Credit: Miles Dixon

Some nights, Matt Aita, executive chef of the French bistro Le Philosophe, can create up to 30 plates of his specialty, duck a l’orange. The dish transcends its retro past in the competent hands of Aita, who got his start in French stalwarts Le Bernardin and Daniel (he eventually rose up the ranks to become sous chef at Jean-Georges.) His next chapter in French dining? Creating his French mainstays at the decidedly more accessible NoHo hotspot Le Philosophe. Here, this week’s hot chef shares his philosophy on creating his own venture.

Your duck a l’orange is the runaway hit of Le Philosophe. Can you tell us more about making this dish hot again?
Duck a l’orange is perceived as a really retro dish that’s been done too many times and not very well. People have tried to reinvent it too many times and everyone just got sick of it. It usually ends up being too sweet with a candied sauce — it’s  just not very attractive. But when I approached it, I didn’t want to mess with it too much. I quickly found it’s all about the sauce. The duck is a duck. As long as it has crispy skin, it’s gonna be delicious. As far as the accompaniment, I chose turnips, because, frankly I love duck and turnips.

How did you design the menu at Le Philosophe – is it traditionally French?
Well, we did some pasta and risotto, some things like that are on the menu that aren’t French. But, it’s the ingredients and the techniques that are. I think that’s the French way – it’s almost a military discipline. The French had to organize these techniques and the flavor combinations, and to really focus on how to treat ingredients, how to cook ingredients, things like that. I think that’s why the French have really excelled. And that’s what I try to do here.

The post Hot Chef: Matt Aita, Le Philosophe appeared first on Metro.us.

For the next several weeks, we’ll be inundated with news about college basketball. We might as well embrace it and enjoy some beer specials.

Whether supporting your alma matter or just partaking for the love of the game, check out these deals around the city.

1. The Sea Fire Grill
The Sea Fire Grill isn’t your average sports bar. This spot boasts a more high-end clientele. Think businessmen looking to enjoy some college basketball. During the games, all draft beers will be half off. Draft beers include Blue Point, Magic Hat IPA on Tour, Eurotrash, Pacifico, Duvel Belgian Golden Ale and more.
The Sea Fire Grill
158 E. 48th St.
212-935-3785
www.theseafiregrill.com

2. Ainsworth Park
With more than 65 televisions to watch the games, March Madness is taking over the Ainsworth Park as well as its sister locations in Chelsea and 121 Fulton Street in the Financial District. The Ainsworth is your one-stop-shop for food, drink and basketball madness.
111 E.18th St.
2212-673-2467
www.ainsworthparknyc.com

3. Virgil’s Real Barbecue

Things are heating up at Virgil’s barbecue throughout March Madness. In addition to great barbecue, Virgil’s will be offering up a special Magic Hat Happy Hour and tasting events. Game day specials include $15 pitchers of Widmer, Hefewiezen and Bud Light.

Virgil’s Real Barbecue
152 W 44th St
212-921-9494
www.virgilsbbq.com

4. Amigos
Looking for some Mexican food while catching the game? Amigos has an offer you can’t refuse. During the games, the restaurant will offer ½ dozen jumbo chipotle wings and a Negra Modelo beer or a frozen margarita for $12.
Amigos
2888 Broadway
212-864-1143
www.amigosnyc.com

5. Brother Jimmy’s BBQ
You can’t go wrong at Brother Jimmy’s. With more than 30 televisions at each location, it’s the perfect place to catch some basketball. All locations will be broadcasting games on their televisions during the entire tournament. Certain locations root for specific teams. The Union Square location is home to Michigan, Duke and Villanova fans; Lexington Avenue supports UNC and Miami and if you’re rooting for Syracuse, head over to the 8th Avenue location.
Brother Jimmy’s BBQ
Multiple locations
www.brotherjimmys.com

6. Hudson Common
One of the city’s newest burger joints is teaming up with ESPN analyst Jay Williams for a March Madness kick-off party. Have a beer with the former Blue Devils player while watching the games. Hudson Common will also feature regional burgers such as “The Midwest Region” (pickle relish, sports pepper, tomato, celery salt) and “The West Coast” (daikon, napa, bean sprouts, preserved lemon mayonnaise) in honor of the tournament.

Hudson Common
356 West 58th St.
(212) 554-6000
hudsoncommonnyc.com

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant

The post Slam-dunk deals in NYC during March Madness appeared first on Metro.us.

The Breslin

Credit: Melissa Hom

Even though it’s on a Sunday this year, we know you won’t be staying home. Here’s where to go:

TO DRINK

St. Paddy’s Pub Crawl www.pubcrawls.com
Hit Lucky Cheng’s, Traffic, Village Pourhouse, Woody HcHale’s, Leprechaun Quarters, Bar 13, Playwright Tavern and many others, and take advantage of $2 & $3 beers, $3 & $4 mixed drinks and $4 Irish whiskeys. Tickets start at $5 for each day and $10 for an all-access pass.

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  Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with these cocktails

Paddy Drinks at Tavern 29
Tavern 29, 47 E. 29th St., 212-685-4422
Indulge in some Irish beer,
or one of the specialty Irish-inspired whiskey cocktails. Pair your favorite with an Irish snack at this 19th century townhouse-turned-tavern.

Pattycakes and Cocktails
Pounds and Ounces, 160 8th Ave., 646-449-8150
Grab some friends to help guzzle down a pitcher of any green specialty drink all weekend, and enjoy green pancakes if you stop by for brunch.

St. Patrick’s Day Dancing at Sunset
5:30 p.m., PH-D at Dream Downtown, 355 W. 16th St., 212-229-2511
Keep your brunch buzz going by hitting an early evening dance party at PH-D at the Dream Downtown. Take in the rooftop views, and dance alongside a DJ and special guest leprechaun.

Holiday Drinks
Bill’s Food & Drink, 54 E. 57th St., 212-518-2727
Starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Bill’s will be serving up sample plates of Guinness and Irish whiskey. Satisfy your appetite by enjoying them with a corned beef Reuben or shamrock-inspired ice cream.
TO EAT

St. Patrick’s Day, Latin Style
Palo Santo, 652 Union St., Brooklyn, 718-636-6311
Skip the Irish stuff for live music and a pan-Latin prix fixe dinner as part of Dine In Brooklyn.

Comfy Irish Staples
Miranda Restaurant, 80 Barry St., Brooklyn, 718-387-0711
Pair old standbys like corned beef and cabbage with an Irish beer you haven’t tried. Co-owner Mauricio Miranda draws upon the standard fare of his childhood growing up with an Irish mother.

Green Eggs and Ham
Brother Jimmy’s BBQ, Multiple locations, www.brotherjimmys.com
Brother Jimmy’s is ringing in St. Pat’s a day early. Starting at 10 a.m., visitors can enjoy a festive specialty dish inspired by Dr. Seuss. If you start before noon, beer and well drinks are half off.

Reuben 2.0
Pennsylvania 6, 132 W. 31st St., 212-727-3666
Enjoy chef Humberto Leon’s St. Patrick’s Day take on the classic Reuben, made with dry aged brisket and truffled Thousand Island on rye. Chase it with a $5 shot of Jameson.

Irish Breakfast and Supper
The Breslin, 16 W. 29th St., 212-679-1939
Saturday through Monday, The Breslin will offer prix-fixe Irish breakfast and dinner options. Feast on traditional corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, blood sausage and more.

AND TO ENJOY CUPCAKES!

Festive Green Sweets
Magnolia Bakery, multiple locations, 855-622-5379
Opt for a pistachio cupcake or chocolate mint whoopie cookie.

Irish Chocolate Cupcakes
Sprinkles Cupcakes, 780 Lexington Ave., 212-207-8375
Pop in through St. Patrick’s Day to try the limited edition Irish chocolate cupcake, a Belgian chocolate cake slathered in Bailey’s Irish Cream frosting.

The post Where to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in NYC appeared first on Metro.us.

If you subscribe to the Monday Campaigns’ “Meatless Monday” mindset, where you forgo meat once a week for health reasons, you don’t have to slave in the kitchen for a plant-based Monday night meal: Many of the city’s chefs are getting on board the vegetarian wagon.

“Meatless Monday is expanding our clientele, challenging our cooks, and supporting our local growers,” says Jason Weiner of Almond, who offered Meatless Monday in his Bridgehampton restaurant last year and now has it at his 22nd Street eatery. “Put simply, Meatless Mondays is win, win, win. In retrospect, I have no idea why the heck it took me so long to get on board.”

Here are some popular city eateries offer special Meatless Monday menus:

Almond
Babbo Ristorante
Bar Jamon
Casa Mono
Cookshop,
Dell’anima
Del Posto
Dovetail
Lupa
Otto
Smorgas Chef
Brooklyn Taco at Essex Market

The post It’s Meatless Monday: Here’s where to eat dinner tonight appeared first on Metro.us.

