NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: LEXINGTON BRASS

The new Midtown restaurant Lexington Brass, from the team behind Abe & Arthurs, and the more recent Catch, is a great restaurant. With high ceilings and beautiful large windows overlooking bustling Lexington Avenue, this place is great for a power lunch, or a delightful dinner. Chef Franklin Becker's American bistro fare is spot on terrific too!

Lobster mac & cheese ($18) is absolutely delicious and perfect. There is a good amount of lobster meat, that does not overpower the dish, yet is perfectly balanced with the cheese and pasta. The addition of breadcrumbs give this dish a lovely crunch, too. It's a true winner.

Impress me with a salad and you have my heart. Lexington Brass's Caesar salad ($13) is refreshing and great.

And now my friends, I'd like to talk to you about the dish at Lexington Brass that is one of the best in all of NYC. Chef Becker makes a truly magical fried chicken ($23)! I love fried chicken, and I've eaten some of the best. The one I ate last week at Lexington Brass did not disappoint. In fact, it's unbelievable. With a beautiful buttermilk skin with great flavor, moist and tender meat, this was fried chicken perfection. What took this dish to another level though was the honey butter it was served with. Each time I took a dip into this culinary bliss, it was one culinary orgasm after another. I wanted to take a bath in this honey butter. Served over fantastic collard greens, a nice biscuit, and sublime and smooth mashed potatoes with gravy, this dish is beyond a hit. Fried chicken lovers paradise exists on 48th and Lex.

I tend to dine downtown often, usually, most of the time. I'm glad I found Lexington Brass, here in Midtown though. A great restaurant no matter where it resides. 

Lexington Brass
517 Lexington Avenue (and 48th)
New York, NY 10017
212-392-5976

www.lexingtonbrass.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: RED FARM

A preview tasting of the just opened Red Farm had my mouth watering for more. I stopped in to this new West Village Chinese influenced restaurant a few weeks ago and had a great meal. It's a fun restaurant, with a barn-like setting, where Chinese inspired fare awaits. 

A wagyu beef tart was the perfect bite. Succulent and tasty, a touch of sesame seeds for crunch. A great start.

Red Farm's version of chicken salad is festive and flavorful. An abundant amount of different ingredients, flavors, and textures all working harmoniously surely tickled my taste buds.

Okra and Thai eggplant with yellow curry was a splendid salad.

For some of the most fun starters you'll ever have, try the flower-like spring rolls, the Kumamoto oysters with Meyer Lemon-Yuzu, and the ever-so-cute and fabulous 'Pac Man' shrimp dumplings. You'll have a blast eating these guys!

My favorite dish of the night was the clay pot chicken. I loved the flavor of this dish. The chicken was braised amazingly and was tender as can be. Delicious!

For all you steak lovers, you can't go wrong with the marinated rib steak with bok choy. Really good. Order a side of sautéed snow pea leaves with waterchestnuts and garlic, a Chinese staple done right.

End with the simple, yet perfect chocolate pudding, and your Chinese inspired meal will be complete.

So for one of the most "fun" Chinese meals out there, Red Farm is where it's at.

Red Farm
529 Hudson St. (and Charles)
New York, NY 10014
212-792-9700

www.redfarmnyc.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: TRIBECA GRILL

There are new restaurants opening up every week here in NYC, that's what makes New York and the NYC dining scene so hot and exciting. But, there are plenty of restaurants that have been around for a while that we should not forget. One such restaurant is the Tribeca Grill. I had never dined at Tribeca Grill, the landmark Tribeca restaurant with multiple celebrity investors, most notably Robert Deniro, and restaurateur Drew Nieporent, and helmed by Chef Stephen Lewandowski. The place has been around for 21 years, quite a long time in this industry. I was luckily enough to be invited to a wine tasting and dinner there a few weeks ago by the company Rue La La, and was able to see why the Tribeca Grill has been around for so long. The food here is great! Every dish I encountered was perfectly executed. From fresh scallops, to juicy duck, to a fantastic take on strawberry shortcake, the food is worth a trek to dowtown Tribeca. I look forward to going back. A true Tribeca landmark awaits.

Tribeca Grill
375 Greenwich St. (and Franklin St.)
New York, NY 10013
212-941-3900
www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com/tribecagrill

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: PYLOS

The Greek restaurant Pylos in the East Village is spectacular. I had dinner there last week and fell in love with the place. It's a charming, rustic spot to dine in, and the food is excellent. I highly recommend it!

Saganaki ($10), three Greek cheeses melted in a clay pot, was an outstanding appetizer. A little sprinkle of lemon, and my dining companion and I could not stop consuming this dish. Yes, please. The complimentary pita brought to our table was top notch as well.

