There are so many innovative dessert and savory food options for Easter 2024! I enjoy a good dinner spread and dessert table followed by an Easter morning candy blast. Here are some of my top picks that will work for even the most serious foodies as well as fussy kids! I comes as no surprise that I pretty much love anything sold on Mackenzie Limited! They have the greatest quality and diversity of cuisines. I learned that most of the French savory and sweet items are actually made in France and then imported for sale here in the states. New for Easter 2024 is this stunning cake simply known a ..read more

I recently took a one-day staycation at the Motto By Hilton at 152 West 48th Street, right in the heart of Times Square. (There is another fabulous property in Chelsea.) Starting at $174 per night, you get incredible bang for your buck as each room has the biggest flat screen TVs that I have ever seen in a hotel (your name is on the screen when you arrive) and is very efficiently designed. There are no dressers or closets but you get racks to hang your items on and to lay your suitcase on. A ledge at the edge of the bed works as a bed, desk or vanity table. There is a toilet and walk in showe ..read more

You will be pleasantly surprised by the unique atmosphere of Panda Harlem, a restaurant of the notable Dream Hospitality Group. The prices are super reasonable, the space is ultra chic and the portions are generous. Did I fail to mention that cocktails are in the $9 to $14 price point for the most part? You will get your money’s worth here. You’ll love the deejay, wait staff, the hookahs (that are also reasonably priced) and the multiples of giant screens to watch your favorite sports on. I also love that it is in a secluded neighborhood by Columbia University—they are on the SW corner of 133r ..read more

I had never been to a Sugar Factory location before last week and I am glad that I got to experience their ultra fun Valentine’s Day menu—officially called “Love Is In The Air”—which includes classics like filet mignon and prime rib but also has wild and wacky choices! These inventive menu items include red drinks served in red mailboxes (with romantic sayings on them) and still other red drinks served in pink ceramic pigs. There are plenty of over-the-top red desserts including red velvet waffles with chunks of red velvet around the edges. All sorts of paper candy hearts and red gumdrop heart ..read more

There’s so much to love about MacKenzie Limited’s Valentine’s Petit Fours from the moist cake to the sweet fillings to the adorable adornments. A mix of vanilla and chocolate, they are lovingly hand-decorated to celebrate the holiday of love. Choose from one or two dozen Valentine’s Petit Fours. Each order of one dozen serves up to 6. The box of 12 is $29.95 while the both of 24 is $49.95. I also recommend you buying a box for yourself to eat in private just because they are THAT GOOD! Order here: Valentine’s Petit Fours. Mackenzie’s Sweetheart Macarons are also a romantic and sweet touch fo ..read more

I recently went on the 25th anniversary edition of On Location Tours’ long-standing Sopranos Sites Tour which gives you an up close and personal look at many memorable and obscure filming locations. Most are in the cities surrounding Newark like Kearny, Bloomfield, Lodi and North Bergen. This tour will definitively change the way that you view The Garden State forever. Led by a friendly and knowledgeable actor named John DiFilippo, there are plenty of photo ops ending with the grandaddy of them all—the place that we see Tony Soprano sitting and eating onion rings in the final scene of the lege ..read more

I don’t hide it—I think that Patisserie Vanessa is the best bakery/cafe combo on the Upper East Side and at least in the Top 5 of the entire New York tristate area! Owners Vanessa (full name Magali Vanessa Silengo) and hubby Marc know what they are doing. After ten years of being in the retail baking trade (providing desserts for restaurants and other gourmet food sellers) they decided to open up their own place on the Upper East Side near where they live. They picked one of the most stunning buildings in town—a Gothic Revival style beauty with a spacious storefront with a staircase to an ador ..read more

The Pierre Hotel has so many great choices for celebrating the holidays in style and I can tell you firsthand that they never disappoint. The history is amazing, too—totally unrelated to food, this is where Joni Mitchell penned “Woodstock” in 1969, the site of the biggest American jewel heist ever back at the beginning of 1972, where David Bowie stayed while recording some of his most famous albums and the scene of many famous galas over the years. Executive Chef Michael Mignano has conjured up some incredible menus for Perrine, Two E and the Rotunda. From afternoon tea in the Rotunda, to Chr ..read more

Everyone loves to enjoy themselves food and drink wise over the holidays—it’s great to just indulge and not worry once per year for a few days! Here are some of my top picks both for holiday gifting and dining. You can tell my deep love for rich and unusual food and drinks from this quick and fun list! MacKenzie Limited takes pride in bringing hand chosen high end foods from brands across the country (with some sweets actually created in French bakeries like their legendary chocolate molten individual size cakes that are part of their amazing three and four course meal packages). I fell in lo ..read more

Brine is a unique casual chicken restaurant in Chelsea at 15th Street and Eighth Avenue. You cannot beat the varieties of chicken styles and the fact that brining the bird makes it naturally tender and juicy. Portions are large and one lunch entree like a half grilled chicken with fries for $18.79 can easily feed two people with big appetites for lunch. Also, because there is counter service, you do not have to tip. It’s a win-win on every level and they now have a second location at the Promenade in Fair Lawn, NJ, which is convenient to a lot of business on Route 4 as well as a bunch of new c ..read more