Think the best places New York has to offer are up top? Think again — many city restaurants are transforming underground, shadowy locations in basement- or lower-level floors into cozy, intimate atmospheres. Instead of walking downstairs into a building’s underbelly, these spots offer an underground sense of a hidden secret. And winter is the best time to visit: When icy winds are howling, step down into these warm, cozy spots.

Cherry
355 W. 16th St., 212-929-5800
A red door opens to a long set of stairs that leads you to this sprawing lair. The wine-colored, velvet-clad space screams romance, with a theme of getting low — tables and chairs are closer to the floor than normal, creating intimacy. Jonathan Moor introduced this spot in January, and some of his BONDST staples are on the Japanese and French fusion menu, like the tuna tart. Other items to order? The lobster tacos are the perfect mix of light crunch and succulent seafood, and the seabass has a sweet, crunchy miso glaze.

Irving Farm
71 Irving Pl., 212-995-5252
Walking down the few steps into this popular, garden-level Gramercy haunt, cross your fingers that you’ll get a spot by a window, where you can peek outside as you enjoy a chai latte and green-tea cookie. The coffee shop, whose beans are sold around the city in other cafes, is a favorite for neighborhood locals, as well as celebrities like Rufus Wainwright. The lighting is dark, but the eavesdropping is worth it — artsy types seem to use it as a brainstorming hub.

The Place
310 W. Fourth St., 212-924-2711
At The Place, tucked between trees along a West Village street, the tops of the chairs are level with the sidewalk, giving you a sense that you are peeking upwards for your people-watching. The date-night restaurant has candlelit stone walls and a roaring fireplace. It makes use of its underground rooms, built more than a century ago, by decorating window-like cutouts in the wall and adding warm candelabra lighting. Entrees to savor by the fire include hangar steak, pappardelle duck pasta and winter squash chowder.

Comedy Cellar
117 MacDougal St., 212-254-3480
For underground jokes and drinks, stop in at the Comedy Cellar, which regularly hosts bold-face names. The West Village spot has shows every night of the week. And if the nooks (or the jokes) get too dark, visit the Olive Tree Cafe on the street level, above, for a quick bite or cappuccino.

Sotto 13
140 W. 13th St., 212-647-1001
Sotto 13 mixes a low-ceilinged bar with a back room that opens up into a surprisingly airy dining space. The basement-level Chelsea eatery greets customers with a low-lit bar and cocktail tables, but walk past the kitchen and the space’s high ceilings feature a funky chandelier and plant-adorned skylight. The Italian tapas-style spot boasts crispy wood-fired pizza and flavorful, Italian-style tapas and pastas. Signature cocktails include a refreshing, citrusy mango margarita.

The post NYC’s best underground haunts appeared first on Metro.us.

Todd Mitgang serves seafood for lunch and dinner at Crave Fishbar (945 Second Ave., 646-895-9585).
Courtesy of Crave Fishbar

A horrific crane accident in 2008 shut down Todd Mitgang’s Crave Ceviche Bar in midtown, but the chef rebounded with Crave Fishbar, a nautical-themed eatery (down to the portholes) that recently started serving lunch. Mitgang presents some delightfully satisfying interpretations of fish on the menu, in dishes like fluke tostadas and tuna confit sandwiches, but land-lovers need not fear dropping by for a burger or salad. We asked Mitgang how he rethought his restaurant after the unthinkable occurred.

It’s been almost five years since the crane accident.
Yeah, that was wild. I had worked at a couple of great kitchens and Crave Ceviche Bar was the first restaurant where I was a partner. We were doing great business, we loved the restaurant, it was really a team effort and the crane collapsed and it was just devastating. We were there — I had a couple of guys in the kitchen, I was across the street — [it was] just a wild day. Thankfully, we didn’t lose any of our staff, but there were lives lost. … It could have been so much worse for us. Sure, we lost our business for a little while, but hey, we’re here with a new one.

And you recently started a lunch service. What do you think is the most surprising item on the lunch menu?
I’m not surprised by any of it because it’s very much my style. [Laughs] But I think for somebody who comes in here for the first time they’d probably be surprised to see something like the ramen that we’re running. For dinner we serve it with a piece of glazed fish, but because lunch is a different service and we want to be available to everybody and anybody who’s in the neighborhood, we have a couple of meat options, and so we give that option for glazed pork belly as well.

Do you ever get really sick of fish?
No. [Laughs] That’d be silly, then I should quit what I’m doing. My wife and I just had a night out and we went to a great restaurant and had some raw bar. I love food. It’s truly beyond being a passion of mine for work — I love to eat, I’m always looking for the most delicious bite of food.

Is there any fish you don’t like to eat or cook with?
I don’t think so. I’m bizarre in the sense where I have an appreciation for almost all things food. I may have preferences depending on the day or the preparation but I truly think everything has its place and if you’re going to the right restaurant or tasting food from the right chef and he or she knows how to prepare it the right way, delicious food is delicious food.

Can you give us some tips on buying fish at the store?
I think that first and foremost it’s about relationships. I’ve been working with my same fish vendor since I started my career. There’s trust. Go into your neighborhood fish market. I would prefer to buy fish from a fish market or from a fish counter —there’s somebody working there, it’s not just like a fish display at a supermarket with prepackaged fish — and I think you need to strike up a conversation and talk to these people that are working the counter, that are butchering and filleting the fish. They have more insight into what is fresh from the market or what is eating well or what is possibly seasonal, and I think working on those relationships you need to possibly start to trust that person or you want to trust that person.

What do you mean “eating well”?
There might be some fish that are available all year round because they’re available, they’re easily caught and people want to see them available all year round, so there’s a market for that. [But] some fish might do better in colder waters than warmer waters, so even though they’re available they might not be at their peak. There is a seasonality for seafood.

What fish are you loving right now?
I love merluza right now. It’s very similar to a hake or a cod. It’s caught locally, it’s a whiting of sorts, but it comes to us in a really nice thick filet. I think pan-roasting is a fantastic technique for home cooks. It’s really simple: Start with a pan that is oven-safe, bring some heat to it — it’s as easy as seasoning a fish with salt and pepper or just salt. [Add] a little olive oil in the pan, put it down presentation-side down. It’s tough to give a time if I haven’t seen the size filet, but just keep an eye on it. Don’t touch it. As it starts to brown on the edges, that’s a good indication. You can then turn it over, put it into a 350-degree oven and let it continue roasting. Merluza has a really nice big flake, it’s got good favor for a white fish and, again, it’s caught locally, which is cool.

What are your thoughts on buying and cooking with frozen fish?
It’s tough to have a stance on something like that because what’s good for me and good for the restaurant, I don’t want to frown on anybody’s practice. There are I think plenty of frozen houses that are buying from the right places, that are freezing the right way and that are being sold the right way, so to frown on that is not something that I would do. … I would rather see somebody go to a fresh fish counter or a fresh fish market, but I’d definitely not frown on that. If [that is] the only way somebody could buy fish, I think that’s great. How does it taste? I don’t know. (Laughs)

The post Hot Chef: Todd Mitgang, Crave Fishbar appeared first on Metro.us.

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Beet Kubbeh at The Kubbeh Project

Hit up one of these local spots in honor of the festive Jewish holiday:

Glatt Kosher shop Prime Butcher Baker (1572 Second Ave., 212-616-1502) is offering Hamentashens in lemon, raspberry, apricot, chocolate and poppy seed flavors. You can also send Mishloach Manot, packages of food and drink, out to friends and family. Sweet and meat versions are available.

Martha’s Bakery (70-28 Austin St., Forest Hills, Queens, 718-544-0088) claims to have “the best Hamentashen in town.” Pop by for a visit and see for yourself!

On Sunday, EL AL Israel Airlines’ second annual National Hamantaschen Eating Championship takes over the Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun synagogue (125 E. 85th St., 212-774-5600 ) at 1 p.m. Participants are tasked with devouring as many of the triangle-shaped cookies as they can in five minutes for a chance at winning a roundtrip flight to Tel Aviv. A competitive eater will try to best last year’s champ, Will “The Champ” Millender, who ate 25 Hamentashens in five minutes last year. Plus, if the first-place winner beats Millender’s record, he or she will get a second roundtrip ticket to Israel. Second and third place winners will also walk away with flight vouchers for $500 and $250, respectively.

And beginning March 1, The Kubbeh Project, a pop-up eatery in Zucker Bakery (433 E. 9th St., 646-450-7034), will serve Jewish-Iraqi comfort food for three weeks, in hopes of recreating the scene of Jerusalem’s Machne Yehooda Market. On the menu: kubbeh stew (a Middle Eastern take on dumpling soup) and Shabbat dishes like Sabich. On Friday nights in March, there will be special Shabbat dinners.

The post Where to celebrate Purim in NYC appeared first on Metro.us.

Take home your very own chocolate Oscar from Sugar and Plumm.
Whether you’re watching the glam out on the town or at home, here’s how to eat and drink like a stargazer this Sunday.

