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liaromancewriter · 3 years

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Happy Ever After: Chapter 2

Alana’s first real memory was of Mimi and the smell of apples and cinnamon. She had been three years old. Mimi had set up a pink play set table in the kitchen where Alana would pretend to mix cookie dough with a wooden spoon while Mimi cooked, baked and sautéed on the grown-up oven range.

Alana’s parents had died when she was two and she couldn’t remember them, but she remembered learning about food in this kitchen and deciding that she was going to be a chef when she grew up. She’d been ten and hadn’t wavered once from her decision.

The most important moments in her life had occurred in this house. The first time she had met Matthew when she was six and the first time he had kissed her under the mistletoe when she was fifteen.

Alana had left for cooking school and her own kitchen in the city over a decade ago, but the airy space overlooking the backyard hammock, lightly scented with herbs growing in pots on the window sill, was still her favorite place in the world. She closed the door and just stood there, eyes closed; her senses open to the aroma of whatever Mimi had in the oven. She caught the light fragrance of vanilla bean with a hint of tart lemons and the sweet aroma of baking.

Mimi’s famous lemon vanilla pie.

She smiled as the familiar scents hit home. Hanging her jacket on the peg beside the door, rolling her long black hair up in a knot, she opened the pantry where Mimi kept her baking supplies. Fifteen minutes later, she was elbow deep in flour and sugar and having the time of her life.

That’s how Mimi found her, rolling dough with a smooth twist of the hand before patting it down. “Lemon snaps?”

“I’ve added a dash of orange zest. Give it that extra zing. Hello, Mimi.”

Alana set aside the bowl and reached down to wrap her arms around Mimi’s bony shoulders and inhaled the familiar scent of Chanel no. 5 mixed with vanilla. A small elf-like woman who liked her hair short and white, her toe nails fire engine red, Mimi was everything Alana wanted to be when she grew up.

“Don’t ‘Hello Mimi’ me. Why aren’t you out buying something ridiculously expensive to wear in Paris? French men like their women flashy.”

“Then it’s a good thing that I prefer American men.” Alana spaced out the dough balls on the baking tray, flattening each with the bottom of her palm into a neat thin circle. She placed the tray in the second oven, checking the temperature to make sure it was high enough.

Mimi snorted and eased onto the bar stool facing the counter. “You haven’t dated in so long I was beginning to wonder if you prefer men at all.” She popped a piece of leftover dough in her mouth, humming as the taste exploded in her mouth. “How else am I going to be a great-grandmother?”

Alana turned back from the oven and leaned on the counter. “Do you want a real baby or can I just bake one up?”

“Don’t get cute with me, missy. I may be old, but I can still take you.”

“Care to make a wager on that?” Alana took the stool across from Mimi and sampled the remaining dough. “Hmm.” She closed her eyes, savoring the tart and sweet flavors. “Damn, I’m good.”

“And so modest to boot,” Mimi said.

Alana smirked at Mimi’s wry tone. “Everything I know, I learnt from you.”

“I think you can take credit for your big ego. I’m a much humbler person.”

Alana snorted. “This from a woman that ran with the bulls in Spain and then bragged about it for months. No, years.”

Mimi grinned. “I don’t know which I liked better, the bull run or taming the matador afterwards.”

Alana choked on the cookie dough and started coughing. Mimi reached across and thumped her back.

“When do you leave for Paris?” Mimi asked.

“Monday.”

“I still can’t believe my granddaughter’s going to prepare a wedding cake for a French count,” Mimi said, pride evident in her voice as she clasped Alana’s hands.

The oven timer went off and Mimi started to stand. “Cookies are done.”

“You sit,” Alana said. “I’ll get them.”

Alana opened the oven door with a thick oven mitten covering each hand and took out the baking sheet. She placed the cookies on the cooling rack and reached for the pretty blue teapot she’d gotten Mimi for Mother’s Day two years ago. “You want chamomile or spiced ginger?”

“Spiced ginger with a shot of whiskey.”

“It’s 11 a.m.”

“What’s life without a little zing?” Mimi snagged a lemon snap off the rack, passing it between her hands to cool it before biting in. “When are you going to tell me about Matthew?”

“How did you…?” Alana turned from filling the kettle. “Massimo! Now that I’m not working for him he’ll learn to mind his own business.”

“Doubtful. The man does love to gossip. Well?”

“He actually offered to shake my hand!”

“Jackass!”

“And…” Alana paused while pouring the tea. “He said, and I quote, ‘long time no see.’” She put the last words within air quotes.

“One question, is he still breathing?”

“I crushed him and his smug attitude as I walked out the door.”

“That’s my girl.”

-----

Alana waited until the jet taxied down the runway and was in the air before closing her eyes. She loosened her grip on the armrest and put the seat back. She didn’t mind flying, but the take-off portion of the flight always made her nervous. The slow approach, the sudden speed and the feeling of her stomach dropping out were all part of the ritual. Then the plane would be in the air and she would let out the breath that she hadn’t realized she was holding.

