NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: TANUKI TAVERN

Ah, the Izakaya, a Japanese drinking establishment that also serves food accompanying the drinks. There are not too many in NYC. Tanuki Tavern, the restaurant located in the hip, sceney, and cool Hotel Gansevoort in the Meatpacking district, draws its inspiration from the Izakaya. It is a Japanese gastropub and sushi bar, and has some tasty Japanese delights. 

Take a seat outside, grab a cocktail, and start with the tempura maitake mushrooms ($7) with sweet ponzu dipping sauce, and sweet corn and white miso tempura cakes ($6). Both these snacks were deliciously tasty, and pair perfectly with a cocktail or beer.

Chicken meatballs ($7) get the Japanese treament served in a rice crust with spicy ponzu. Delectable!

Little Neck clams were served in a flavorful and addictive broth.

Octopus Sunomono ($11) with seaweed, cucumber, rice vinegar, mirin and soy jelly was pitch-perfect great.

A miso braised beef marrow bone ($8) with black lava sea salt and toast, tickled my taste buds and paired well with my sparkling ale.

Since the NYC Foodie is a lobster lover, the lobster, avocado & fried tofu ($15), with butter 

poached Maine lobster, ginger, wasabi & yuzu dressing was a true hit. I loved this dish.

The unexpected hit of the meal though, was the Pat Lafrieda "Tanuki Tavern" Burger ($10). When I think of Japanese food, I never think of a burger, but this burger at Tanuki Tavern is one of the best in town! Served with pickled purple onion, kimchi relish, and tavern sauce, on eli's potato bun, it was truly wonderful! Perfectly cooked, it had a beautiful char, and balance of sweetness, to the kick of the kimchi relish. Juicy and amazing.

So grab a drink, and pair it with some tasty Japanese fare at Tanuki Tavern. Become part of the scene, you'll be right in the heart of it. 

Tanuki Tavern
18 Ninth Avenue (at Hotel Gansevoort)
New York, NY 10014
212-660-6766

http://www.chinagrillmgt.com/restaurant ... uki-tavern

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: THE MERMAID INN

Father's Day is the time to celebrate your dad and to eat great seafood. That is why the NYC FOODIE and his fam headed over to The Mermaid Inn on the Upper West Side for a fabulous seafood dinner. The Mermaid Inn is a wonderful restaurant.

Start with any of their great salads, from their mushroom and asparagus salad ($11) with truffle vinagrette and a goat cheese crouton, to a calamari salad ($11) with wild mushrooms, frisee and feta, you'll be off to a fantastic start!

A bucket of steamers will whisk you away to the sea. They are delicious and great!

If you want one of the best lobster rolls in NYC, order the one at The Mermaid Inn ($26), please. It is fabulous! Served on a brioche roll with old bay fries, it is near perfect! A tad pricey, but extremely wonderful!

Grilled sea scallops ($24) with corn puree, braised leeks, bacon, and fava beans, is delicious and enlightening. Everything is better with bacon!

Pan roasted cod ($23) with truffle mashed potatoes, lobster sauce, and crispy spinach is a really nice dish too.

The Sunday spaghetti ($19) with littlenecks, mussels, chili, and saffron would make any dad smile. It's a great dish, benefitting from a tasty kick from that chili.

Take a crunchy bite out of a scrumptious soft shell crab sandwich ($19) with bacon, acovado, tomato, lemon, and caper mayo, and you'll be in seafood sandwich heaven.

End with The Mermaid Inn's complimentary chocolate pudding and fortune telling fish, and dad, your family, and everyone around will be smiling and happy. The NYC Foodie is thankful for an amazing Father, as well as great seafood restaurants like this one!

The Mermaid Inn (UWS)
568 Amsterdam Avenue (bet. 87th and 88th)
New York, NY 10024
212-799-7400
www.themermaidnyc.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: ILILI

(Ok, well this wasn't actually a quick bite at all. It was a feast. A feast of amazing, upscale, Lebanese/Mediterranean cuisine. I stuffed my stomach for you guys, I'm just trying to make everyone happy!)

I was invited to a dinner at ilili last night and will tell you this is a great restaurant. It looks great, the service is fantastic, and the food is wonderful! The menu is designed for sharing and that is what you should do. You should order a bunch of mezza, create unique and original bites, and stuff yourself with great Mediterranean fare and love. So get ready for this culinary adventure, these pics should get your mouth watering.

Start with the hommus ($7.50), creamy, silky, and delicious. Add some lamb and jalapeno for kick. Place it into the warm, fresh pocket pitas that come out with each order, and have a bite of joy. It rocks!

​Also, order some chankleech ($9), (feta cheese, onions, tomato, zaatar), and some tabbouleh ($11) (parsely, fresh mint, tomato, burghul). Put some in your perfect pita. Bite perfection.