KTCHN Restaurant
508 W. 42nd St., 212-868-2999
Join executive chef Dale Schnell for an Oscars viewing party based upon the first-ever Academy Awards Ceremony in 1929. Enjoy food and drinks inspired by the menu at the very first Oscars dinner, and fill out a prediction ballot for the chance to win prizes. Catch the red carpet and ceremony on a 120-inch screen beginning at 7 p.m. Reservations required.

Nitehawk Cinema
136 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, 718-384-3980
Williamsburg’s indie movie house and eatery hosts a screening featuring its annual Oscar menu inspired by acclaimed films of the past year. We’d go straight for dessert and order the “Silver Linings Playbook” — Philly-style “kandy kakes” with a Victory Prima Pils.

Tacombi
267 Elizabeth St., 917-727-0179
The taqueria will project the awards on two large screens, one in the front of the house and one in the back, so everyone gets to see. Chef Luis Aguilar will be mixing Passion-Fruit Champagne Cocktails for the ceremony.

W Hotels
multiple locations, www.whotelsnewyork.com/nyc
Sample a specialty cocktail designed just for Oscar night. We’d try the Honest Abe “Lincoln,” which includes orange bitters, soda and applejack.

Take-out options:
Sugar and Plumm
377 Amsterdam Ave., 212-787-8778
Snap up a hand-crafted chocolate Oscar at this bistro, bakery and chocolatier. They come in three varieties: milk chocolate, gold dark chocolate and dark chocolate, and make a perfect gift or party favor.

Epicerie Boulud
1900 Broadway, 212-595-9606
A specialized Oscar-night catering menu can take the pressure off busy viewing party hosts. Place orders by Saturday evening for hot and cold trays and Hollywood-themed sweets.

The post A-List NYC Oscar parties appeared first on Metro.us.

The Spotted Pig, 314 W. 11th St., 212-620-0393

At Astoria’s Vesta, a Sunday dinner favorite is served nightly: lasagna with 6-hour meat ragu ($15). Says Chef Michelle Vido, “This lasagna is something I am really passionate about; it’s my Grandma Rose’s recipe. I spent a few weeks working with my cousin and practicing the recipe with her until I transferred it to the kitchen at Vesta. I wanted it to be as close to perfection as possible.” Vesta Trattoria and Wine Bar, 21-02 30th Ave., Queens, 718-545-5550

Warm up in the West Village with Chef Thibault Delepinay’s Duck & Foie Gras Shepherd’s Pie, his interpretation of a “peasant” food turned decadent. Duck confit and foie gras are topped with homemade mashed potatoes, served hot from the oven in a cast-iron skillet ($15). L’Amant, 235 W. 12th St., 646-476-8731

Not unlike the aforementioned gnudi, Michael Psilakis’ sheep’s milk dumplings are little pillows of ricotta cheese, similar in texture to the Italian version, but his interpretation is decidedly Greek. Topped with a sauce of spicy Greek Loukanika sausage, tomato and pine nuts, the dumplings are topped with crumbled feta cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of pine nuts ($13.50).

Kefi, 505 Columbus Ave., 212-873-0200

Missing your Bubbe? Look no further than Kutsher’s for Mrs. K’s Matzo Ball Soup. Available year-round, it’s a chicken soup with a little schmaltz, spaetzle noodles, carrots, celery and dill, and airy yet dense matzo balls. ($12 at lunch, $14 at dinner, and $16 for a to-go quart). Kutsher’s Tribeca, 186 Franklin St., 212-431-0606

A little sweet and a little savory too, Little Muenster’s Apple Pie Grilled Cheese ($8) is made with salted apples, brown butter, cinnamon, sugar and 1841 Havarti from Calkins Creamery in Pennsylvania.

Little Muenster, Multiple locations, www.littlemuenster.com

Nearby at Tribeca’s The Harrison, Jimmy Bradley offers a Merguez and Tripe Stew, served with a baked egg, warm and crusty grilled bread and topped with a healthy sprinkle of Parmesan ($13).

The Harrison, 355 Greenwich St., 212-274-9310
Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli’s take on macaroni and cheese involves three cheeses — Gruyere, Parmesan and Cheddar — combined with elbow macaroni, dijon mustard, and topped off with breadcrumbs ($12).
The Darby, 244 W. 14th St., 212-242-4411

3 new takes on fries

Almond serves their cheese fries three ways:  the “Americaine” frites are topped with New York state farmhouse cheddar, the “Italienne” come with fontina, fonduta and chives, and the “Quebecoise” is loaded with melted cheese curds, truffle oil, house-cured bacon lardons and scallions. ($7-$8). Available at dinner only.

Almond, 12 E. 22nd St., 212-228-7557

Sotto 13’s fries come in chickpea form, made from toasted garbanzo beans, shaped into french fry fritters, fried up and served with homemade sun-dried tomato pesto ($6).

Sotto 13, 140 W. 13th St., 212-647-1001

Trust David Burke to take French fries to a whole new level. On the menu: smoked beef fat and jalapeno fries ($6).

David Burke Kitchen, 23 Grand St., 212-201-9119

As for dessert

Known to comfort people all year round, Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding is a sweet, traditional favorite, made with layers of vanilla wafers, fresh bananas and creamy vanilla pudding. 12 oz. ($5), 16 oz. ($6.50), single bowl ($35) or double bowl ($60). Multiple locations, www.magnoliabakery.com

Combining the best of breakfast and dessert, the French Toast Bread Pudding at Abe & Arthurs ($12) is made with brioche bread, caramelized pecans, custard, bourbon-maple syrup and topped off with butter pecan ice cream. 409 W. 14th St., 646-289-3930.

The post Cold-weather comfort foods appeared first on Metro.us.

Quirida

1.5 oz. of Qui Tequila
.5 oz. Orange flavored liqueur
1 oz. Fresh tamarind puree
3 Sprigs of mint
Splash of fresh lemon and lime
Directions:
Break the mint to release the oils. Put all ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously. Serve over ice in a short glass garnished with a sprig of mint.

Elevated Margarita

2 parts Avión Silver or Reposado
1 part Fresh lime juice
½ part agave nectar

Directions:
Combine ingredients in shaker with ice and strain vigorously. Fine strain over fresh ice.  Garnish with a lime wheel.

Midori Mambo

1 oz. Midori Melon Liqueur
1 ½ oz. Cabo Wabo Blanco Tequila
1 ½ oz. Coconut Cream
½ oz. Fresh-squeezed organic lime juice

Directions:

Shake with ice and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with toasted shredded coconut.

Thai Basil Cucumber Peligroso Margarita

Ingredients:
1.5-2oz. PELIGROSO Silver
2 oz. Agave Nectar or simple syrup
2 Limes squeezed
1 Cucumber
Thai basil
Splash of ginger ale
Black pepper

Directions:

Combine Thai basil and two slices of cucumber in a shaker and muddle with the agave nectar or simple syrup. Add the fresh lime juice and tequila with crystal clear ice. Shake vigorously and pour over the ice rocks. Add a splash of ginger ale. Garnish with a cucumber slice on the side with a sprig of basil and top with a pinch of black pepper.

The post 4 tasty margaritas for National Margarita Day appeared first on Metro.us.

Floating on Cloud 9
2     parts Pinnacle Whipped Vodka
1     part DeKuyper Strawberry
2     parts half & half
1     cup ice

Instructions: Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Pour into a martini glass. Garnish rim with crushed strawberry candy.

Bleeding Heart
½     oz. pomegranate or
raspberry vodka
Fresh cranberries
Polar Pomegranate or Cherry Pomegranate Seltzer
2     tablespoons frozen cranberry juice (concentrate)

Instructions: Combine the vodka and cranberry concentrate in the bottle of a glass. Add the fresh cranberries, then the seltzer, and watch it bleed before drinking with abandon.

Wild Strawberry Seduction
2     oz. SKYY Infusions Wild Strawberry
1     oz. fresh lemon juice
1     oz. apple juice
½     oz. honey solution
2     medium basil leaves
2     medium strawberries

Instructions: Muddle basil, strawberries and lemon juice. Add remaining ingredients. Shake and double strain into coupe glass.

Kentucky Kiss
1     part Maker’s Mark  Bourbon
Chilled Martinelli’s Sparkling
Apple Cider
Maraschino cherry

Instructions: Add bourbon to a champagne flute and fill with chilled sparkling apple cider. Add a maraschino cherry.

Pink Passion
2     parts Porton pisco
1     part pomegranate juice
1     part tangerine juice
Sugar to taste
Pomegranate seeds for garnish

Instructions: Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

The Anejo Kiss
1½     oz. Partida Anejo
½     oz. Creme de cacao (white)
1     oz. Amarula cream

Instructions: Mix ingredients in a shaker with ice, and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass.

