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Addicted to Food Photography
My friend Beth sent me a New York Times article called “First Camera, Then Fork” about the growing popularity of photographing the food we eat and posting it online for others to see. I was at first amused by these lines: Photographing meals becomes pathological, however, if it interferes with careers or relationships or there’s anxiety associated with not doing it. “I’d have to ask if they would feel O.K. if they didn’t do it,” said Tracy Foose, a psychiatrist at the University of California, San Francisco, who treats patients with obsessive-compulsive disorders. “Could they resist the urge to do it?” But then I realized that I actually do sometimes…
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What to Eat at Serendipity 3
Serendipity 3 is probably the tourist destination in NYC when it comes to dining, and you would think the sometimes three-hour waits would keep people who actually live here away, but . . . Okay, actually, I don’t think anyone who lives here does go there. BUT! I love it. Its two floors are filled with the oddest vintage lamps, clocks, mirrors, paintings, and bric-a-brac, none of which matches and all of which is tacky. In December, they have a neon pink Christmas tree and lighted snowflakes as big as you are covering the walls. It’d be offensive if it wasn’t so charming. The menu is extensive, covering everything from…
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Sexy Potatoes
I was picking up some salads from the Midtown East neighborhood gem Boi Sandwich yesterday, looking around the restaurant so the guy making my food didn’t feel like I was eagle-eying him to make sure he gave me enough pork, when I noticed a bag of chips that I must have noticed a million times before. And yet this time, when I looked at the logo on the bag, all I could see were potatoes wearing loose condoms: I tried to unsee it. I mean, it’s clearly potatoes with their ends sliced off, right? Where the first slice is the tip? And yet. Condoms.
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Yakitori Torys Weird Chicken
Don’t be fooled by the look on my boyfriend’s face as he eats his seseri, or grilled chicken neck, at Yakitori Torys. This is actually his favourite thing on the “Chicken Limited” menu. That, the crispy chicken tail, and the chicken oyster sell out fast and are well worth arriving early for. I can’t speak to the grilled soft knee bone, though, as it’s been sold out every time we’ve been there in the past two years. The place also has the best decor for taking faux-serious photos. Yakitori Torys 248 East 52nd Street New York, NY 10022 (map)
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Despite the Stupid Name, I’d Go Back to DBGB for Dessert
The only thing really worth talking about at Daniel Boulud’s DBGB is the mint chocolate sundae. The Yankee Burger didn’t compare to Shake Shack’s, even with the added cheddar and bacon. The winter squash soup wasn’t nearly as good as Métrazur’s. All of my lunch companions were sort of meh about everything they ordered; no one complained, but no one seemed really excited to go back. But that’s because they didn’t try the sundae. It looked like run-of-the-mill chocolate gelato, but it had the taste of mint. Not mint flavor, mind you, but actual fresh mint leaves. I wasn’t totally sold on it with my first few bites, to tell…
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Colicchio & Sons: a Review
I love Tom Colicchio’s food and would travel to the ends of the earth to feast upon it, if necessary, which is lucky, because Colicchio & Sons is basically located there. Is it going to be the sort of place I visit so often that the waiters recognize me? Not a chance, if not for the location, then for the douchebags who eat there. Is it the sort of place I’ll want to visit every time the menu changes? For sure. I know it’s supposed to be insignificant, but I make a lot of judgements about a restaurant based on its bread basket*, and the super-crunchy breadsticks at one of…
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My First Gingerbread House (that I didn’t in any way construct)
Right before I left for Christmas break, my boyfriend and I watched a Food Network show about a company known for its pre-decorated gingerbread houses, and all we could talk about was how badly we wanted to rip the roof off of one of those things and go to town on it with our teeth. Well, while we were in an-unnamed-discount-store-that’s-taking-over-the-world in December, my best friend, Tracey, and I spotted shelves loaded with gingerbread house kits for only $10 and decided to go for it, not only to make my boyfriend jealous but as an added benefit. We imagined how hard it’d be to attach the roof to the sides,…
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Stir It 28: Stirring Up Relief for Haiti
This Sunday, February 21st, food bloggers in several cities will be coming together to raise money for Yéle and Share Our Strength to provide help in Haiti. Here are the details for NYC: What: door prizes, drinks, music, giveaways, and most importantly, a meal cooked by some of NYC’s up-and-coming chefs Where: NYU’s Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health 35 W. 4th Street, 10th floor New York, NY, 10012 When: Sunday, February 21st 4 – 7 p.m. Cost: a $30 donation ($20 for students) Check out Food GPS and The Duo Dishes for more information and to buy tickets.
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Douchebags at Dinner
Let me make it clear that I’ve only been eating at gourmet, celebrity-cheffed, critically-beloved restaurants for a couple of years now. Before I met my boyfriend, I enjoyed a lot of macaroni and cheese at home, and the most extravagant restaurant item I allowed myself to splurge on was the $14 guacamole at Rosa Mexicano. So what I’m saying is–I don’t think I’m better than anyone else, really. But on Saturday night, my boyfriend and I were at Colicchio & Sons enjoying a lavish dinner when the table next to us was seated with douchebags. We were able to immediately recognize them as douchebags by the way two of them…
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My First King Cake
My office ordered two king cakes last week under the guise of needing them for a co-worker’s going-away party but actually because I’ve always wanted to try them. The first king cakes were introduced to the southern U.S. by French and Spanish settlers and were originally associated with Christmas but are now traditional in Mardi Gras celebrations. Which makes sense, considering how indulgent they are. A southern co-worker recommended Paul’s Pastry Shop as the source for an authentic king cake, and the going-away girl choose a lemon over cream cheese and a chocolate Bavarian. I spent the week before they arrived telling everyone we were going to have cake made…
Reviews of the Best Restaurants in NYC