She was flying business class, courtesy of the Comte, and was glad to have this part of the cabin all to herself. There were other passengers, but they were few and far between. It had been a week since the incident at the restaurant and, despite her assurances to Mimi she was more shaken by running into Matt than she had wanted to admit.

She was surprised Matt hadn’t come knocking on her door or even contacted Mimi. The old Matt would never have left the battlefield without at least trying to win. She had waited for round two, but nothing had happened. In a way she was relieved because she just wasn’t sure if she was ready to face him again so soon. Seeing him again had brought back all the memories she had repressed for so long. She had had to put him away to get her life on track, and she didn’t appreciate him pushing into it again.

The flight attendant offered champagne, but Alana declined. She never drank alcohol while flying. She opted for water instead, plugged in her iPhone and selected an audiobook she had downloaded a while ago, but didn’t get a chance to listen to before now. Twenty minutes later she was struggling to stay awake. Pulling off her earplugs, she snuggled under the blanket and let her mind drift.

-----

“Matthew, come on.”

Alana laughed as Matthew pretended to fall and pulled her down with him. They were on his boat and had yet to cast off. It was a hot summer day and they were both in shorts and tee shirts. Her long legs tangled with his as they lay on the blanket covering the wooden floor. The picnic basket she had packed for their lunch was set on the bench. She had made Matthew’s favorite sandwich, peanut butter and jelly, pine nut and arugula salad for herself, a fizzy lemonade, and wild strawberry tart with cream for dessert. She hoped he liked it. She had experimented a bit with the traditional recipe and tried to make it her own.

Matthew had been working hard at Walk the Plank, the local bar, and this was his first full day off in weeks. Alana had sweet talked him into taking the boat out and spending the day on the water. Not that it had taken much sweet talking. Matthew loved being on the water and knew everything there was to know about boats and sailing. Once she had asked him if he had ever been a professional sailor and he had gotten a faraway look in his eyes as if he was trying to remember. Then he had laughed and said that may be he had been in another life.

“Let’s cast off.”

“Let’s just stay here,” he said she rested her head on his shoulder. “Just like this.”

“I think the locals might have something to say about that.” She traced her fingers over his heart and smiled as it quickened beneath her. “Besides, I want to be alone with you. Lately it seems someone is always around when we’re at the house together. Even when Mimi’s not there one of her friends finds an excuse to drop by and then stay.”

“She’s just worried about you.” He stroked his hand down her hair and then back up again.

“I’m not a child. She has to trust me to know what I’m doing.” She raised her head to look him in the eyes. “You don’t regret us, do you?”

“Never,” he said fiercely.

“I love you, Matt. For eternity.” Her heart skipped as she waited for him to respond.

“I love you too.”

She traced the infinity symbol on his chest and lay her head back down, comforted when his arms tightened around her. It would be alright, she told herself. They were together and there were weeks still until they had to go back to school. They were meant to be together and everything would work out.

Lost in her daydreams, she could see Matthew proposing on bended knee. She would say yes of course and they would get married in Mimi’s backyard. She would wear a simple white dress, flowers in her hair, and he would be enchanted by her. She dreamt of a cottage by the woods, children playing in the yard, owing a small bakery in town, working and loving Matthew. The image in her mind was so perfect that she wanted to grab it and never let go.

One day soon, she thought as she felt Matthew’s lips brush her hair.

-----

Alana brushed the tears from her cheeks. She hadn’t dreamt about Matthew in so long, but the memory was so sharp as if it had been yesterday. There had been no proposal, no cottage by the woods and no Matthew. Summer had turned to fall and one day Matthew was gone, his family’s home closed up and then sold.

It’s over and I’m never coming back.

Alana had waited for days then weeks and then months for him to call. She’d been shattered when she realized that her dreams would remain just that. Worse had been the pity from everyone who’d known them. She had missed a year at the Culinary Institute before she was ready to face life again. Then she had focused all her energies on school, baking and perfecting her art. After a while she had put aside her girlhood dreams and never looked back.

Seeing Matthew again had reminded her of the girl she had been, but the woman she had become didn’t believe in eternity. Not anymore.

-----

Chapter 3

Return to Masterlist

#romance #happy ever after #original work #childhood sweethearts #hamptons #jetsetter

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ilistenedin · 3 years

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1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

Soda cans

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

Lollipops

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

Bubblegum

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

Smart but lazy.

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

Soda cans

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

Tomboy

7. earbuds or headphones?

No preference

8. movies or tv shows?

Movies

9. favorite smell in the summer?

Fresh cut grass or when it’s about to rain

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

Basketball in elementary, dodgeball in middle, and sitting in high school

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

Nothing

12. name of your favorite playlist?

I don’t have one

13. lanyard or key ring?

