they were playing.

I started off my experience with a cocktail. I ordered the Mew Breeze. They used sugarcane shochu, vodka, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, and a splash of tonic water. It was sweet and went down easy. I had to be careful not to drink it too quickly.

The first dish I ordered was the Sushi M.  This was like a deconstructed sushi roll. It was a really cool visual presentation. It started with a based of sushi rice. Then it was layered with spicy crab that was shredded, spicy tuna chunks, and avocado slices. On top of all that was Ikura, Tobiko, seaweed, spicy mayo, and eel sauce. It had all the elements of sushi. The only way to actually eat this was to break it down and combine all the ingredients together. The tuna and crab were fresh and the avocado slices were extremely creamy.

The other dish I got was the Yaki Udon. These udon noodles were sautéed with beef, onions, and mushrooms. The beef was thinly sliced and tender. The sauce they used was sweet with a slight salty taste. Overall the dish was savory. The noodles were my favorite part. They soaked up the flavor from the sauce and they were soft and tender. The onions were there to add a crunch.

I am so glad I found Izakaya Mew near my hotel. This will definitely be my new go to restaurant.

Check them out at www.mewnyc.com

Enjoy!

T

Shake Shack – New York, NY

Shake Shack is a fast food chain that started in New York and is growing across the country. When I was in New York I made sure to stop by the original location in Madison Park. It was not far from the famous Flat Iron Building.

It was a beautiful day which is a good thing. The original location being in the park, all the seating was outside. The did have lots of tables and chairs, so there was plenty of room for everyone. I got there right before the line got to long for lunch.

I went up to the window to order the “Classic Shack Burger”. This is a single patty cheeseburger. Once I got my bag I could not wait to dig in.

The bun was soft and doughy. The burger meat was tender and juicy. The meat was so fresh it melted in my mouth. The American cheese added a wonderful creaminess. The lettuce added a crispiness and the juicy tomatoes added a freshness.

The cheeseburger was just enough for a quick lunch on the go. I am glad I got to go to the original location. Shake Shack does make a fantastic burger.

You can see all their locations at www.shakeshack.com

Enjoy!

T

Bond 45 – New York, NY

I never realized how many restaurants are around the theater district in New York. That is where I fond Bond 45, an Italian restaurant.

The place was packed full. It was a good thing that I made a reservation earlier in the day. As soon as I sat down I was brought freshly made bread. It had a buttery taste and there were a few pieces of green olives throughout. It was great to snack on as I looked over the menu.

They had a couple of unique cocktails on the menu. I went for the Bond Cup. This namesake cocktail used pineapple infused vodka, passion fruit, and lime juice. The presentation was beautiful with the accent of a pretty flower and a slice of dried pineapple.

The drink was sweet and had an overall tropical feel. It was good but probably not the best choice to pair with savory Italian dishes I ordered for dinner.

I ordered the vegetable Ribollita soup to start off with. This savory broth was loaded with vegetables like carrots, potatoes, spinach, and white beans. While the flavor was excellent, the carrots and potatoes were a little overcooked. They were pretty soft.

For my dinner I ordered the Chicken Piccata Milanese. The chicken was pounded out to be super thin. It had a thick layer of seasoned breadcrumbs that were extra crispy. They made a lemon-parsley butter sauce that was loaded with braised artichokes and capers.

The sauce was salty. It went well with the chicken, but I think there was a bite too much of the sauce. The chicken was tender and still managed to be moist even though it was really thin.

Bond 45 was a nice place to grab dinner before going to see show. I would go back so that I could try one of their pasta dishes. Their serving sizes are large so make sure to go with an appetite.

Check out their website at www.bond45.com

Enjoy!

T