Results tagged “atasteof”

Oktoberfest has been over for quite sometime now, but that's never stopped us from enjoying good German beer and sausages. Which is exactly how we wound up at Austrian newcomer Cafe Katja last night. There's also something to be said for such hearty meat-laden fare as the mercury drops. And judging by how crowded the small dining room was when we left, a lot of New Yorkers felt the same way last night. While...

It would seem that the area around Rego Park and Forest Hills that we like to call Rego Parkistan could scarcely support another kosher kebab joint given how ubiquitous these restaurants specializing in Uzbeki cuisine have become. By our reckoning there at least seven of these spots proffering swordlike skewers laden with lamb, chicken and beef along with various Central Asian salads and meat pies. What’s more, with exception of a few that offer such...

Gastronauts seeking Indian fare have rocketed along the 7 line to 74 St./Roosevelt Ave. for a decade or more. Sadly many Jackson Heights stars, including the Jackson Diner, have long faded. Even when one finds tasty grub it still seems like eating from a vast steam table. Nevertheless, we hold out hope and were glad to happen upon Malgudi.

Clippers Cuisine in Lefrak City has all the things one associates with a great Jamaican restaurant: killer oxtail, patties and coco bread, such traditional breakfasts as ackee and salt cod and the requisite easygoing dancehall reggae soundtrack. It also has one another claim to fame. The menu cites it as Naomi Campbell's favorite Jamaican restaurant. At first we were skeptical about that claim, but a quick check of W Magazine proved its veracity. The other interesting thing about Clippers' menu is a dish called Rasta Pasta. With a name like that, we simply couldn't resist ordering it. Much to our disappointment, Clippers was out of it the day we visited, but we did learn from the gal behind the counter that this vegetarian dish has "very special sauce."

Maybe it’s the weather, but lately Gothamist has been craving Indian food. Rather than go to one of the numerous steam-table joints in Jackson Heights, we decided to give Hyderabadi, a new restaurant in Woodside down the street from the much-acclaimed Spicy Mina’s a try. The scuttlebutt on Chowhound was that this spot serves cuisine from the South Indian city of Hyderabad, renowned for its myriad biryanis and the mysterious Chicken 65, among other things.

On the edge of Middle Village sits Uvarara Vineria and Ristoro, a charming family-owned wine bar that looks and feels like it should be in the middle of an Italian village instead of Queens. This is due to the efforts of the Iadicicco's who spent nine months converting what had been a tailor shop with dowdy green walls into a cozy space with exposed brick and a dining area whose four rooms each have a different ceiling. Thankfully they did not have to do much work on the exterior. The building itself has many of the architectural elements of nearby St. John's cemetery. Ask about the renovation and in short order, you'll be shown a photo album that chronicles the family's labor of love.

Roosevelt Avenue in the high 50s is better known for its Irish bars, particularly Donovan's Pub and its legendary cheeseburger, than it is for Filipino fare. That's not to say that Woodside doesn't have any Filipino restaurants, it's just that most of them are confined to Little Manila, a strip of Roosevelt between 69th and 71st streets. Now all that's changed thanks to Engeline's Restaurant & Bakeshop, which opened just down the block from Donovan's this spring.

Located on a stretch of Metropolitan Avenue in Forest Hills better known for antique stores and Eddie's Sweet Shop, a turn-of-the-century soda fountain, is Ran, a small storefront that offers some of the best sushi in Queens. Gothamist isn't sure if the name comes from the Kurosawa flick whose title has been translated to mean chaos or wretchedness, but there's nothing wretched or chaotic here. It's all about impeccably fresh fish expertly prepared. Last week, we sampled some sushi and some hot food from this seven-month old spot.

Rego Park and Forest Hills have been home to Uzbeki immigrants for so long that many residents and outsiders now refer to the area by the collective name Rego Parkistan. By our count there are at least a half dozen kosher kebab joints between the Boulevard of Death and 108 Street. All of these spots feature flat swordlike skewers upon which have been impaled meat, fish and the occasional vegetable, as well as such "national dishes" as plov, a heartier take on pilaf. Gothamist recently visited Zhemchuzhina, one of the newer entries in this somewhat crowded field.

One of our favorite things about Flushing is the proliferation of Northern Chinese restaurants and street carts specializing in lamb. One of the best out there is A Fan Ti. It's a spot that would make Fergus Henderson proud. Sometimes we're not sure whether this place's name should translate to "nose-to-tail eating" or "everything but the bleat." Like many Northern Chinese spots, A Fan Ti specializes in the cuisine of Xinjiang, particularly lamb. A Fan Ti takes it one step further by using every last part of the beast, including the head, heart and tripe as well as several cuts that are slightly more exotic. Let's just say that Gothamist almost overcame its aversion to round organ meats the other night. We promise to ease you into the more challenging photos.

If you've ever been to Pearl Oyster Bar, you might recognize Ed McFarland, who was the sous-chef there for six years. Ed has now struck out on his own with Ed's Lobster Bar, a spot for "New York seafood cuisine inspired by New England's long tradition."