Both

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

I don’t think I have a favorite candy tbh. I don’t do sweets often. Starburst are alright?

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

La Casa de los Espíritus

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

Knees apart, ankles crossed

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

Birkenstock’s, baby

18. ideal weather?

If staying indoors; rainy and gloomy and cold.

If going out; cold with lots of clouds where the sun occasionally peeks thru

19. sleeping position?

On stomach, hugging pillow, one leg hiked up

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

Lately, in my notes app.

21. obsession from childhood?

Sharks. Horror. Cats.

22. role model?

I don’t really have one. But I do hold a special place in my heart for Gerard Way.

23. strange habits?

I don’t think I have any strange habits. I’m pretty boring.

24. favorite crystal?

Amerhysts, opal, moonstone

25. first song you remember hearing?

I have bad memory

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

Stay indoors lol

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

Just be outside. Maybe go chill in a park and drink some tea and smoke a cigarette/joint

28. five songs to describe you?

I don’t have the brain capacity for that rn.

29. best way to bond with you?

Interests. Asking questions.

30. places that you find sacred?

Book stores.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

I don’t lol

32. top five favorite vines?

Oh god I don’t know lol. I love the “Adam!” one. “Two dudes chilling in a hot tub..” the one where the girl is about to play Mozart and the keyboard is on the wrong mode. And I can’t think of any other ones rn

33. most used phrase in your phone?

Probably lol

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

Oreilly auto parts for sure.

35. average time you fall asleep?

It varies way too much

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

Probably the forever alone dude

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

Duffel bag

38. lemonade or tea?

Tea

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

Lemon cake

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

Ummm weird is a choice of word I guess. My sophomore year some poor girls home made sex video w her bf got leaked and it was pretty fucking bad.

41. last person you texted?

Lauryn

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

Pants

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

I am incapable of choosing. I’m a slut for all of them.

44. favorite scent for soap?

I like mint, citrus, patchouli, and lavender

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

Tie between sci-fi and fantasy

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

Sports bra and boxers

47. favorite type of cheese?

It’s impossible for me to choose. I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like.

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

My friends used to call me Apple in HS so I guess an apple

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

None

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

I laugh hard too often

51. current stresses?

My life as a whole

52. favorite font?

Times new Roman

53. what is the current state of your hands?

I’ve stopped biting my nails and instead I file them (I wonder how long that’ll last) and they are a bit dry cause of the changing of seasons; this always happens. They get like, cracked and peely. It’s gross, don’t judge.

54. what did you learn from your first job?

How to drive stick shift. I was a valet.

55. favorite fairy tale?

I don’t think I have one tbh

56. favorite tradition?

Every year for my grandmothers birthday and death anniversary we go out to this famous church that over looks the Miami Bay Area and we throw sunflowers into the ocean for her. I’m not religious or anything, but the church location is great and it’s extremely important in my culture (Cuban).

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

I haven’t overcome shit

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

I don’t think I have any talents per se. I used to drum. I have been told I can sing. I like to write. I doodle.

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

“Sorry, can’t help it, I’m gay”

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

Horror

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

Brain too tired to think of anything

62. seven characters you relate to?

I’m too tired to think lol

63. five songs that would play in your club?

Bad Bunny’s discography.

64. favorite website from your childhood?

Lol. Rotten dot com

65. any permanent scars?

One on my knee.

66. favorite flower(s)?

Peonies and roses and pansies

67. good luck charms?

I have un azabache on my wrist

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

Don’t like cucumbers or raw carrots. Oh and recently I tried pickles that have been pickled in moonshine. Fucking no.

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

Head empty

70. left or right handed?

Right

71. least favorite pattern?

My patterns in my love life 😁

72. worst subject?

Math for sure

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

Idk. I will literally put an egg on everything.

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

No idea

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

Mashed probably

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

Succulent

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

Publix has decent sushi

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

I don’t have a school I’d anymore, but it was pretty fucking bad. But my license one is also pretty fucking bad.

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

Earth tones

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

Aren’t they the same? I call them cocuyos

82. pc or console?

Console

83. writing or drawing?

Writing

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johnboothus · 3 years

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We Asked 15 Bartenders: Whats the Best Frozen Drink Youve Had This Summer?

In the thick of summer, the frozen cocktail gets its moment in the sun. And deservedly so: Few things provide relief from the intense heat like a slushy, boozy drink cold enough to give an old-fashioned brain freeze. What could be more fun?

Over the last decade, the category seems to have entirely shaken off its stigma of being absurdly sweet and artificial-tasting concoctions, thanks to a renewed interest among today’s mixologists whose versions are produced with the same creativity and precision as their unblended counterparts. Now, they are featured on the menus of some of the country’s most highly regarded cocktail bars.