TY KU Blushing Date
2     oz. TY KU Soju
½     oz. raspberry liqueur
1     oz. pink grapefruit juice
Splash of grenadine

Instructions: Shake hard and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with a sugar rim.

Cupid’s Arrow
2     oz. Vikingfjord 80 Proof
2     dashes Campari
3     oz. tonic water
Grapefruit

Instructions: Build ingredients on cube ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
Natalie Shure

Love On The Rocks
½     parts SVEDKA Raspberry
½     part cinnamon syrup
¾     part sour mix
Instructions: Build in a shaker. Shake and strain in a rocks glass. Garnish with a raspberries and a cinnamon stick.

The post Fall in love with these Valentine’s Day cocktails appeared first on Metro.us.

The Rink at Rockefeller Center welcomes you.

Credit: Claudia Ficca

If you still don’t have any idea how to woo your significant other this evening, fear not: These ideas are sure to impress (except maybe one of them…we’ll let you guess which).

Spin the rink
The holidays may be over, but The Rink at Rockefeller Center is no less romantic. Sign up for the Dine and Skate package ($75 per person), where you and your sweetie will be greeted by a personal skate concierge to give you skating tips, mulled wine, hot cocoa and Valentine’s Day baked goodies by Pastry Chef Michael Gabriel. After your skate, warm up at the Sea Grill, where you can dine on a special three-course Valentine’s menu featuring roasted lobster with bouillabaisse broth and vermicelli rice noodles ($79 per person).

Take a cooking class
Who better to learn kitchen skills from than David Bouley? Tonight, the esteemed chef is teaching four- and six-course meals at Test Kitchen (88 W. Broadway, 212-964-2525) . Those who sign up for the Valentine’s Day Cooking Class ($275) will learn how to prepare a four-course meal and leave with recipes and ingredients. Bouley is also leading a Cooking Class and Dinner for Two ($650, wine pairings $125 per person), where couples will learn how to prepare a six-course feast before sitting down to enjoy it themselves. Call 212-965-2525 to sign up.
Another option: The Institute for Culinary Education’s Valentine’s Day classes, which at press time were not yet sold out. Take your sweetie to tonight’s Champagne gala, tomorrow’s classes on Italian cooking and sweets or Saturday’s steak cooking class (which any guy, we assume, would be down for). http://rec.iceculinary.com

Sail the seas (er, Harbor)
World Yacht has two packages available for sea-loving lovers: The Sweetheart package ($99 per person) includes a four-course sit-down dinner, private table, a DJ’ed music and a rose for all couples. Splurging on the Romance package ($139 per person) gets you a four-course sit-down dinner, private table, live music, rose, champagne toast and Godiva chocolates. Cruises set sail tonight, tomorrow and Saturday at 7 p.m. Book your tickets online at www.worldyacht.com.

Have a night at the theater
Megan Sipe and her company, Dancing Fish, present two celebratory dance performances, capped off with a chocolate tasting. The first, “AHY-DUH-HOH-UHN” (sound it out) is a humorous solo piece performed by Sipe about her experiences in the Northwest state, and it’s a mix of song, dance, stories and mini-cupcakes — hooray! The second piece, Chocolate Dances, is an interactive dance performance where audience members are invited to come onto the stage to taste handmade chocolates that correspond with the different dances shown — double hooray!
Thursday-Sunday, The Drilling Company, 236 W. 78th St. (3rd fl.)
Tickets ($15) available at http://dancingfish.brownpapertickets.com

Need a gift, stat?
The folks at Godiva know you waited until the last minute to get pick up a present, so they’ve set up a truck to bring their chocolate to you. Where to find it today:
8-10 a.m.: Madison Avenue & 42nd Street (SW corner)
1:30-2 p.m.: Park Avenue & 23rd Street
4:30-7 p.m.: Broadway & 67th Street

But please, don’t take us here
We’re not even sure why this is an option, but tonight, White Castle is converting its restaurants into “Love Castles.” Diners get a specialty menu plus tableside service and the option to send a “CravEcard” to their unlucky — er, lucky, we’re sure — date. Reservations (!) can be made by calling 718-899-8404 ext. 304.

Follow Meredith Engel on Twitter @MeredithAtMetro.

The post Last-minute Valentine’s Day dates appeared first on Metro.us.

Lincoln, above, offers Italian food in a posh setting.

Credit: Evan Sung

Gemma at The Bowery Hotel
335 Bowery
212-505-9100
Executive chef Chris D’Amico’s a la carte menu will feature potato and leek soup, Sicilian tuna tartare, saffron risotto, filet mingon, and chocolate mousse cake for dessert.

Lincoln Ristorante
142 W. 56th St.
212-359-6500
Prix Fixe: $85 p.p.
Enjoy panoramic views of Lincoln Center while you dine on Italian cuisine. The appetizing menu will feature exclusive Umbrian specialties such as Trota e Cotechino, Coniglio in Porchetta and Norcia black truffles.

Sfoglia
1402 Lexington Ave.
212-831-1402
Prix Fixe: $95 p.p.
Upper East Side favorite Sfoglia will be exclusively hosting parties of two all night tonight. Enjoy some new dishes prepared by Chef John Carr, including Maine Uni with brown bread and house-made butter, spaghetti with ruby red shrimp, Buckwheat Crespelle with celery root cream, plus strong cocktails and rich desserts, in the sweet space.

Miranda
80 Berry St., Brooklyn
718-387-0711
Prix Fixe: $48 p.p.
The three-course meal features Ciabatta-dusted and pan-seared smoked mozzarella, housemade pasta stuffed with saffron-scented Maine lobster, vanilla -infused mascarpone cheese and much more. A wine pairing is also available.

Colonie
127 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn
718-855-7500
Prix Fixe: $95 p.p.
This romantic Brooklyn Heights restaurant will be serving a five-course meal with multiple savory options. The menu has East Coast Oysters with blood orange, fennel, speck consomme mignonette and a chocolate ganache with banana ice cream.

The Darby
244 W. 14 St.
212-242-4411
Prix Fixe: $150 p.p. & $175 p.p.
The Greenwich Village spot will be hosting a 1920s-themed dinner, complete with cabaret performances. The three-course menu will include buttered Maine Lobster, a local beet  salad, and dark chocolate cake. There will be two seating periods available.

Junoon
27 W. 24th St.
212-490-2100
Prix Fixe: $55 p.p.
Chef Vikas Kanna will be preparing fine Indian dishes, like Singhada Shorba, a chestnut soup, and Jal Aur Thal Se, tandoori-cooked lamb chops with marinated lobster tail. An additional wine pairing is also available.

Beauty and Essex
146 Essex St.
212-614-0146
See and be seen at this Lower East Side celebrity hot spot. Beauty and Essex will provide an a la carte menu with chilled oysters, grilled lobster, and Veal Osso Buco for you and your loved one to share.

Andanada 141
141 W. 69 St.
646-692-8762
Prix Fixe: $65 p.p.
Chef Manu Berganza will be preparing dishes with what he calls “traditional Spanish flavors and artistic representations” at Andanada 141. Guests will have three courses, including Cannelones de Crab, Magret de Pato con Cous Cous de Vegetales and Mousse de Chocolate y Rosas.

Le Cirque
151 E. 58 St.
212-644-0202
Prix Fixe, $135 p.p. & $225 p.p
At the French mainstay, guests will have the option of a three-course Valentine Amour meal plus wine pairing or a Black Truffle five-course meal.

Oyster Bar & Restaurant
87 E. 42 St.
212-490-6650
Oyster Bar, in Grand Central Terminal, will offer guests an a la carte menu with your choice of Maine lobster bisque, wild mushroom-crusted Florida Mahi-Mahi filet, pear champagne sorbet and more.

Il Buco
47 Bond St.
212-533-1932
Prix Fixe: $140 p.p.
Head downtown to il Buco to indulge in authentic Italian cuisine prepared by Chef Joel Hough. On the menu are seared Hudson Valley foie gras, sea urchin risotto, Elysian Fields lamb, chocolate truffles and more.

La Mar Cebicheria Peruana
11 Madison Ave.
212-612-3388
The Gramercy restaurant will feature a Cebiche style a la carte menu that includes Maine lobster, calamari noodles in a rocoto “leche de Tigre,” and a sweet Café Enamorado.

ilili
236 Fifth Ave.
212-683-2929
Prix Fixe: $100 p.p.
Satisfy your appetite for Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine at ilili with your significant other. The six course V-Day menu will feature Escargot Bourguignonne, Lobster Manti, Diver Scallop Carpaccio and more. After the meal, ladies can go home with a special ilili gift bag.

The post Where to take your date for Valentine’s Day dinner appeared first on Metro.us.