Maybe some meat tickles your culinary fancy, so try the kibbe nayeh jnubieh ($14) (steak tartar, burghul, onion, mint) or a succulent and tasty lamb rib ($20) with a sour cherry sauce and scallions.

If you like sweetbreads, don't miss ilili's veal sweetbreads ($14) served in a lettuce cup with garlic whip, Lebanese brown rice, and cucumber yogurt. One bite, and your taste buds tingle with satisfaction.

Chicken livers ($8) with lemon, pomegranate molasses, and sumac have a strong tang to them, playful on your palate.

Warm eggplant with tomato, tamarind molasses, and scallions, will be the some of the sweetest and greatest eggplant you will put in your mouth. Delectable!

Brussel Sprouts ($13), fried with grapes, fig puree, walnuts, and mint will blow your mind. A bowl of sprout love that would make even the most carniverous eater a happy camper.

If you are a fan of lamb, you must order it at ilili. Lamb chops ($18) seared with zaatar salsa verde, and herb roasted tomatoes are sublime. I wanted to take these chops home with me and cuddle with them all night long. Lamb loin is also unbelievable! Tender, juicy, delicious, heavenly!

If you can't get enough of this meat, throw in a beef shawarma ($15) with tomato, sumac onion, and tahini. Fantastic! Also, add some greenery with some sweet and wonderful snap peas.

After all this feasting, you will of course need to order dessert. Your stomach, your mind, and your heart deserve it. In fact, ilili serves one of the most memorable desserts I have ever eaten in my life; knafe jibneh ($18). This dessert takes 15 minutes to make, and is pricey, but can feed a table of four, and is absoluteyl amazing. Filled with three different cheeses, topped with orange blossom syrup, some crushed pistachios, and some sesame pitas on the side, after one bite, my mind was blown. In fact, I told my dining companion, this dish was so memorable, I will go to the grave, remembering it. Order it!

Another dandy dessert is the ilili candy bar ($10), chocolate kataifi crunch, chocolate ganache, pistachio and fig caramel, finished tableside with warm chocolate sauce. This was another winner to a truly memorable meal.

So drop into ilili for a while, forget about life, and immerse yourself into the delicacies of Lebanon and the Mediterranean. You might get stuffed, but it'll be worth it. 

ilili
236 5th Avenue (bet. 27th and 26th)
New York, NY 10001
212-683-2929

www.ililinyc.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: PARADOU

French treasures await you in the sceney Meatpacking District, at the restaurant Paradou. A restaurant I have walked by for years and never walked inside, last week I made the genius move of dining there with my younger sister, and was delighted and enlightened by the great French fare we were served!

We took our seats in the back garden, enclosed by a tent, and were transported to Provencal France. A starter of tuna tartar ($14) filled with avocado mousseline, accented with salmon roe on mache lettuce was absolutely fabulous! The avocado mousseline was ingenious!

If you are a fan of foie gras, then Paradou is the place to have it. Chef Kfir Ben-Ari has created some out of this world creations of foie gras, and we ordered all 5 of these ($49). Foie "Gravlax", cured with sugarcane, sea salt, ricard fennel leaves and spices, and served with candied fennel & red wine reduction. Foie Gras en Torchon, cooked mi-cuit with pistachio at the center. Blanched in red wine, air dried overnight and rolled in pistachio dust. Served with cherry tomato & coriander confiture. Foie Gras "Brulee", Fresh Hudson Valley Foie Gras sprinkled with light brown sugar & caraway seeds, then bruleed. Served with warm roasted macadamia nuts soaked in Lillet. Terrine de foie gras, marinated in port wine & cognac, accented with alea Hawaiian red salt. Served with onion & chestnut marmalade. Foie Gras Flan, a foie gras custard topped with red wine caramel. Served with lavender honey-glazed almonds and fennel pollen. 

Eating these five creations reminded me of drinking fine wine, they were all unique, and each had a different character to them. What each was served with was perfectly paired too. I would call Chef Kfri Ben-Ari the "King of Foie Gras"!

When I think of French food, I usually don't think of ribs, but the pork ribs Facon "Grand Pere" ($25) are great! Grilled and beer-braised pork ribs with root vegetable ragout and truffled mashed potatoes, these ribs were succulent and it was a well-done dish!

My sister's pan roasted duck ($29) with organic yams, wild mushrooms, and honey truffle was fantastic! I loved this dish! The duck was perfectly cooked and heavenly!

We were both stuffed at this point but we were somehow able to do an amazing magic trick and make a dessert of hazelnut crunch and vanilla creme anglaise ($9) disappear. It was awesome!

So forget about the "scene" for a while in the Meatpacking District, take a table in the garden, and get whisked away to the Provencal paradise that is Paradou.