To help identify the best frozen drinks, we asked 15 bartenders to recommend their favorite libations in blended form. From a minty twist on the traditional Piña Colada to a guava-driven Daiquiri, here are the blended adult treats keeping these experts cool and refreshed in the heat.

The Best Frozen Cocktails Recommended by Bartenders:

Donna’s Brancolada

Frozen Avocado Margarita

The Saturn

Banana Stand

Miami Vice

Kelbo’s Guava Daiquiri

Koji Piña Colada

Frozen Irish Coffee

Frozen Margarita

Caipirinha

Rotating Frozen Drink at Dolores

Keep reading for details about all of the recommended bottles!

The Brancolada

“One of my ultimate favorite drinks is the Piña Colada, so when I tried the famous frozen Brancolada created by Jeremy Oertel at Donna’s, I was blown away! Not only did this drink always have the perfect slushy consistency, its name says it all. It has the delicious tropical flavors of coconut and pineapple that make a Piña Colada. Made with Appleton Estate VX Reserve that adds complexity and spice notes, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a minty bitter finish from the Brancamenta, a sweet version of Fernet-Branca with mint. This is a frozen drink that you could enjoy all year around. Sadly, Donna’s is no longer open due to the pandemic, but you can find the recipe online and Donna is doing a summer pop-up in Greenport, Long Island. Long live the Brancolada, long live Donna!” —Natasha Bermúdez, Head Bartender, Llama San, New York

“The Brancolada, at the recently closed Donna in Brooklyn, by Jeremy Oertel, has to be one of my favorite frozen drinks of all time. Even though I haven’t had this drink in a number of years, I still remember it well. One full ounce of Brancamenta can easily overpower any drink but this inventive Piña Colada riff is complex, bitter, and just downright delicious. Donna is one of the best bars. Hopefully it reopens in a new location soon.” —Paul McGee, Owner, Lost Lake, Chicago

“Definitely Donna’s Brancacolada. Brancamenta, Jamaican rum, lime, orange, and coconut, all frozen into that delicious brain-freeze texture. It changed me. You couldn’t stop at one.” —Sam Ross, Co-owner, Attaboy, New York

The Frozen Avocado Margarita

“My favorite frozen drink, maybe of all time, is the Frozen Avocado Margarita at Curra’s Grill. It’s a classic frozen Margarita but the addition of avocado brings a creamy texture similar to that of a fruit smoothie. (Avocado is a fruit, after all!) The gorgeous bright green hue is akin to a green juice, so it’s sort of healthy, wink wink. The salted rim (ask for a chili salt rim if you like some spice!) along with the star of the show, avocado, brings savory qualities and highlights the vegetal and grassy notes of blanco tequila. Curra’s was one of the first restaurants I ate at when I moved to Austin in 2008, so I have many fond memories of drinking these on the patio. Curra’s will be opening their second location in Hyde Park soon, so you’ll most likely see me there, green drink in hand.” —Erin Ashford, Beverage Director, Olamaie and Little Ola’s Biscuits, Austin, Texas

The Saturn

“The Saturn, from Smuggler’s Cove. This is a modern tiki classic you can order in most tiki bars, but Smuggler’s was the first place I tried it. For me, it’s the perfect balance of flavors. London dry gin is the base spirit, combined with passion fruit, fresh lemon, orgeat, and falernum. Then, blended and served in a coupe with lemon peels cut into Saturn’s rings. This cocktail takes your palate on a journey. Herbaceous gin, with tart and bright citrus from the passion fruit and lemon, then the orgeat and falernum combo give you a nutty and baking-spice finish. Blending the Saturn also gives you an incredible mouthfeel and texture. It’s tart, tropical, nutty, spiced, and frozen. Perfect for a warm day, or after a long shift.” —Sam Miller, Bartender, Pagon Idol, San Francisco

“My favorite frozen cocktail, to make and to drink, is the 1950s tropical classic the Saturn. The gin and citrus work perfectly for a cooling [flavor] in the summer heat, paired with the subtle warmth of orgeat and falernum and the tropical notes of passion fruit. It reminds me of a boozy popsicle. I serve mine with a split of passion fruit and blue Curaçao to give a fun pop of color, and garnish it with edible glitter for the extra space vibe.” —Selma Slabiak, Proprietor and Bartender, Selma’s Bar, Ridgewood, N.Y.

The Banana Stand

“Selma Slabiak is doing some super-fun stuff at Selma’s Bar, located inside of Queens brewery Evil Twin. My favorite slushy is the Banana Stand, a fun mix of rums, including Plantation Pineapple, combined with banana liqueur, l’orgeat, and pineapple and lime juices. It’s pure delight. Refreshing and cheerful, it’s a real mood lifter. Bonus points for serving this in a flight with her three other slushies!” —Natasha David, Co-owner, You & Me Cocktails, Red Hook, N.Y.