Credit: Back Forty West

The regular menu at Back Forty West is suspended on Tuesday and Wednesday in honor of Mardi Gras — pop in for a special New Orleans menu focusing on gumbo, Andouille sausage and other Fat Tuesday mainstays. Some regulars on the menu, like the restaurant’s burger, will also be given a Creole/Cajun makeover. Delta Blues, Dixieland and Zydeco will play in the background. 190 Avenue B, 212-388-1992

SushiSamba 7’s annual Carnaval is steeped in Brazilian tradition, just like the fusion restaurant’s cuisine. Enjoy samba dancers, batucada drummers, DJs and more as you dive into everything from ceviches to sashimis. 87 Seventh Ave., 212-691-7885

At Brother Jimmy’s, the $35 prix fixe menu gets you three courses of N’Awlins food (think fried okra and po’boys), plus a two-hour open bar and drink specials. While you’re there, collect beads (we won’t tell anyone what you have to do for them), play beer pong and take part in the joint’s other Mardi Gras festivities. Multiple locations, www.brotherjimmys.com

The post Where to celebrate Mardi Gras in the city appeared first on Metro.us.

Doesn’t get much cuter than this: PAC-MAN dumplings at RedFarm.

Credit: Evan Sung

Celebrate the Year of the Snake at one of these Metro-approved buzzy spots.

Mission Chinese Food
154 Orchard St., 212-529-8800
The space is pretty cramped and there’s always a line out the door, but people are consistently flocking to Danny Bowien’s less-than-a-year old restaurant to sample the inventive “Americanized-Oriental” food that critics just can’t get enough of. Try the salt cod fried rice and the thrice-cooked bacon (it’s spicy!) and wash it down with beer, wine or sake. If you can get a table, any table, take it.

RedFarm
529 Hudson St., 212-792-9700
Step inside this West Village townhouse for a taste of China influenced heavily by the greenmarket. The restaurant’s traditional reservation policy is not in effect during Chinese New Year festivities (Feb. 8-13); call at 5 p.m. on the day you want to dine to get yourself on the list. The eatery’s a la carte menu will be available, as will a number of Year of the Snake specialty dishes, like Prosperity spinach and crab dumplings, Gold Coin scallops and Long Life short ribs with double noodles.

Xi’an Famous Foods
Multiple locations, www.xianfoods.com
Xi’an, named after China’s first capital, offers an amalgam of Chinese and Middle Eastern delights that foodies like Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern can’t speak highly enough about. The famous dishes here include Liang Pi “Cold Skin” Noodles, a savory cumin lamb burger and lamb Pao Mo, and if you can’t make it out to Flushing, you can get your fill at the shop’s East Village, Chinatown and (come Saturday) Greenpoint locations. Already a fan of this place? Try the owners’ new Flushing joint, Biang!, a family-style, cash-only spot specializing in noodles.

Buddakan
75 Ninth Ave., 212-989-6699
The sprawling space is worth a visit year-round, but for Chinese New Year, it’s offering a kick-off Dim Sum brunch on Feb. 10 (three courses, $55), dancers, a DJ and those tiny little red envelopes given out for prosperity — a select number of those envelopes will contain a ticket for an insider’s tour of Chinatown with Buddakan’s Executive Chef Yang Huang. For two weeks afterwards, the celeb-friendly hotspot (we’ve spotted Eva Longoria and Heidi Klum in the past) will be serving a la carte options that represent the virtues associated with Chinese New Year, like happiness and longevity. And to round out the festivities, the chefs and kitchen team will host a dumpling making class and brunch on Feb. 16 ($85 per person).

Hakkasan New York
311 W. 43rd St., 212-776-1818
The Michelin-starred eatery is serving Cantonese dishes like a New Year dim sum platter, stir-fry crispy sesame prawn, wok-fry scallop with Chinese chive in sweet barbecue sauce and mixed mushrooms wrapped in beancurd. You can enjoy them with specialty cocktails, like the Chinese Mule (Hangar One vodka, Ama No To junmai sake, cilantro, ginger, lime and ginger beer) or the Hakkatini (Grey Goose L’Orange vodka, Campari, Grand Marnier, apple juice and orange bitters).

And don’t miss

• Feb. 21′s Lunar New Year Banquet at Golden Unicorn (18 E. Broadway, 212-378-6799) will feature a 10-course feast as well as health and beauty advice from a traditional Chinese doctor.
• On Feb. 10 — the official date of Chinese New Year — Hotel Indigo’s China Latina (127 W. 28th St., 646-397-9881) is beginning a quirky Latin American-Asian fusion dim sum, with items like sushi burritos, chorizo dumplings and teriyaki-ginger chicken wings. Gung hay fat choy, readers!

Follow Meredith Engel on Twitter @MeredithAtMetro.

The post Where to celebrate Chinese New Year in NYC appeared first on Metro.us.

Starting today, you can make reservations at more than 300 participating restaurants. The restaurants will be offering either a $38 three-course prix-fixe dinner of a $25 three-course prix-fixe lunch.

While many of the participating restaurants offer both lunch and dinner deals, some only offer the lunch deal. Such is life. The $38 price tag, up from $35, does not include drinks, tax and tips.

Top spots we’re eyeing? Rayuela Restaurant on the Lower East Side, Fig & Olive in Midtown and the much-talked-about SoHo restaurant The Dutch.

For a full list of participating restaurants, click here.

Bon appétit, Metro readers.

The post Make your reservations, Restaurant Week is starting soon appeared first on Metro.us.

A historic hub
Before the LIRR connected to Penn Station, LIC was the end of the line. Commuters awaiting ferries to Manhattan met at Tony Miller’s Hotel on Borden Avenue (now the fabulously kitschy Waterfront Crabhouse). Teddy Roosevelt drank there, as did architect Stanford White and actress Lillian Russell. By 1910, with expanded LIRR service and the opening of the Queensboro Bridge, LIC fell into decline. Ferries stopped running, and Prohibition turned Miller’s Hotel into a phonograph factory. LIC remained a quiet, industrial neighborhood until the late ’70s, when artists flocked to the area’s lofts. In the ’90s, new waterfront high-rises attracted young professionals and their families. Today, LIC it has reclaimed its status as a hub of vibrant people, culture and art.

10:30 a.m.: Eat
You can’t find a bad brunch on Vernon Boulevard, with El Ay Si, Cranky’s, Dorian Cafe, and Tournesol. We like 4-month-old Alobar (www.alobarnyc.com) for its superb bloody mary and its duck confit Sloppy Joe with smoked ricotta (pictured).
     
Noon: See
After brunch, head to Gantry Plaza State Park, a 10-acre waterfront walk with spectacular views of Manhattan. In addition to contemporary art Mecca MoMA PS1, LIC is home to three sculpture parks: The Noguchi Museum, Sculpture Center and the Socrates Sculpture Park.

Across the street from PS1 is 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center, a 5-story warehouse covered in legal graffiti. Visit between May 12 and 20 for the LIC Arts Open (www.licartsopen.org), when hundreds of artists open their studios to the public.

3 p.m.: Drink
LIC has the kind of relaxed neighborhood bars that will make you think seriously about moving, or at least staying for another beer. In fair weather, grab an outdoor seat at Dominie’s Hoek (www.dominieshoek.com) or LIC Bar (www.licbar.com). Sweet Leaf (www.sweetleaflic.com) has a good selection of coffee and tea, which you can enjoy while playing DJ in their record room. Sage General Store (www.sagegeneralstore.com) has great  baked goods; try the bacon brownie.

4 p.m.: Laugh
Wind down with open-mic stand-up at The Creek and Cave (www.creeklic.com), one of the area’s two comedy clubs. Free shows start at 4 p.m. on both Saturdays and Sundays.

The post Take a daytrip to Long Island City appeared first on Metro.us.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

In April, wander through the cherry blossoms that will be in bloom during Hanami season, when, per Japanese tradition, all aspects of the tree are celebrated. On April 28 and 29, the Sakura Matsuri festival — the country’s biggest outdoor garden event — pays tribute to the blossoms. Come May, see the urban oasis’ new visitors’ center, which boasts a living roof. 900 Washing­ton Ave., Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, 718-623-7200, www.bbg.org

Queens Botanical Garden

Opening days aren’t until March 31 and April 1, but you can check out a winter poetry reading and workshop on Saturday at the former 1939 World’s Fair exhibit. On April 29, catch the Arbor Festival, offering garden tours, bird walks and free admission. Through April, the garden is exhibiting “Vignettes from the Queens Project,” a look at the different cultures that call Queens home, as documented through the lens of photographer Audrey Gottlieb. 43-50 Main St., Flushing, 718-886-3800, www.queensbotanical.org

Snug Harbor Cultural Center

The Harbor in Bloom spring festival, taking place May 5 and 6, will feature free admission, garden tours, music and workshops on themes like how not to kill a houseplant (wouldn’t we all love to know?). Island Sounds, an interactive, multimedia exhibition on the diverse types of music based in Staten Island — from the Lenape Indians to Lady Gaga — kicks off the following week, on May 12.
1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, 718-448-2500, www.snug-harbor.org

New York Botanical Garden

The Orchid Show returns for its 10th year through April 22, this time highlighting vertical gardens from French botanist and artist Patrick Blanc. But orchids aren’t the only celebrated flower here — the collection also features a multitude of ferns, epiphytes and exotic plants. On Orchid Evenings, you can take in the exhibit with a signature cocktail. 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, 718-817-8700, www.nybg.org

Garden art

Fifth Annual Sprout Exhibition of NYC Children’s Art
   
“From Apples to Zucchini” showcases tote bags hand-painted by New York City public school children in conjunction with The Horticultural Society of New York. After the exhibition, (on display through March 23), the children will take the bags home as a way to encourage their parents to buy fresh foods from local markets. 148 W. 37th St., 13th floor, 212-757-0915, www.thehort.org

The post New York area gardens: Flowers are in bloom this spring appeared first on Metro.us.