Grilled marinated octopus ($14), with a balsamic reduction sauce and capers, was a fine rendition of this Greek classic. It didn't blow me away, but it was satisfying nonetheless.

Cretan-honey braised lamb shank ($21) served with giant bean and roasted garlic puree and roasted tomato was fabulous! The fall off the bone meat was tender and succulent. Many thanks for this shank.

Moussaka ($17), layers of lightly sautéed eggplant, zucchini, and potato baked in a clay dish with aromatic ground meat sauce and béchamel, was the best I've had. A true delight to eat. This Greek comfort food surely comforted me. Order one and see why. Delectable!

You'd be smart to end your meal with Christos' towering galaktobourekakia ($6), buttery phyllo triangles filled with Greek custard and drizzled with cinnamon and Greek mountain honey. I might not be able to pronounce this dessert correctly, or say it five times fast, but I ate these babies in a heartbeat. They are amazing. It was like eating sex.

So for a fantastic Greek night, drop by Pylos. It's much cheaper than flying to Greece, and I'm sure just as tasty. Zeus would approve.

Pylos
128 E. 7th St. (bet. A and 1st)
New York, NY 10009
212-473-6433

www.pylosrestaurant.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: HEARTH

Italian goodies await you at the East Village's Hearth, Chef Marco Canora's Italian joint on 12th Street and 1st Avenue. Hearth is a great restaurant. My dinner there last week was a truly enjoyable experience, and I highly recommend this spot.

Warm vegetable salad ($12), beans, summer squash, red onion, and new potato, is a really nice start. The touch of olive oil and lemon is splendid.

A pasta dish of canestri pasta ($28), with San Marzano tomato, eggplant, and ricotta salata, is delicious. Light and simple, yet homey and perfect. It tasted as if one's Italian grandmother might have made it. Sweetness!

A special of black bass for two ($56), does not come cheap, but oh, how wonderful this fish is. Absolutely perfectly cooked, the meat so tender, juicy, and clean. The aroma of rosemary and lemon permeates throughout. The slivers of potato and onion served with the dish are spot on excellent too. I would swim with this fish any day.

Order a side of hen of the woods mushrooms ($12) too. They are meaty, flavorful, and unlike any mushrooms you probably have had. Fabulous!

End your meal with the blueberry shortcake ($11), with lime, whipped cream, and blueberry ice cream. A lovely ending, to a fantastic meal.

Hearth is where the heart is.

Hearth
403 East 12th St. (and 1st ave)
New York, NY 10009
646-602-1300

www.restauranthearth.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: JULES BISTRO

I had walked by Jules Bistro, the French bistro on St. Marks Place, for years, hearing their nighly jazz, yet never once did I walk in. That all changed two weeks ago, when I went on a culinary adventure with my sister (the NYC Foodette) and her fiancé, and boy was I happy I finally went in. Jules Bistro is a fantastic, great, and wonderful place! With great jazz and great French bistro fare, there is a lot to love about this joint.

Clams in a white wine and garlic sauce were absolutely fabulous. An addictive bowl of joy.

Braised duck leg ($21.95) with sausages, bacon & pig trotters, buttery vegetables & steamed fingerling potato, was also terrific! Every piece of meat was perfectly cooked, and beyond tasty. I loved this dish.

So stop by Jules Bistro in the East Village. Have a glass or two of wine, feast on some great grub, and listen to some excellent jazz. It'll be a truly magical evening.

Jules Bistro
65 St. Marks Place (bet. 1st and 2nd)
New York, NY 10003
212-477-5560

www.julesbistro.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: CAPSOUTO FRERES

Old school French still lingers in way west Tribeca at Capsouto Freres, a restaurant that opened the year I was born, 1980. To be opened for 31 years in New York City, is more than a milestone, it's a miracle. After a meal there I could see why it has lasted so long. The place delivers fine classical French fare, that was popular back in the day, but still has not lost its luster. 

Saucisson de Lyon en croute with Madeira Sauce, is delicious and grand. The meat succulent and superb.

A vegetable terrine is classically lovely.

Filet Mignon with Madeira Sauce is perfectly cooked and a fine rendition of this popular meat dish. The Madeira sauce adds just the right note of sweetness to compliment this baby.

Pike Quenelle, a dish I had heard about throughout my life, but never encountered, is fabulous here. Beautifully light in texture, but full of flavor, this dish had me swooning for more.

Do save room for dessert, and order on of the best soufflés in New York City. A special Roi René Rouge Cherry Soufflé was out of this world. Dip your spoon in and have a magical moment.

So for old school French and old World charm, take a trip all the way to west Tribeca, where Capsouto Freres awaits.

