South Indian Up West
Authentic Indian food comes to the Upper West Side
The first time I traveled to Chennai, India, my uncle-by-marriage swore the best cup of coffee could be found at Saravanaa Bhavan, a restaurant specializing in classic South Indian vegetarian fare. Naturally, we had to try it.
As they served us metal bowls containing tiny metal cups filled with steaming, light brown liquid, my Americanized coffee snobbery blossomed. Visions of glorious pounds of fresh roasted beans and hot mugs of black-as-night coffee and a general distaste for the world of sweet coffeeshop chains flitted by, but with a single sip, those recollections faded. The coffee was at once creamy, sweetish and comforting, with bold coffee back notes—indeed, the finest I tried in the whole country. Read more
No Title Required
Museum dining artfully done at Untitled
Hit the gift shop, skip the restaurant.
Unless you’re part of a tour group, hypoglycemic or having a day out with your nana, this has always been the accepted wisdom for museum visits. If you happen to be an unlucky member of one of these groups, you can look forward to a selection of dry sandwiches, a steam-table entrée and a sweaty, pre-cut cheese plate. The best to be hoped for is a tolerable wine to drown your sorrows and some art to remind you of the reason you’re there.
Read more
At El Porron, Taste of Spain Is Delivered
Authentic dishes served with flair
By Tom Steele
Before I visited Spain for the first time, my friends warned me that I’d be disappointed by the cuisine there. On the contrary, I was not only completely beguiled, but the trip changed the way I cooked in several important ways. For example, as soon as I returned to New York, the first thing I did was get myself a good Spanish paella pan. Ever since, paella has almost always been my go-to dish for company—it’s so incredibly versatile, and you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen; after a certain point, it just cooks itself. Read more
An Empire Comes to Midtown
Richard Sandoval spices things up with his newest creation
A few years ago, I was at this exact same spot when it was Jeffrey Chodorow’s Wild Salmon, the last of his multiple attempts to make the location successful. I had a great meal in a beautiful space, but it folded.
Now it’s chef Richard Sandoval’s turn. Perhaps the impresario behind 14 other restaurants around the world will have the Midas touch with his Asian and Latin fusion cuisine. Partner Placido Domingo, a friend of Sandoval’s, opened Zengo weeks after surgery, so things may already be looking up. Read more
Neapolitan Cookery Ready For Its Close-up
Wood-burning oven provides savory flavors
By Tom Steele
I can’t remember ever visiting a two-week-old restaurant that had its act so completely together. Credit must be bestowed on Tiella’s co-owner Mario Coppola, whose hands-on management style results in a tightly run ship. And Peppe Castellano’s Neapolitan cookery is as authentic as it is intensely delicious. Read more
Uptown Outback
The Sunburnt Calf brings a bit of Australia to the Upper West Side
According to the back of its menu, The Sunburnt Calf got its name from owner Heathe St. Clair’s beloved heifer Bessie, who filled his childhood with laughter and wonder until the day she was accidentally left outside too long in the Australian heat. Cows can’t really recover from sunburns, so Bessie had to be put down. I have to admit, reading the tale of a euthanized cow wasn’t exactly how I wanted to start my Upper West Side dinner, but how can you argue with a restaurant that offers tableside keg service and shark meat? Read more
Bird is the Word
Fried chicken served with Southern flair
Many fried chicken devotees believe that you have to travel south of the Mason-Dixon Line or north to Harlem to have your bird cooked as God intended. Chef Charles Gabriel, of Charles’ Country Pan Fried Chicken fame, brings a little of that Southern flair to Midtown’s Aretsky’s Patroon with his latest creation. Read more
Run for the Border, Via Yorkville
Satisfying drinks and apps, with entrées that could use a little punch
When you think Yorkville, the words “dining destination” don’t generally come to mind. In fact, it’s often difficult at all to find any interesting place to eat that far to the east. Coming to the rescue on an otherwise barren stretch of the avenue is Palacio Azteca, where you can kick back with cerveza and tuck in for a bountiful, inexpensive Mexican meal. Read more
The Empire Strikes Back
Bice is nearly 30 years old, yet the restaurant feels as fresh and vibrant as a newcomer. But Bice is an international empire of more than 50 Northern Italian restaurants, started in 1926 by a Milanese matriarch by the name of Beatrice Ruggeri, nicknamed Bice. The restaurants are everywhere from Dubai to Montecarlo to Miami. The New York edition is the flagship American restaurant. Read more
Like Paris in the Springtime
As spring breaks through in little bursts of sunshine and warm days, there is no better way to welcome it than by eating fresh mussels and sipping a glass of wine on the balcony of East Side newcomer Bistro Vendôme. Here, owner and chef Pascal Petiteau (of Jubilee fame) dishes up delightful plates of French classics in an old townhouse. With three levels, lots of sun and a view of the Queensboro Bridge, Bistro Vendôme is a welcome addition to this quiet street. Read more
