For Cinco De Mayo this past weekend, I was very excited to try the newest taqueria in Williamsburg. Authentic tacos are all the rage in Brooklyn, especially in this neighborhood, so I was expecting a huge line down the block as is often the case with these hot new openings. The rain must have kept the crowds away because I was lucky enough to walk right in and order. It took a bit more time to find myself a place to eat among the young boisterous crowd hanging out. Esse Taco is especially exciting because it comes from Chef Enrique Olvera, an acclaimed Mexico City chef who owns both Cosme and ..read more

On a recent trip to South Florida to visit my family, I thought we should take this video series on the road and share it with some of Sam’s cousins. And since we would be in the most southeastern part of the country, only one country made sense to tackle. Considering the food and ingredients are as common in Florida as in the nearby country itself, I knew we had to do Cuba. Just as a note: If you’ve been following along this journey very closely, you’ll notice Sam has somehow aged backwards on this episode. That’s actually because we filmed this years ago, but since I wanted to keep to an al ..read more

While they are not the only things on the menu, skewers are the star of the show at the new hip Thai restaurant Sappe, from the owners of Soothr. Aside from chicken satay, I didn’t usually associate Thai food with sticks of meat. But what do I know? These are called “Ping Yang” and are not so different from Japanese yakitori. They’re cooked over a charcoal grill, with a flavorful marinade and a simple spicy dipping sauce. They could not be further from the peanut-forward chicken satay and they can’t be missed when visiting Sappe. I stopped by for lunch and restrained myself with a choice of o ..read more

Surprise food stands are the best. We were visiting the Brooklyn Botanical Garden this weekend for our annual cherry blossom peeping. My son demanded a treat from a Mr. Softee truck and I got lucky by catching this new “summer house” during their soft opening. Aunts et Uncles is a Caribbean plant based café in Flatbush and it’s been on my list for a while now. I don’t find myself in Flatbush very often, but it turns out Aunts et Uncles just debuted a seasonal stand right outside the Brooklyn Museum. I had forgotten they were plant-based at my first gander at the menu. Once it clicked, I had t ..read more

Gertrude’s is the latest Brooklyn-centric restaurant with a focus on classic New York Jewish food. Of course, here it’s upgraded and refined so the prices are far from what you would have seen in the “good old days”. But I’ve more than accepted that that is the case nowadays and I understand why. Since Gertrude’s comes form the team behind Gertie in Williamsburg (one of my favorites), I was excited to see what it was all about. We stopped by for brunch (although I am very intrigued by their dinner menu) and ordered some of the usual bagel and smoked fish combinations. I may get to those in a ..read more

If you didn’t know Best Sicily Bottega was there, you would most certainly miss it. This authentic Sicilian café is nestled in the heart of the Financial District on a dark street just off Wall Street where scaffolding is almost as common as suits. This place is a total gem – giving a feel of Sicily more than just about anything in Little Italy. I stopped by mostly to gawk but had to taste something. While the pastries and sandwiches are on full display alongside tins of olive oil and dried pasta, I noticed a jar of empty cannoli shells above the counter and knew right away the thing to order ..read more

I know he works food magic, but I was amazed that Wylie Dufresne read my mind when composing the menu for his new pizzeria. Stretch Pizza, which feels like a modern somewhat high-end pizza restaurant, is nestled in the Flatiron District, pretty adjacent to the sceney Nomad area. As expected from the man who truly brought molecular gastronomy to the masses, the pizza menu here is a bit left of center. Sure, there’s the Classic NY and the Pepperoni, but you also have an Everything Pizza (with cream cheese and the ubiquitous bagel spice) and the El Cubano, modeled after a Cuban sandwich. But the ..read more

Smash burgers, which have infiltrated their way throughout every neighborhood of NYC, are good and all but they get a bit boring. A crisped peppery flattened patty usually topped with American cheese, onions, and pickles. And probably on a potato bun or something similar. Yes, without a doubt, simple, nostalgic, and tasty when done right. But I was very eager to discover a smash burger that takes some risks and gives us something a bit different from what you expect. That’s why I made my way out to Bed Stuy to the unassuming little Thai restaurant Little Grenjai. This new spot is the work of ..read more

Founded by a Roman chef during the pandemic, Unregular Pizza has built quite a following thanks to social media and the chef’s bartering skills. The owner traded pizzas for other food with the community during the pandemic. Tike Tok and Instagram are clearly a big part of this company’s business model. When I was there on my second visit, I heard the cashiers talking about some big time influencer who was due to stop in soon with his entourage. Not to mention the design and blue/pink lighting throughout is as on trend as it gets. They also have expanded with more locations and a bakery acros ..read more

Perhaps the New York hot dog is going the way of the pizza and gaining influence from out west. New Yorkers know Detroit-style pizza is as ubiquitous now (if not more so) as coal oven pies and it seems like most of the new hot dog places are ignoring the sauerkraut for a drag through the garden. For those that don’t know, a “drag through the garden” refers to all the fix-in’s on a typical Chicago hot dog. And that seems to be the latest and greatest Weiner variety in all of New York. After Bobbi’s and Emmett’s, I made my way to Dog Day Afternoon, which continues that trend. This little nook ..read more