212-533-7000

Brothers Eric and Bruce Bromberg are continuing to increase the size of the Blue Ribbon empire. Their latest addition, Blue Ribbon Bar, is an intimate spot with only about 20 seats, but the wine list is extensive, even offering a variety of flights. Given the proximity to Blue Ribbon Bakery and Blue Ribbon Market, it should come as no suprise that the menu has a section dedicated to "toasts," featuring pates, cheeses, and hand-churned butter, the latter paired with sea salt or cinnamon sugar. The remainder of the menu is filled out with snacks, small plates, and seafood, including nightly specials and a unique cocktail list. Service is friendly and courteous, but space is tight; we'd advise a visit on off hours for a more relaxing experience.

Bringing you a roundup of recent reviews across the food blogs:

We recently got the opportunity to take a peek at Japonais, the much-anticipated Chicago import from partners Rick Wahlstedt, Miae Lim, and Jeffrey Beers. A great deal of detail went into the majestic space -- approximately 11,350 square feet (includes both inside and outside areas), which seats close to 300 patrons -- decked out with gold banquettes, red plush chairs, and multiple seating areas, including the bar and lounge, main dining room, an upstairs lounge, and a sushi bar. The centerpiece of the main dining room is a striking tree sculpture featuring custom blown glass pods created for the restaurant by Beers and his team from Urban Glass.

Although we didn't have much more than an iced coffee on our visit this time around, we wanted to share some pictures of the beautiful Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Center. The pastries looked gorgeous, and we were quite tempted both by the macaroons (we were sent home with some after our visit to per se) and by something they were calling a nutter butter that appeared to be two large peanut butter cookies with peanut butter sandwiched between. Yum. We'll be back to taste next time we aren't headed to the gym. In addition to the takeout counter, there's a full-fledged cafe right nearby.

Despite the fact that we live in Greenpoint, Gothamist never quite got around to trying out the Polish fare in the area. After reading about Joe's trip to Lomzynianka last month, we knew that it was time to take the plunge. Lucky for us, some of our friends were craving some Polish food over the weekend (because it's always better to eat with other people). They had heard good things about Christina's Restaurant, so that's where we headed. We can't say we were disappointed. The food was reasonably priced, but the service seemed a bit slow and they seemed to have James Blunt's CD on repeat. On the plus side (or not) they have a nice little wall waterfall and waitresses that dress in similar skimpy outfits.

While Gothamist first had Ethiopian food several years ago at Meskerem, our most vivid memory of Ethiopian has to be Ben Stiller eating it in Along Came Polly (yeah, we rent every new release on Netflix no matter how bad). Over the weekend, we went to Ghenet with a bunch of other people, which is perfect if you're eating Ethiopian. We ordered plenty of food, which came with a couple of plates of injera.

One of the best things about Chinese New Year is how there is always great food to eat. And, unlike a western New Year's Eve, you don't usually end up with a hangover the next day. Sometimes, you will get lucky with Chinese New Year, but in the form of a lucky red envelope. Over the weekend, Gothamist gathered with our family for some delicious eating. Pictured above are "lion's head" meatballs, a whole chicken soup, a whole fish (which was left unfinished as is the tradition), and glutinous rice cake. For larger versions of the photos and the rest of the meal, check out Tien's site.

Gothamist's early memories of egg custard include eating them at dim sum or at a pastry stores like Maria's, but we recently experienced something totally different. After seeing David Yee's photo of the Egg Custard King Cafe on flickr we knew that we had to have at least one egg custard. What we didn't know and probably shouldn't have done was that we would end up eating four in a sitting. The things we do for you, our readers.

We keep reading that Sripraphai is an "authentic tasting" Thai restaurant, but what do we know. The last and only time we went to Thailand, Gothamist was just a wee youngin'. We can say, however, that Sripraphai is mighty tasty and the food isn't overwhelmingly sweet like some places we've eaten at (we're looking at you, Sea). Pronounced SEE-PAH-FYE, Sripraphai has been open for several years in its Woodside location. It's received a glowing review from Frank Bruni and we've read very few bad things about the restaurant. Frankly, that's not going to start here. A word to the wise though, the food at Sripraphai is mighty spicy, even for those that love the hotness. Unless you're packing the Zantac, we would recommend not going for the maximum spice option. Pictured above is the crispy Chinese watercress salad and the drunken noodles with pork.

As we mentioned briefly last week, the Taiwanese restaurant Din Tai Fung is in town. With arguably the best soup dumplings in the world, Din Tai Fung is in New York until Sunday, November 20th at the Sheraton in Flushing. The menu is limited to only 15 items with items supposedly flown over from Taiwan, which included regular soup dumplings, as well as those with crab meat, two types of shao mai, and Din Tai Fung's special chicken soup.

Gothamist recently had a chance to visit Bleu Drawes Cafe in northern Greenpoint for some really tasty Jamaican food. The tiny restaurant - we're talking 16 seats here - has a delicious jerk chicken and a signature dessert of sweet-potato pudding. The only drawback (or benefit, depending on how you feel) is that Bleu Drawes is difficult to get to.

Bozu in Williamsburg serves tasty Japanese Tapas, mostly priced under $10. Be prepared, however, for tapas-sized portions and expense after you end up ordering several dishes. While they do serve some traditional sushi at Bozu, they also have "sushi bombs" (2nd picture in the extended entry).