The Miami Vice

“The Miami Vice. It’s one part Piña Colada, one Strawberry Daiquiri. If fresh ingredients are used, it’s wonderful. Delicious, and perfect for any time.” —Terance Robson, Owner, Here Nor There and Eden Cocktail Room, Austin, Texas

“The Miami Vice. I mean, what’s not to love about it? A combination of two of the best tropical drinks, frozen, and then swirled. No brainer! It’s just so damn deliciously fruity and refreshing. Every time I have one, I’m instantly transported to a beach without a care in the world. I think about pounding a Miami Vice (or two) just about every time I’m weeded on a busy Friday night bar shift.” —Brad Langdon, Bar Director, Albi and Yellow, Washington, D.C.

The Guava Daiquiri

“During my 16-plus years in Los Angeles, the talk of classic tiki drinks was always quite prominent as we were in the birthplace of tiki. When it came time to talk crushed ice in blended cocktails for a seminar in Las Vegas, I went back to the bartender staple Sippin’ Safari for some inspiration and kept doubling back to Kelbo’s Guava Daiquiri. Kelbo’s was a Hawaiian BBQ restaurant circa 1950s on Fairfax Avenue. Imagine having a blended concoction of lime juice, guava nectar, banana liqueur, and either vodka or gin with your Hawaiian BBQ! I was instantly sold. I usually opt for a pot still London dry gin like Citadelle that can enhance and play with all the tropical flavors and add another dimension of flavor. Whether with vodka or gin, though, it’ll be a tropical party where rum lets their vodka and gin friends be the star for a day.” —Jen Len, Beverage Director, MW Restaurant, Honolulu

The Piña Colada

“The best I’ve had in recent memory was a Koji Piña Colada by Austin Hennelly of Majordomo. With Appleton Estate Rum, Aperol, coconut cream, makgeolli, acid-adjusted pineapple juice, and koji, it’s got all of the tropical allure of a Piña Colada with big slap in the face of umami from the koji and makgeolli. The first time I tasted it was while working a pop-up where Austin was making the drinks. I spent the majority of my night lurking around the frozen machine, sneaking quality-control pours for myself. It’s one of those combinations of flavors so satisfying, you can’t help but come back for more.” —Mike Capoferri, Bartender, Thunderbolt, Los Angeles

The Frozen Irish Coffee

“For me, the perfect, most versatile, frozen drink is the Irish Coffee. The delicious combination of coffee, cream, and Irish whiskey (or whatever booze one decides to throw in there) is the perfect pick-me-up the morning after a hard night out and the best way to stay alive during a hot, melting summer afternoon. Everyone is familiar with the frozen Irish Coffee at the Erin Rose in New Orleans, but anywhere I see one I have to give it a try. The balance of creamy texture, dessert motifs, roaring caffeine, and knock-you-over booze makes the frozen Irish coffee my ultimate frozen cocktail.” —Thomas Eslinger, Bartender, Death & Co., Los Angeles

The Frozen Margarita

“The Margarita has to be my favorite, hands down. It was the first frozen alcoholic drink I ever had, so I’ve had a love for it since I can remember. Then, after learning its history and all the different variations that exist, I’ve fallen even more in love with it. It’s a classic that will never go out of style, and will stay at the top of my list of favorites without hesitation.” —Steve Tinnon, Bartender, The Green Lantern, San Antonio, Texas

The Caipirinha

“The Caipirinha is the national drink of Brazil, and for good reason. Made with cachaça rum (pure sugar cane), muddled limes, and sugar, it’s simple and delicious. The simplicity of the ingredients allows each one to shine in a beautiful tropical blend. The first sip reminds you of the rum, and the next 20 remind you of a vacation.” —Katrïn Hayward Miller, Lead Bartender, Sonder & Dram, Lewiston, Me.

The seasonal frozen drink at Dolores

“Right now, my favorite frozen drink is whatever seasonal frozen cocktail is on at Dolores, located here in Providence. Horus Alvarez and the team always focus on showcasing whatever is perfect for the weather and what freshest ingredients are available at the time. The restaurant has done amazing frozen piña coladas, prickly pear Palomas, Daiquiris with Oaxacan rum, and more in the past. But the current offering has blanco tequila, cocchi americano, watermelon, honey, and fresh citrus, always! It’s always an ethereal moment when enjoying a number of these with its tacos and incredible moles to share with a large group of friends.” —Parker Luthman, Head Bartender, The Eddy, Providence, R.I.

The article We Asked 15 Bartenders: What’s the Best Frozen Drink You’ve Had This Summer? appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/wa-15-best-frozen-drinks-summer/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/we-asked-15-bartenders-whats-the-best-frozen-drink-youve-had-this-summer

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thehungrykat1 · 5 years

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Mirèio in Raffles Makati Offers New Provençal-Inspired Menu

I spent the last summer taking up Fashion Design studies in London. I have been back in Manila for just over a week but I already miss the surroundings and the lifestyle in United Kingdom. The dining scene there was quite different and I had my experience with fine dining restaurants, stylish pubs, Five Guys burgers, and even the famous haggis of Scotland. My head was probably still in Europe so last weekend, I decided to have dinner at one of the best and most luxurious French restaurants in the city, Mirèio in Raffles Makati.