Paradou
8 Little West 12th Street (and 9th ave)
New York, NY 10014
212-463-8345

www.paradounyc.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: TORRISI ITALIAN SPECIALTIES

Torrisi Italian Specialties is one of my favorite spots in NYC. I have written about it numerous times, for their amazing sandwiches. That is day time dining though. At night, Torrisi morphs into another restaurant serving a four course prix fixe meal for $50. If you want a table, there are only around 10, you must get there early, at least 30 minutes to an hour before they open at 6pm, and wait in line with other hungry foodies, but the wait is worth it, for a pleasant and scrumptious dining experience.

The menu changes daily so what I ate you might not have, but these are some great bites. To start a bunch of antipasti were brought out. A warm fresh mozzarella with olive oil and sea salt, is a signature of Torrisi, and happens to be sublime. Eat it plain or put it on a piece of their wonderful focaccia and you will be in heaven

Broccoli rabe, mixed vegetables and a bean salad were all fantastic!

A bowl of fresh calamari with marinara sauce was light, delicious, and perfect.

Our pasta course of sheep's milk ricotta gnocchi with English peas was the only let down of the night. My dining companion thought the pasta was too doughy, I felt it lacked flavor, and needed a lot of seasoning.

My main course was Devil's Chicken with Greek yogurt and salad. It was fabulous. The chicken was wonderfully cooked, had amazing flavor, and I loved the crunchy addition of bread crumbs to the salad. This was a great dish!

My dining companion's entree of black bass in a chowder was also fantastic. Perfection of light chowder flavors permeated my taste buds.

Before dessert arrived, a palate cleanser of lemon ice was refreshingly amazing!

For dessert, a plate of standard Italian cookies and goodies was great! Rainbow cookies, cracker jack brittle, Hudson bourbon cream puff, tri star strawberry veronas,and cannoli with ricotta and candied orange, it was like eating in your upscale grandmother's kitchen. A perfect ending to an almost perfect meal. I could not help but smile with glee.

Torrisi Italian Specialties is a special place. It's almost as if your grandmother was a gourmet chef, this is the meal she would cook for you. Grab a bottle of wine, and have a magical evening. 

Torrisi Italian Specialties
250 Mulberry Street (and Prince)
New York, NY 10012
212-965-0955

www.piginahat.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: BALABOOSTA

NoLita is coming quite the culinary destination in NYC. Some new wonderful restaurants are popping up along Mulberry, Mott, and Elizabeth, including the really good Mediterranean tapas spot Balaboosta. I stopped in last week for a quick bite and was very satisfied.

Order a glass of wine and munch on their great homemade pita chips.

Dave’s Grilled Pizza ($11), with carrot purée, caramelized onions, goat cheese & cilantro, is a fine appetizer to start with.

Smoked Eggplant Bruschetta ($8) with herb & citrus salad, and silan honey had a nice a flavorful smokiness to it.

Crispy Cauliflower ($7) with currants & pine nuts is absolutely wonderful, and some of the best cauliflower I had ever consumed. I loved this dish!

So get your tapas on at Balaboosta, and taste some of the culinary treasures that lie north of Little Italy.

Balaboosta
214 Mulberry St. (and Spring st.)
New York, NY 10012
212-966-7366

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: KINGSWOOD

I never met a bad looking Australian. Not sure what is in the water down under, but they are hottt! If you stop by the Australian restaurant Kingswood, you will see the evidence hanging at the bar, or dining at a table. Pretty young things, some Australian, some not, but all looking good! Besides, good-looking clientele though, Kingswood has some really good food that should not be missed!

A salad with soft shell crab was excellent! The crab was perfectly cooked and delicious!

A side of mac and cheese ($7) with truffle oil was one of the best mac and cheeses I have had! Add truffle oil to anything and it's like crack! Addictive!

The Ruby's Bronte Burger ($16) (made popular at the owner's other restaurant Ruby's) with cheddar, sweet chili sauce, truffle mayo and fries is one of the better burgers in NYC. Juicy, tender, succulent, and fabulous. A must order!

So when you crave Australian, be it the people or the food, stop by Kingswood. It's a truly hottt spot!

Kingswood
121 W. 10th St. (and Greenwich Ave)
New York, NY 10011
212-645-0018
www.kingswoodnyc.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: JO'S

I love Nolita. Well, I love all of NYC to be honest. Nolita is hip, cool, cute, and "boutiquey". There are some really cool dining spots to get your bite on too, after a day of shopping, or for just when you're hungry. One such place is Jo's. 

It's a really nice space with the bar and bar seats up front, that leads way to the dining room in back with a memorable antler chandelier hanging from the ceiling. My dining companion and I took a seat by the bar last week and had some tasty bites.

To start your meal right you must try their cocktail Peruvian Necktie ($10). Macchu Pisco, lime, blackberries & ginger beer is definitely the perfect Summer cocktail. Follow that with some fresh oysters and you will be happy.