And whether dipped in milk or split in half only for the frosting, pastry chefs around New York are using their Oreo childhood memories as inspiration to create lavish desserts.

“The best items from our childhood are replicated by pastry chefs. Things that you remember eating, that bring back a pleasant memory, are what inspires dessert,” says Katzie Guy-Hamilton, pastry chef at New York Central and contestant on Season 2 of “Top Chefs: Just Desserts.”

From cupcakes to milkshakes, here are the Oreo dishes sure to satisfy every sweet tooth.

Oreo Zeppoles
$10 for six, LAVO
39 E. 58th St.
212-750-5588
www.lavony.com

“We all love fried dough,” says chef John Deloach. With that simple thought, he created LAVO’s best-selling dessert — served with a vanilla sundae on the side to dip the melted cookie in.

Cookies & Cream cupcakes
$1 per cupcake,
Baked by Melissa
109 E. 42nd St., 212-842-0220
7 E. 14th St., 212-842-0220
529 Broadway, 212-842-0220
2325 Broadway, 212-842-0220
526 Seventh Ave.,
212-842-0220
www.bakedbymelissa.com

Every list of Oreo desserts needs a cupcake. While there are many Oreo-themed cupcakes in NYC, Baked by Melissa’s mini Cookies & Cream cupcakes offer the perfect, bite-sized Oreo fix.


Dirt Cake
$9, New York Central at the Grand Hyatt
109 East 42nd St.
646-213-6865
www.hyatt.com/gallery/nycghgrandcentral

Guy-Hamilton has created an Oreo version of Dirt Cake, which she makes with cream cheese, pudding and Oreo cookies.  The cake taps into childhood memories for the pastry chef: She used to cook it at the summer camp where she worked.  She describes it as “rich and intense,” but with a texture that makes it a home run.

Cookie Shake
$8, Max Brenner
841 Broadway
646-467-8803
www.maxbrenner.com

Drink your cookies: Max Brenner’s Cookie Shake features white chocolate cream and Oreos blended and served in Max Brenner’s signature Alice Cup.


Birthday Cake
$10, STK
26 Little W. 12th St.
646-624-2444
www.stkhouse.com

Don’t be fooled by the name — you don’t need a special occasion to have STK’s Oreo-inspired dessert. Pastry chef Ashley Palma said she likes to create items on her menu that take clients back in time.

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant

The post Happy birthday, Oreos! Celebrate the cookie with these desserts appeared first on Metro.us.

You’ve introduced some new items to Blue Smoke’s menu.

[We] just add a little bit of refinement and finesse to cater to this neighborhood, yet at the same time keep the core menu items the same. You’d be surprised — there are devout fans that come back and want these three modifications on this exact dish they’ve been having for many years.

Why do you think they’re so loyal to Blue Smoke?

I think the brand is just comforting for a lot of people. We already have regulars here after six, seven weeks.

What’s your favorite dish to cook on the menu here?

I love to cook the barbecue. We learned how to engineer our smoker here to make the process much more consistent.  Rather than having the chimney directly connected to the smoker, it just sits beneath a hood just as an oven or grill would in a restaurant, so it really enables us to monitor the cooking process. You don’t have to worry about weather, atmospheric issues or sucking the smoke out — we can keep our eyes on exactly what’s going on. That’s definitely something we’re excited about. I think the baby back ribs are coming out really, really good. We started cooking our beef ribs at a lower temperature, and we’re really excited with the way those are coming out. We’ve added a pretty delicious pork chop [and] a bunch of different little bar snacks. We have a very, very heavy happy hour bar crowd. [At] 5:05 every day it’s packed.

I see you’ve got a wedding ring on. What dish would you cook to impress your wife?

I hate to say salmon because it’s so average, but one of my sous chefs has developed a [recipe] using actual lemons, forming them into charcoal. We roast whole, juiced lemons till fully charred and dried to the form of charcoal. We then fire up this “lemon charcoal” in our wood smoker and smoke fresh lemons with the smoke from the coal. We then use the smoked lemon juice and zest in the sauce preparation. We serve that with our seared salmon and a brussel sprout, butternut squash and fennel hash. The lemon charcoal permeates through the whole lemon so you get actual smoked lemon juice and zest out of that product.

Why do you think Blue Smoke needed a second location?

We waited so long to get this place this open. There was always dialogue about it, for many, many years. We always wanted to expand and finally it happened. I think people really have a good time here. They know what to expect. You always know you can come here, have delicious food, have a good time. You may have to wait a little while at the door, but you’re gonna get sat, and you can enjoy some pretty cool cocktails if you have to wait.

The post Hot Chef: Jeffrey Held serves up some good ol’barbecque appeared first on Metro.us.

basik

Basikbrooklyn.com
323 Graham Ave.
347-889-7597

Previously Phoebe’s, East Williamsburg locals have embraced basik’s civilized bar food since it opened last December. Start with a tangle of boquerones (white anchovies) sprinkled with lemon and parsley, or the deviled duck eggs. To drink, try a Poppa’s Pride, a mix of bourbon, ginger and lemon, conceived when Arcade Fire singer Win Butler asked bartender Jay Zimmerman to “make me a drink that my grandfather would be proud of.” Butler ordered four that night.

Generous small plates $2-$6, sandwiches $4-$8

The Meatball Shop

Themeatballshop.com

West Village
64 Greenwich Ave.
212-982-7815

Lower East Side
84 Stanton St.
212-982-8895

Williamsburg
170 Bedford Ave.
718-551-0520

We’re not sure if the mark of a good meatball shop is its beef or its vegetarian ball, but The Meatball Shop excels at both. The premise is simple: your choice of meatball and sauce, served on a roll, over greens or “naked.” For dessert, it’s house-made ice cream sandwiched between two homemade cookies. Shops have popped up in the West Village and Lower East Side, and the new Williamsburg location includes a cozy bar.

Sliders $3, naked $7, on a hero or over salad $9, ice cream sandwiches $5

Parm

Parmnyc.com
248 Mulberry St.
212-993-7189

Can’t get a reservation at Torrisi Italian Specialties? Try the girl next door. Parm, the casual wing of the Little Italy classic offers most of Torrisi’s dishes (including the famous house-roasted turkey) as a slider, on a long roll or as a platter with baked ziti or salad. And as long as you promise to try the roasted brussels sprouts, you can order the B&G poppers: deep-fried pickled peppers stuffed with rice and provolone.

Breads and vegetable sides $5 each, rolls $8, heroes $11, platters $15

61 Local

61 Bergen St.
347-763-6624

Cobble Hill’s 61 Local brings it all back home by serving only locally crafted food, beer and wine at reasonable prices. “By working directly with producers we are able to get the best possible prices for the highest quality products,” says general manager Chris Munsey. Share a plate of cured meats or try the Vermont Smokehouse Toast: smoked ricotta on focaccia topped with maple syrup.

Small plates $1-$7, sharing plates $12-$14, sandwiches and toasts $6-$8

The post Eating cheap in 2012 appeared first on Metro.us.

There are various strategies you can put into action to maximize the likelihood of scoring a drink faster than imagined. Take it from my side of the bar; I know what works.

1) Patience: “Good things come to those who wait.” It can become frustrating to wait a couple extra minutes for a mere bottle of beer or a vodka soda, but take a deep breath, channel that angst and know that the bartender will get your order. We want to get a drink in your hand just as much as you. Often times, bartenders will at least acknowledge your presence at the bar and say, “I’ll be with you in a few minutes.” Getting this connection is your ticket to being serviced and let it sooth your anxiety away.

2) Know your drink order: There is nothing, absolutely nothing, more frustrating than being slammed with drink orders and having a customer approach the bar and say, “ummm, so, what’s good here? Oh wait, I need to see what my friends want.” On a slower night, feel free to come inquisitive about drink offerings because we want to help you select the right cocktail. But when it is a packed house, time is of the essence and be prepared with your listing of beverages beforehand.

3) Manners: We’re all human. The words “please” and “thank you” never go unnoticed by bartenders. 