It was a long weekend and I had booked another staycation at Raffles Makati, my favorite hotel in the country. I didn’t want to go outside anymore for dinner, so I made dinner reservations at Mirèio located on the ninth floor. I have had a long and colorful history with Mirèio ever since it opened in December 2016, exactly on my birthday week (Read: Mirèio Opens in Raffles Makati With Provençal-inspired Menu). Its offerings have constantly changed throughout the years, but its exquisite five-star quality has always remained the same, so I’m happy to be one of the first to try their newest menu which was launched just last August 13, 2019.

There are actually two areas to explore inside Mirèio. Those who are looking for a little happy hour can head upstairs to the roofdeck lounge on the tenth floor called Mistral, formerly called Mirèio Terrace. I actually haven’t been to the new rebranded space, but since it was raining that evening and I was quite hungry already, I went straight to the dining area for my lovely dinner date.

Mirèio is the elegant brasserie-style restaurant of Raffles Makati offering authentic Provençal-inspired cuisine. The restaurant is named after Mirèio, a celebrated poem written in 1859 by Nobel Laureate and French writer Frederic Mistral, who hails from Provence. The poem is a tender tribute to his beloved home region and it depicts a beautiful but tragic forbidden love story between the daughter of a rich farmer, Mirèio, and a modest basketmaker. You can find a mural by contemporary Filipino painter Marcel Antonio illustrating the famous poem inside the restaurant.

Mirèio is one of the best places in Manila to go on a romantic dinner date, especially if you aim to impress. The elegant and luxurious candle-lit ambiance, combined with the outstanding views of the city, make this an exclusive sanctuary for those with refined tastes.

Raffles Makati has always been my favorite luxury hotel in the city. This is why I seem to spend so much time here, whether it’s for a relaxing staycation, or just to visit one of their signature dining outlets. I was actually at the Long Bar with my friends for Happy Hour just two days ago. Chef de Cuisine Hervé Clair has continued refining and upgrading the menu at Mirèio ever since his entry more than a year ago (Read: Raffles Makati Introduces Mirèio’s New Chef De Cuisine Hervé Clair), so it’s time I check out what’s new at Mirèio.

Dinner always starts with complimentary freshly-baked breads including sourdough, tomato roll, French bread and others. Butter and tuna spreads are also served on the side.

I ordered a glass of Roubine Côtes de Provence Rosé Wine to make the dinner date more special.

For starters, the Fine de Claire Oysters (P1600) is always a prized item at any French restaurant. These imported oysters from France are placed delicately on ice and served with shalots, vinegar, and lemon wedges.

I love foie gras so my choice of appetizer is the Pan-Seared Foie Gras (P780-60g / P1540-120g) with raspberry, rhubarb chutney, and buckwheat tuile. The supporting ingredients may be new, but the flavor and texture of these exquisite foie gras are heavenly as always.

For the main courses, the Maine Lobster Tail Thermidor (P2000) is great seafood option. The soft and creamy lobster flesh is topped with a cheesy crust. This is served with lobster bisque mashed potato, roasted green asparagus, and cherry tomato.

Of course, I had to have steak. The Australian Pan-Seared Grass-Fed Beef Tenderloin (P2470) was my meaty choice. This is served with homemade truffle potato gnocchi, roasted artichoke, chanterelle, and bone marrow beef jus.

The beef was absolutely tender and flavorful. It was cooked with medium doneness, just as it should, so each pinkish slice was such an explosion of smoky flavors. I love it!

They didn’t change the dessert menu, so I ordered my favorite dessert at Mirèio, the 65% Maraicabo Mousse (P510) with chocolate ice cream, truffle cake and garnished with a hazelnut crust. The creamy chocolate mousse is the perfect way to finish any meal. They also offer the Lavender Crème Brûlée (P510) topped with peach sorbet for those with a sweet tooth. It was another fantastic dinner at Mirèio and I’m happy to see that their new menu still remains true to their Provençal-inspired cuisine and heritage.

Mirèio

9/F Raffles Makati, 1 Raffles Drive, Makati Avenue, Makati City

795-0707

www.mireioatraffles.com

www.facebook.com/RafflesMakati

#RafflesMakati #RafflesHotel #Mireio #FrenchCuisine #NewMenu #MireioatRaffles

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suckitsurveys · 7 years

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1. What’s the last thing you ate? Overnight oats with peanut butter and banana.