The 5 bean salad ($9), Cesare's (the great Italian chef Cesare Casella) Tuscan beans, boquerones, marinated onion, tomato was delightful!

Chicken wings ($8), smoked, sake & black bean sauce, bacon powder was a tasty appetizer. I really enjoyed the smokiness of these guys!

The porterhouse of pork ($21) with fava & peas, cous-cous, pickled radicchio, marjoram sauce was like "Summer" on a plate. There was a very floral flavor to this dish too.

Chicken & egg ($19) was roasted breast, poached thigh, steamed egg & asparagus, 

shitake puree, chive-lemon emulsion. The chicken was extremely tender and juicy and my dining companion loved this dish.

End with Jo’s fresh churro thumbs ($7.50), with cinnamon sugar, raspberry sauce, and chocolate dip, which will make you smile. They are addictive though, so be careful!

Jo's
264 Elizabeth St. (bet. Houston and Prince)
New York, NY 10012
212-966-9640
www.josnyc.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: BAR PAYA

Ladies and Gentleman, I got my mind blown Friday night. Bar Paya, a Peruvian wine bar in the East Village opened up, and I was not expecting the amazing culinary delights brought to me by chef Matthew Kenney. Peruvian cuisine is rare in NYC, and the dishes here are a welcoming culinary bliss to the East Village and the entire island of Manhattan!

Corn nuts with Incan pink salt ($4) were so tasty and addictive, I needed an intervention.

Plantain, Sweet Potato, Yuca, and Blue Potato Chips with Chili Purees ($5), was another fabulous snack. Each of the three purees had a different level of spiciness which I thought was ingenius and wonderful!

A ceviche of fried tuna ($14), fried in the style of "La Gloria", with avocado, heart of palm, and lime, was outstanding. The texture of the tuna was unique and the flavors perfectly balanced. Delicious!

A Tiradito (a type of ceviche) of tuna, red chile cream, and corn ($14), was beautiful and great! It was like eating a work of art. The sweet corn on the tuna was sensational!

A Causa of yellow potato and Cacao braised beef ($12) was scrumptious and fantastic!

To end, a Paya (potato and corn flatbread) of barbequed shrimp, grilled green onions, and cilantro pesto ($14) was another winner. It was simple and light, yet indulgent, if that makes sense. The flavors were unique, yet wonderful. After each bite, I felt great, both physically and emotionally! (A glass of lebanese rosé didn't hurt either!)

Bar Paya is, simply put, a fantastic place. Opening up the culinary horizons of the people of NYC and abroad, it's a place you need to come to, and experience for yourself. Get whisked away to Peru on Second Avenue. Trust me, there's no place like it around.

Bar Paya
65 Second Avenue (and 4th Street)
New York, NY 10003
212-777-6965
www.barpaya.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: THE CAPITAL GRILLE (BAR MENU)

Ahhh, diets. Oh, how they tease me. How I would love to lose 5 more pounds. How I would love to be more fit. But, it is not that easy when you are the NYC FOODIE, and invited to dinners and tastings, especially like the one I had last night. I was invited by fellow foodie Andy Freedman, (who's behind the excellent websitewww.winedanddined.com) to a tasting of the new bar menu at The Capital Grille. I would be doing my fellow readers and supporters a disservice if I turned down any of the dishes put in front of me, so I didn't. So my friends, this is what I do, and eat for you...

Chilled Seared Sushi Grade Tuna ($19) with wasabi oil, white soy, and ginger vinegar. Fresh and fine.

Miniature Fresh Mozzarella, Crisp Prosciutto and Basil Sanwiches ($10). My dining companion thought it should be off the menu. I was indifferent to it.

Chilled Shrimp ($9) with tossed ginger and msutard vinaigrette. A touch of dill was a nice touch.

Miniature Crab and Lobster Burgers ($15). Lobster and crab together? Yes, please. Good.

Pan-Fried Calamari ($14) with hot cherry peppers. A beautiful kick from the peppers made these squid memorable.

Miniature Tenderloin Sandwiches ($18) with wild mushroom and Boursin cheese. The star of the tasting. A succulent bite of decadence.

Lollipop Lamb Chops ($18) with herb oil and aged balsamic. At this time in the tasting I was getting a tad full, but these chops didn't do it for me. I was also still reminiscing about that tenderloin sandwich.

The Grille's Signature Cheeseburger ($18). This blend of meat had bacon and onion mixed in! Thick, juicy, and bacon/onion flavorful!

Parmesan Truffle Fries ($9). Nothing like ending a steakhouse bar menu tasting with truffled fries. Crispy goodness. I love my foodie diets.

Yes, I consumed all of this. You're welcome. Gotta go run around Central Park now; 10 times.

The Capital Grille
155 E. 42nd St. (between Lex and 3rd)
New York, NY 10017
212-953-2000
www.thecapitalgrille.com