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

You’d think Williamsburg was a town in Texas with all the new breakfast burrito options. The latest I tried comes from a cute little bakery near the Williamsburg bridge run by a husband-and-wife team who touch on both their Vietnamese and Dominican heritages at Ceremonia Bakeshop. The pastries here, especially the mochi donuts, looked great, but I had my eye on the prize. Like many people who stop in for a gutbomb to go with their morning coffee, I was after the burrito. This monster was practically bursting at the seams. The flour tortilla was nicely browned and strong enough to hold in the ..read more

Is it me or has the “craft beer” scene sort of cooled off? I am sadly not as plugged into it as I once was, despite still following it somewhat, especially in New York. And while there were quite a few brewery openings over the last decade (I remember when there were only four in the city), things seemed to have slowed down since COVID. Obviously, there are many factors that may be in play, including me not being as aware of it all as I once was pre-fatherhood. But I miss the excitement of checking out a new brewery and so, when possible, I’m going to try to continue my quest to hit all the l ..read more

It’s hard not to order dan dan noodles or mapo tofu when visiting a Szechuan restaurant. Those are two familiar dishes that almost always hit home, but I have had them so many times and menus at restaurants like this are often pages long. I came to Shan, a welcome addition to Cobble Hill, during their weekday lunch special, which was a pretty great deal and featured some of the usual offerings. My eye was drawn to the fish filets since I know Szechuan restaurants bring out the flavor when it comes to fish and I wanted to try something a little different. The waiter steered me toward the fish ..read more

It takes a lot for me to write about two dishes from the same restaurant two weeks in a row. It hasn’t happened since 2022 when I gushed over Gage & Tollner. And now Tatiana absolutely deserves at least two of their dishes being highlighted on these pages. In truth, I could probably keep going for the next three weeks until I’ve named (and praised) all the dishes I tried at this fantastic Lincoln Center restaurant. But I have to give an official mention to a mind-blowing take on Chinese soup dumplings with a West African twist. I’ve been eating as many soup dumplings in New York as possi ..read more