NEW York (Part 3): Wine & Dine

Keeping up with the New York food scene can be a challenge living all the way in Los Angeles. So, I try to keep a running list of those restaurants I’d like to try on each visit. Here are a few of new and/or noteworthy additions to add to yours:

CROSBY BAR: I’m in LOVE with Firmdale hotels. They represent everything I want to be—sophisticated, charming and fabulously British. Until two years ago, you had to travel to London to spend the night in such luxury, so when the Crosby Street Hotel opened in New York, I had to visit.  Sadly, it has continued to be about $250 more per night than many of the other upscale boutique hotels. Though I could not justify the price of their rooms, we stopped by for a nightcap at The Crosby Bar to see what all the fuss is about. We made fast friends with the mixologist, sipping our carefully crafted “Tigers Eye” and “Devils Advocate,” taking in the whimsical design by Kit Kemp. The perfect place for romance or a secret rendezvous, it was every bit as stylish as I had hoped.

EATALY: It’s been rumored for a while now that Los Angeles is getting an Eataly, Mario Batali’s monstrosity of a marketplace that opened less than a year ago in New York (we’re waiting…). This is a one stop shop for all your Italian cooking needs and cravings that includes restaurants, groceries, gelateria, imported meats and cheeses, beer and wine and so much more.  We ate Neapolitan pizza at La Pizza, and while it was amazing, the surprising standout was the shaved asparagus with fava bean, pecorino and mint. And, just like everyone else in New York, yes, they deliver. How’s that for having the world at your fingertips?

 

DBGB KITCHEN: If you want to have the Daniel Boulud experience with a more relaxed vibe, head over to his downtown brasserie, where you can nosh on a variety of 14  house made sausages, but still be wowed by more refined dishes like the Asparagus and Fried Egg Salad with Duck Cracklins and Mustard Egg Dressing, Sauteed Burgundy Snails or Escalope of Chatham Cod. The place is packed on Friday night, only adding to the notion that you are out on the town. Use the waiting time to peruse the culinary quotes on the wall, while you sip a craft beer or Pear Sidecar.

DOUBLE CROWN: Though it opened in 2008, I have to give props to the restaurant where my food loving sister-in-law moonlights as a waitress. The fare is British Empire fused with Southeast Asian, which means you can expect to find Steamed Mussels in a Coconut Broth, Miso Glazed Bone Marrow with orange-olive marmalade, and an Apple, Lotus and Lily Bulb Salad. The Sunday Nonya dinner is a must—a progressive 7 course family style tasting menu that celebrates a sampling of all the menu flavors. Don’t have quite that big an appetite? Stop by for cocktails and appetizers—it’s equally as fabulous.