4) Gestures: I once had a customer throw wadded up napkins at me to get my attention when he wanted a drink. Needless to say, I gave him a short (yet stern)lecture on decency and that his actions were unappreciated. Here’s a list of motions that bartenders hate: the waving hand right in the bartender’s face, snapping, tapping or slapping the bar, and yelling from across the room. Remain dignified. Holding out your hand is a simple and appropriate action that bartenders respond to when it is busy, as well as saying “excuse me.”

Snapping never works (and the bartender doesn’t really hate you)

5) Payment: Ward III (111 Reade Street, (212) 240-9194) has a list of house rules, including #6 which reads, “Please, if you plan to stay for more than one round, start a tab with us. Processing cards takes valuable time that is better spent making cocktails for your fellow patrons.” If you plan to stay for one drink, the probability is that it will turn into two. Throw a card down as a placeholder or else bring enough cash in your wallet to pay for each round as you order.

6) Get off the phone: If you’re placing an order, talk to me. The person on the other end of the line won’t be able to get you that Old Fashioned you so desire.

7) Tip appropriately: Tipping is up to the discretion of the patron. But as I always say, “your generosity is my livelihood.” There is no rule dictating the appropriate amount to tip, but often times the notion is a dollar a drink (or two dollars if it is a more involved cocktail). But bear in mind, if you order twelve Lemon Drop shots and tip three dollars, you will probably have one unhappy bartender. You are paying for a service. If you want to save your pennies, buy a six-pack, break out the beer opener and kick-it in your own apartment.

8) Smile: I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to see customers smile. And it won’t mess up your hair!

The post How to get a bartender to like you appeared first on Metro.us.

Because not all margaritas were created equal, we checked in with the experts to get your party started.

Start with a nice tequila
This one is important for both Feb. 22 and the morning of Feb. 23.

“The secret to a really good margarita is a really great tequila — you want to be able to drink more than one,” says Tequila Avion President Jenna Fagnan. “Your tequila has to be 100 percent natural agave, not blended, which we call mixto. Even some of the high-end ones will add caramel coloring.”

If you’re past the point of reading labels, try Fagnan’s pucker test: “With really phenomenal tequila, you’ll get less of a burn, so you don’t get a tequila face.”

But not too nice
David Becker knows his way around a salted rim. After a stint at a California tequila bar, he’s now the general manager of Philly’s Verdad restaurant, which hosts a “Tequila University.” He reaches for Don Julio 1942 when off the clock, but don’t make him put it in a shaker. “We will not allow you to add that to a drink,” he jokes (at least we think). “Someone wanted a frozen strawberry margarita with it — we tried to convince him not to, but that’s what he wanted.”

Eat something other than nachos
Tequila has a rep as a party girl, but she’s just at home with a thought-out meal as wine. “We’re trying to dispel some of the myths about tequila,” says Becker. “It’s a legitimate spirit, not just something that you take shots of with your friends. It’s something you can pair with food.”

If you must pre-mix …
   
Pre-made mixes are full of calories, sugar and hangovers. But if someone shows up with a bottle, you can at least make it taste better. Fagnan recommends adding fresh lime juice and mixing up the rims — chipotle sugar, anyone?

The post Cheers to Margarita Day appeared first on Metro.us.

What inspired you to start cooking?
I always liked to cook as a kid. But liking it and doing it as a career are two different things. We used to cut out of school when I was 14, and I’d cook for the boys. We’d go get some stuff at the supermarket, bring it back and I’d cook. I spent one year in college and realized it wasn’t for me, and then went to cooking school.

What’s your favorite item on the menu?
The tartine, because it’s the hardest thing to sell so far. People are afraid of white anchovies. It’s funny because if you go to a tapas place, it’s a given that you’re going to get white anchovies.

Favorite thing to cook at home?
Anything I don’t have to cook — delivery, Chinese food. I like eating off the trucks. I don’t like to go crazy.

Where do you draw your culinary inspiration?
Just life. Just being in New York. There is so much to draw from here. You have every culture in the world. As much as we hate New York, we love it. I’ve lived here my whole life. I draw my inspiration from the city and things that I want to eat — things I think people will want to eat.

What is the personality of Brasserie Beaumarchais?
It’s like your friend who loves to party but is subdued when need be. If you want to go crazy, come here for brunch, or stick around late-night on the weekend. If you want to buy a $2,000 of champagne and show off to your friends, this is the place. We’re in the Meatpacking District. Any restaurant here has a personality that is unique to NYC.

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“We haven’t gotten to Florida very often,” says guitarist Leo Moran, “but, yes, it’ll be nice to get a bit of sunshine at this time of year.”

He considers his statement.

“Actually, when you’re from over here,” he says, speaking from Ireland, “that helps any time of the year.”

The tour isn’t timed just to sneak in some sunbathing though. The Saw Doctors hope to catch some St. Patrick’s Day action.

“St. Patrick’s Day is a license for an Irish man to go anywhere, you know,” laughs Moran. “But we’re always the most sober people in the building on St. Patrick’s Day. That’s the way it works for us.”
Moran agrees with the (unproven, but almost certain) theory that Americans will whoop it up whatever the occasion.

“They’re real celebrators. They’re great party throwers. When you’re invited to a party in the States, you’re really invited to a party. You can be sure it’s going to be a proper shindig and no messing.”
Credit indeed given to the Irish propensity for gaiety, whether it’s a wedding or a wake.

“That’s the thing here, you celebrate the person’s life and you enjoy yourself. A cousin of mine said he’d rather go to a wake than a wedding. It’s more fun and you don’t have to take a present.”

Who gets wilder on St. Paddy’s Day, Irish or Americans?

“Irish America is a nation of its own,”?says Moran. “It’s neither Irish nor American. It’s its own thing and it’s their big day. It’s amazing what they make of it, really. It’s hardly that big of a thing in Ireland. A bit of a parade down the town and then everybody goes to the pub afterwards. It’s become a bit more [of a thing in] the last few years. But even so, it’s nothing like the States.”

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“Nobody wants to work on a record to hear themselves,” says the singer. “I called on my friends because of their strengths, and we were very conscientious of not wanting to feature people that had a name. It was very much like, ‘This is one of my favorite singers’ and  ‘This is one of the best drummers.’”

Against this background Van Etten flourishes. Where previous recordings have felt like bedroom diaries, the songs on “Tramp” feel more like conversations. In fact, her collaboration with Zach Conden on the song, “We Are Fine,” came about because of an important moment they shared.

“That song was funny because it was done, basically. We had it all recorded, but something didn’t sit right with me,” she says. “And I realized it was because it was meant to be a conversation. I wanted it to be with someone who knew what I was singing about, and the song is about talking somebody through having a panic attack. And that was one of the first bonding sessions I ever had with Zach. We both suffer from social anxiety.”

Van Etten says the key to working with friends is balancing her own vision with her friends’ input. In one instance Wasner envisioned her singing part as “grunts and growls.”

“I was like, ‘Hmmm,’ because in my mind that was not what I was hearing,” Van Etten laughs. “But I trusted her so much, and it made so much sense when she was doing it. When you’re working with friends that get you, and they’re really paying attention, all worry and insecurity subsides.”

‘Tramp’-like fuss

“I was looking for a title that was short, to the point, and strong,” says Van Etten of her new album’s name.

While working on the album, the singer was touring and between extended stays in Philadelphia, Brooklyn and New Jersey. Some of the song titles on “Tramp” that use people’s names were dubbed as such because that’s whose place she was subletting at the time she wrote them.

“I wanted it to have the feeling of transience, because I was moving around so much. But I also didn’t want it to be a soft, sensitive word,” she says. “There’s the double-standard of when you call a man a tramp and it’s kind of seen as endearing, and when you call a woman a tramp, there’s a negative connotation to it, for some reason. And it’s more of drawing attention to the word, and kind of owning it.”

The post Sharon Van Etten: Super ‘Tramp’ appeared first on Metro.us.

Chris D’Amico
 
Gemma
335 Bowery St.
212-505-9100
www.theboweryhotel.com

“The most romantic meal that I had was on the Amalfi coast, just up the mountains in between Sorrento and Positano, in a town called Sant’Agata. There is a tiny, local pizzeria which overlooks the coast. During the evening the stars can be seen so clearly and look huge – there’s nothing more romantic!”

Chef Devon Gilroy
 
Amali
115 E. 60th St.
212-339-8363      
www.amalinyc.com

“My fiancee and I made time this past summer while Amali was being built to eat at Recette in the West Village. The food was simple but refined and we spoke at length about our time cooking together — rehashing openings and mishaps. It brought us back to an earlier time in our relationship that was more care-free.”

Chef/owner Huy Chi Le
 
Indochine
430 Lafayette St.
212-505-5111
www.indochinenyc.com

“The most romantic dinner I ever had was with my wife, Michelle, onboard a Halong Bay cruise in Vietnam last year. It was a fantastic way to experience Vietnamese culture in luxury and comfort. We dined by moonlight on the open deck. The crew would catch lobster, squid and fish as we sailed, and they would grill the day’s catch on deck in front of us nightly.”

