When it comes to barbecue, it seems everyone has a strong opinion and an unflinching knowledge of what is right and what makes their favorite the best. Barbecue seems to be constant contest of who is lowest and slowest and who has the best sauce. Even if they say they don’t do competitions and are just in it for the love of the craft, there is still that constant air of oneupsmanship between every pitmaster or pit-amatuer. And when you get as many different forms of barbecue in one place, in the middle of the most opinionated city in the world, you get the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. [Read more…] about New York Holds Its Own Among Big Apple BBQ Greats
Bigger Than a Bento Lunch at HK’s Sushi Seki
When looking for a power lunch in Hell’s Kitchen, check out Sushi Seki Bar & Oysters. Their newest and flagship location at 365 West 46th Street offers two distinct atmospheres for dining in the pre or post theatre dinner hours and has a wonderful menu of Japanese food and artisanal cocktails. They recently began offering lunch Monday through Friday from 11:45am to 2:15pm on the lower level. Their chefs offer sushi, soups, salads and Udon and Soba noodles, but the jewel of this daytime menu is the “Teishoku” lunch. General manager Yasu told me that they wanted to make a “balanced and nutritious lunch” that will leave you sated with plenty of energy to get through the rest of the day. [Read more…] about Bigger Than a Bento Lunch at HK’s Sushi Seki
Big Taste Comes in Little Packages at Natsumi Tapas
When she set out to create a piu piccola version of Natsumi, Barbara Matsumura (Haru, Daruma, Joe’s Shanghai) set up shop in Gramercy. Here, she stepped up the game on the mix of Japanese and Italian flavors, but cut the size. In Natsumi Tapas, Matsumura, along with the talents of Italian chef Andrea Tiberi and sushi chef Hiroyuki Nagao (Nobu, Blue Ribbon Sushi, Haru,) presents an extensive Japanese, Italian, and somewhere-between-the-two menu of smaller plates to share. Manager Porche Prasertchoang, said, with Natsumi Tapas, they wanted to offer food with the same theme as the restaurant’s predecessor, but with smaller portions and at a lower price point for the customer. [Read more…] about Big Taste Comes in Little Packages at Natsumi Tapas
Professor Thom’s Makes the Grade in The East Village
It’s not just a sports bar. As I approached Professor Thom’s at 219 2nd Avenue between 13th and 14th streets in the East Village, I noticed the sequence of numbers many will recognize from TV’s “Lost” painted on the second floor facade. I wondered why a bar that caters to fans of the Red Sox and Michigan’s Wolverines would sport the iconic sequence, but shrugged it off and walked inside a dimly lit ground level bar. [Read more…] about Professor Thom’s Makes the Grade in The East Village
Jun-Men Ramen Bar Offers Pure Noodle Comfort
On a rainy Saturday afternoon, while craving a warm meal, we stumbled upon Jun-Men Ramen Bar. It was a great idea running into a soup place to get out of the cold, but Jun-Men is more than just a noodle shop. It is a fun mix of barbeque, broth, and chilled fish that offers treats for both the peckish and famished. [Read more…] about Jun-Men Ramen Bar Offers Pure Noodle Comfort