Capsouto Freres
451 Washington St. (at Watt St.)
New York, NY 10013
212-966-4900

www.capsoutofreres.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: LOTUS OF SIAM (CLOSED)

I love Thai food. I eat a lot of it. If you are seeking great Thai cuisine, that is not cheap, but could very well be the best Thai food in Manhattan, check out Lotus of Siam in Greenwich Village. I went a few weeks ago and had my mind blown. Again, the dishes are more expensive than I'm used to paying for Thai, but it's the best I've had.

Nam Kao Tod Crispy Rice ($9), crispy rice tossed with Thai sausage, fresh chili, ginger, peanuts & lime, was fantastic. Light and refreshing, yet flavorful, I loved this dish. A delicious crunch of a starter.

Crisp fried chicken wings ($8) tossed with chili garlic sauce & fried Thai basil are tasty as can be. I would actually prefer them to be a tad spicier, but these are still some delectable wings.

One of my favorite dishes in the world is Crispy Duck Panang Curry. My favorite Thai restaurant Pam Real Thai on 49th Street and 9th Avenue, makes an amazing one, at a cost of $13.95. Lotus of Siam serves pretty much the same dish, crispy duck with Penang curry sauce and cognac for twice that amount, at $26. Now the question is, is it better? I think this dish at Lotus of Siam is wonderful. There is no fat on the duck, it's very clean, perfectly cooked, and an amazingly executed duck dish. The curry is eloquent, not too powerful, but quite lovely. I loved the dish. Is it better? Sure. Is it twice as much better? Culinary bliss is priceless, I suppose.

And then there is the Pad Thai. Oh, Pad Thai, that most popular, most ordered Thai dish of them all. Of course we had to see if Lotus of Siam's Pad Thai ($17 with shrimp), stir fried rice noodles with egg, bean sprout, 

garlic chive, crushed peanuts & lime, measured up. At $17, it is the most expensive Pad Thai noodles I've ever had. They were also the best I've ever had. These noodles were somehow cooked differently, the texture was pure perfection. The flavor, fabulous.

All the food at Lotus of Siam is clean, perfectly executed, and quite fantastic. It does come at a price. It's the most expensive Thai food I've ever had, but, it's also the best I've ever had. So the question remains: Is Lotus of Siam the best Thai restaurant in Manhattan? I think so.

Lotus Of Siam
24 5th Avenue (at 9th St.)
New York, NY 10011
212-529-1700

www.lotusofsiamny.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: WESTVILLE

People have been raving to me about Westville for a while now. There are three Westville's, one in the East Village, one in Chelsea, and one in the West Village. I stopped by the West Village location a few weeks ago, and found out why people are raving. This little joint is great!

Do start of with their fresh mint lemonade. It's wonderful.

A side of beet potato salad was fantastic. Beets + potato salad = genius.

Smoky mac and cheese with bacon was out of this world! True fabulousness!

A special sandwich of the day of marinated chicken, broccoli rabe, mushrooms, melted provolone and balsamic, was excellent. The accompanying fries perfect.

So for a small spot, that you'll love a lot, Westville hits the spot. Check it out for yourself, you'll be glad you did.

Westville
210 W. 10th St. (bet. Bleecker and W. 4th)
New York, NY 10014
212-741-7971

www.westvillenyc.com

NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: DESNUDA

The best culinary block in New York City is East 7th Street. Stretching from Bowery to Avenue A, the restaurants on this street are fantastic. From pork sandwiches at Sarah Jenkins' Porchetta and her pasta at Porsena, to lobster rolls at Luke's Lobster, arepas at Caracas Arepas, Greek delights at Pylos and cupcakes at Butter Lane, this street has it all! It also has Desnuda, an awesome winebar and cevicheria. My first time at Desnuda was two weeks ago, a little nook of a bar, serving great ceviches and oysters. I'm not sure what took so long for me to get there, but good things come to those who wait. 

Sichuan tea smoked oysters is a unique and amazing culinary experience. Just watching how the chef smokes these little babies is a show in itself, and the effect is pure ectasy for all your senses. Order them.

My fellow culinary adventurers and I decided to order all three ceviche specials. This included a delicious lobster ceviche in a green curry, an amazing sea bass ceviche with sesame sauce, and perfectly crunchy and flavorful soft shell crab ceviche. All three were excellent.

For dessert, we has some fabulous fresh oysters, and our adventure was complete.

Desnuda is a true treasure of a place. Grab a glass of wine or a South American beer, have some fabulous ceviche, and thank me later. East 7th Street is magical.

Desnuda
122 E. 7th St. (bet. 1st and A)
New York, NY 10009
212-254-3515

www.desnudany.com