Executive chef Marco Moreira
 
Tocqueville Restaurant
1 E. 15th St.
212-647-1515
www.tocquevillerestaurant.com

“The most romantic Valentine’s Day dish I have ever made for my wife was one year when we decided to escape the city to our beach house for a romantic getaway. That year, there was a huge snow storm and the lights went out. So we lit all the candles in the house and I prepared braised quail served over polenta with a bottle of Barolo wine.”

Executive chef Jeffrey Kreisel
 
Hotel Chantelle
92 Ludlow St.
212-254-9100
www.hotelchantelle.com

Penthouse808
8-08 Queens Plaza South
LIC, 718-289-6118
www.penthouse808rooftop.com

“One of the first dishes I made for my fiancee was something she grew up eating called Burek. Her mother, being from Montenegro, traditionally made it but I decided to make a more refined version to impress her.”

Chef Laurent Manrique
 
Millesime
92 Madison Ave.
212-889-7100
www.millesimerestaurant.com

“My most romantic meal is the memory of a Valentine’s Day with my wife where we spent hours in the kitchen cooking together and dancing between each course. Each meal was prepared in a way that we were able to eat with our hands and feed one another.”

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant

The post Table for two: Local chefs dish on their most romantic meal ever appeared first on Metro.us.

2. For a titillating twist on dinner, Dancer recommends awakening your senses while “Dining in the Dark” at Camaje (85 MacDougal St., 212-673-8184) in the West Village, where you are blindfolded during the meal and performances by guest artists.

3. For dining in a restaurant with your eyes wide open, Dancer likes to suggest reserving a table at One If By Land, Two If By Sea (17 Barrow St., 212-255-8649), a landmark Greenwich Village carriage house once owned by Aaron Burr in the 18th century. Illuminated by candelabras and warmed by two fireplaces, the restaurant has a bar-side pianist and an award-winning pastry chef that make for a very romantic experience.

4. Whisk your lover away on a Staten Island Ferry ride. Channel your inner Kate and Leo while admiring the skyline and Statue of Liberty from the harbor at sunset.

5. Classics become classics for one good reason: They never grow old. Ice skating in Central Park is one of them. Dancer likes to tell guests to grab a house-made hot chocolate to-go from The Pierre’s Two E Bar/Lounge and head to the Wollman Skating Rink for an afternoon on the ice. This is the time to keep your lover on their feet, not sweep them off.

Experience The Pierre

To really knock her socks off, book a room at The Pierre. If the Central Park views, stately guest rooms and five-star service don’t make her fall for you, nothing will. Check out their special “Winter Romance” package, where guests have round-the-clock “Romance Designer” services and the opportunity to shop from an exclusive Lover’s Trunk — featuring sparkling Swarovski crystals, a Prada handbag, sunglasses and little black dress, La Perla lace, Molton Brown body oils, a luscious in-room menu and rich Godiva chocolates — all available for purchase from the comfort of your suite. Rates start at $650, through Feb. 29 (www.tajhotels.com/pierre).

The post New York City: Isn’t it romantic? appeared first on Metro.us.

There’s something precious about the pour-over: Each cup is a one-of-a-kind testament to the complexities of the bean and the craft of the brewer. But it’s also a culinary science. While Blue Bottle Coffee’s James Freeman admits taste is a subjective experience, he defends the precision of pour-overs. “We can control the brewing ratio. In terms of an urn, you couldn’t pack all that coffee in a basket,” he says. “Coffee’s a bit like butter — more is almost inevitably better than less. [Pour-overs] allow us to use more.”

Manual quality control isn’t just about quantity; baristas adjust the water’s temperature, the length of the pour and, therefore, even distribution in a way machines can’t. Crop to Cup’s Taylor Mork explains that the dispersion of spray sets pour-overs and urns apart. “With the pour-over you can have an even extraction,” he says. “You’re not going to have grinds that are overextracted and bitter and some that are underextracted. Everything gets wet evenly.” That’s not to say the method always produces perfect results; rather, it offers flexibility.

Although meticulous, pour-overs are a labor of love. “If coffee comes with little effort, with the flick of the wrist out of a spigot, what is that saying?” asks Freeman. “Is it cherished and appreciated?” Waiting for an individual cup isn’t an inconvenience because showmanship, artistry and camaraderie are priceless. Mork agrees. “To present the options of ‘wait longer and pay more’ or ‘get quick and pay less,’ pour-overs are one of the few things people will pay more for.” Gimme! Coffee’s Erin McCarthy counts those extra minutes as an opportunity to learn. “I like going to a shop where the barista knows what they’re talking about and can tell me a snippet about the coffee, the farm it was grown on, who grew it, how it was processed,” he says. Fellowship, it seems, better sweetens the coffee experience than sugar. “You’ve got to remember, people aren’t coming to a cafe to drink coffee,” says Kitten Coffee’s Rowan Tuckfield. “They’re coming for half an hour of pleasure.”

If you’re looking to brew at home, investing in a modest amount of equipment — a ceramic or plastic cone, an herb grinder, a pouring kettle — is necessary but cheap. Mork even suggests using a scale to measure water “if you want to go super geeky.” Across the board, however, the experts insist on freshness. This means buying coffee in small volumes, storing it for up to two weeks in an airtight container in a dry cupboard, and grinding the beans just before brewing. “It’s all about volatile hermetics, which is a fancy way of saying beautiful aromas that evaporate once you grind the coffee,” says Tuckfield. “And your sense of taste is based on smell.” Freeman argues that grinding beans on a cup-by-cup basis is about more than fragrance. “Some people are like, ‘I don’t have time to grind my coffee.’ It makes me sad when people say that. What else don’t you have time for? Investing time in sensual pleasure is important!”

Ultimately, there’s no right or wrong way to savor an individual brew — it’s your own, and that’s the beauty of it. Tuckfield advises to trust your palette. “If you want to put syrup in your coffee, put bloody syrup in it,” he laughs. “There are some people who say that you should never put anything in coffee, but if you put a little sugar and milk in your coffee — like everyone else in the world does — that’s just fine. Find the method that pleases you most.”

Sure, exclusivity may be snobbish, but certainly not freedom of choice.

McCarthy’s tips for the ultimate coffee drinking experience:

Drink the coffee “for here”
 
Wait a couple of minutes for the coffee to cool before sipping. “You can taste more as the temperature cools, and it will sweeten up, too. A lot of people don’t realize this and add sugar before the coffee has cooled. It’s like adding salt to well-cooked steak before tasting it.”
 
Slurp it in a little bit, then roll it around in your mouth before you swallow. “This will help you to taste more nuances in the coffee.”
 
Smell it all the way. “The dry grounds smell terrific, and you get a lot of really beautiful perfume-y, high notes from the wet aroma [the gasses that rise up while it’s brewing].”
 
Go to a cafe where the baristas are knowledgeable. “They can tell you the story of the coffee with confidence.”
 
Bring a friend! “I’ve had the best coffee tasting experiences when I was discovering a coffee with someone else.”

Quoted: Coffee talk

James Freeman
Owner, Blue Bottle Coffee
www.bluebottlecoffee.net
What’s stirring: A Rockefeller Center location

On maxing out: “I can drink for professional reasons or also sheer pleasure and it’s kind of nice to have the option of doing either/or. I like to think of it as drinking champagne at a party — you’re carrying your cup around and the hostess refills and at the end of the night you say, ‘I just had one glass of champagne.’”

Taylor Mork
Director, Crop to Cup
www.croptocup.com
What’s stirring: Pour-overs at the Brooklyn Flea

On sustainability: “I tend to not think we jam this whole farm-direct thing down people’s throats. We try to have a helpful amount of information about each coffee, but not greenwash. The more flowery you are with your language — a lot of it doesn’t matter. [Pour-over brewing] is the best way for people to notice the differences between origins.”

Erin McCarthy
Regional manager NYC, Gimme! Coffee
www.gimmecoffee.com
What’s stirring: Free Samples of their $40 per pound Finca San Luis this Sunday at noon
 
On pleasure: “I love to smell the coffee when it’s freshly ground and also when it is brewing — the gases are amazing. These two stages are just as much a part of me enjoying a cup as the taste. When I’m tasting it, I usually suck in and aerate a bit — if I’m in public, not too loud or obnoxiously, but I want the coffee to spray my whole mouth, hitting all my taste buds.”

Rowan Tuckfield
Owner, Kitten Coffee
www.kittencoffee.com
What’s stirring: Two more pop-up shops

On refining your palette: “With coffee there’s really beautiful flavors but there’s also really disgusting flavors. And if you’re not careful, you pull them out. It’s like having your first glass of really good whisky. Once you’ve tasted [good coffee], it’s like, ‘that’s what all the fuss is about.’ Then you start getting your vocabulary around the defects.”

Curious how pour-over compares to a deli brew… in a blind taste test? Click here

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