2. What’s your favourite cheese? Goat and cheddar.

3. What’s your favourite fish? Catfish, if crab doesn’t count as a fish.

4. What’s your favourite fruit? Pomegranates, watermelon, pineapple, bananas.

5. When, if ever, did you start liking olives? I don’t remember? I never liked the Kalamamamamama olives they have in greek salads, but I love black olives and green olives with pimento. That was always on my dad’s go-to tray of appetizers when we’d have Christmas at our house. 3 kinds of olives, some cheese, and salami or whatever. I always ate the green and black olives from there. I also like green olives stuffed with other things too, like bleu cheese or garlic.

6. When, if ever, did you start liking beer? I only like some beers really. I think I’ve been conditioned to like it at baseball games because my dad does, haha.

7. When, if ever, did you start liking shellfish? My whole life dude. When my parents would go out to dinner with us when we were little, they always just gave us stuff from there plates to eat. So if someone had lobster or crab legs or shrimp I would too.

8. What was the best thing your mom/dad/guardian used to make? My dad makes KILLER bleu cheese dressing. I could eat that shit with a spoon it’s SO GOOD. He also makes amazing spaghetti sauce and is pretty good at getting popcorn perfect everytime. My mom used to make really good beef stew, and her famous potatoes and eggs fr dinner. She also made the BEST potato salad, and that recipe has been handed down to me. Everyone claims it’s amazing, but I still think she made it better.

9. What’s the native specialty of your hometown? Deep dish pizza, hot dogs, beef sandwiches, caramel and cheese popcorn.

10. What’s your comfort food? Everything.

11. What’s your favourite type of chocolate? Milk chocolate. With caramel. 12. How do you like your steak? Medium rare.

13. How do you like your burger? Medium rare.

14. How do you like your eggs? In omelet form.

15. How do you like your potatoes? I ain’t got no type.

16. How do you take your coffee? I don‘t, really.

17. How do you take your tea? Green.

18. What’s your favourite mug? The one I use most often is just a plain red one that I got from Home Goods because it came with a tea infuser.

19. What’s your biscuit or cookie of choice? Sugar cookies. My favorite ones are actually those Pillsbury pre-made-dough ones you break off and bake. I also love Oreos.

20. What’s your ideal breakfast? Lox and bagels.

21. What’s your ideal sandwich? ^. Or tuna on any bread.

22. What’s your ideal pizza: Very saucy, lightly cheesy, with pepperoni and black olives.

23. What’s your ideal pie (sweet or savoury)? Cheesecake. <– Same, and it’s been waaaay too long since I last had a good piece of cheesecake. <----CHEESECAKE IS NOT PIE YOU HEATHENS, IT’S CAKE. Anyway, pumpkin pie has been my go to since I was a baby.

24. What’s your ideal salad? I don’t really have an “ideal” salad, but I like spinach salads with various toppings.

25. What food do you always like to have in the fridge? Hmm. Eggs, soy milk, condiments and marinades, sriracha, pickles, olives, cheese, water.

26. What food do you always like to have in the freezer? Ice. :P And frozen dinners for Mark. We don’t buy a ton of frozen stuff.

27. What food do you always like to have in the cupboard? Oatmeal, Ramen and other soups, pasta, rice, flour, breadcrumbs, olive oil and other oils, tea.

28. What spices can you not live without? Celery salt, red pepper, and cilantro. And of course salt and pepper.

29. What sauces can you not live without? Sriracha.

30. Where do you buy most of your food? Jewel-Osco. We might start shopping at Aldi for boxed and bagged goods. I don’t trust meat and produce from there though.

31. How often do you go food shopping? Twice a week. Once on Sunday to get lunch things and snacks for the week and dinners for that night, Monday, and Tuesday, and then Wednesday just for dinner things for that night, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

33. What’s the most expensive piece of kitchen equipment you own? I mean, probably the fridge or stove? We don’t really own those though? Sooooo the food processor?

34. What’s the last piece of equipment you bought for your kitchen? It’s been a while since we’ve actuall bought something for the kitchen. A lot of our stuff is hand-me-downs or wedding gifts. So probably something from when we first moved in and needed basic things like plates and silverware.

35. What piece of kitchen equipment could you not live without? Probably most of them? Like we need the fridge and stove for obvious reasons, so I guess next to that, the microwave?

36. How many times a week/month do you cook from raw ingredients? We try to almost every night.

37. What’s the last thing you cooked from raw ingredients? Chicken and spinach last night, unless overnight oats count, which I made shortly after that to eat this morning.

38. What meats have you eaten besides cow, pig and poultry? I’ve had lamb, duck, goat, alligator, buffalo, and ostrich. Well I guess duck and ostrich are poultry?? Oh and a shit ton of seafood too since that wasn’t listed in the question. Way too much to name.

39. What’s the last time you ate something that had fallen on the floor? Yesterday. I ate a chip that fell in sand oops. Haha.

40. What’s the last time you ate something you’d picked in the wild? Uh, I mean, we have a veggie and herb garden in our yard. I packed some cucumbers and tomatoes from there for lunch today.

41. Arrange the following in order of preference: Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Sushi – Sushi, Thai, and Mexican are tied for first. Then Italian, Indian, Chinese.

42. Arrange the following in order of preference: Vodka, Whiskey, Brandy, Rum – Rum, Vodka, Whiskey, Brandy.

43. Arrange the following in order of preference: Garlic, Basil, Caramel, Lime, Mint, Ginger, Aniseed – I have no idea what aniseed is, but the rest are all tied.

44. Arrange the following in order of preference: Pineapple, Orange, Apple, Strawberry, Cherry, Watermelon, Banana. – Watermelon, pineapple, banana, strawberry, orange, apple, cherry.

45. Bread and spread: Um. My favorite bread is garlic bread, if that’s what you’re asking.

46. What’s your fast food restaurant of choice, and what do you usually order? Popeye’s. I get chicken strips and Cajun fries. If they are having some promotional thing with the strips I’ll probably get that.

47. Pick a city. What are the best dining experiences you’ve had in that city? Any city and any restaurant that has crab legs is a good dinning experience in my mind.

48. What’s your choice of tipple at the end of a long day? What the hell is a tipple?

49. What’s the next thing you’ll eat? Lunch. I made tuna and have cucumbers and tomatoes to eat with it. I brought bread too but I probably wont end up eating that.

50. Are you hungry now? I’m a little hungry.

51. Do you eat your breakfast everyday? Yes. I have oatmeal or cereal every day.

52. At what time do you have breakfast? When I work, it’s sometime after 7am. On weekends, it’s whenever I get up.

53. At what time do you have lunch? 11:30am on weekdays, whenever on weekened.

54. What do you have for lunch? I mentioned this above.

55. At what time do you have dinner? around 7.

56. What do you have for dinner? Obviously different things every night? Tonight’s dinner is up in the air because my cousin is coming in from Hawaii and we are staying with my dad so my he will most likely order takeout.

57. Do you light candles during dinner? No.

58. How many chairs are there in your dining room and who sits in the main chair? We don’t have a dining room in our apartment. We have a kick ass coffee table that pulls up to dining-table height and we eat on the couch at that.

59. Do you eat and drink using your right hand or the left one? I eat with my right and I don’t have a hand preference with my drinks.

61. Mention the veggies that you like most: Spinach, asparagus, zucchini, butternut squash.

62. What fruit and vegetable do you like the least? Apparently fennel is a vegetable, so that. And water chestnuts if that’s a veggie too. My least favorite fruit is blackberries and raspberries.

63. You like your fruit salad to have more: Watermelon.

64. You prefer your vegetable salad to contain more: Uh. Cucumbers, I guess? Is a vegetable salad just raw veggies thrown together?

65. What’s your favourite sandwich spread? Peanut butter, I guess?

66. What’s your favourite chocolate bar? Butterfingers.

67. What’s your favourite dessert? Brownies or cheesecake.

68. What’s your favourite drink? Root beer. Preferably Barq’s.

69. What’s your favourite snack? Chips and guac or salsa, popcorn, Goldfish crackers, Cheez-its, Chex mix.

70. What’s your favourite bubble gum flavour? WATERMELON BUBBLICIOUS. I haven’t had that in a hot minute.

71. What’s your favourite ice cream flavour? Salted Caramel Butter Pecan. Only one brand makes it. I haven’t seen it in a while though.

72. What’s your favourite potato chip flavour? Sour cream and cheddar.

73. What’s your favourite soup? Potato. Egg lemon. Lobster bisque.

74. What’s your favourite pizza? Deep dish from Lou’s, thin crust from Marie’s, and 8-corner pan pizza from Jet’s.

75. What’s your favourite type of dish? Seafood dishes.

76. What food do you hate? I’ve kinda mentioned these throughout this survey. There’s not much I dislike.

77. What’s your favourite restaurant? Any place with crab legs.

78. Do you eat homemade food, food delivered from outside? Both.

80. Who cooks at home? Mark usually.

81. What kind of diet (e.g. low-fat, high-fiber, high-carbohydrate, balanced diet etc.) do you have? I try to balance it.

82. How do you keep yourself fit? I work out every day. I’m by no means “fit” yet, but I am getting there.

#surveys #food

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instantdeerlover · 4 years

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NYC’s New Restaurant Openings (12) added to Google Docs

NYC’s New Restaurant Openings (12)

If you tried to keep track of every brand new restaurant in New York City, you might go a little bit crazy. So just read this list instead. These are the new restaurant openings that seem like they have the most potential - although keep in mind, for the ones we haven’t tried, we make no promises. Go forth and be a pioneer.

Editor’s Note, 6/30: All restaurants listed below are currently open for takeout, delivery, or outdoor dining.

AUGUST Top Quality $$$$ 10-29 44th Rd

The people behind Extra Fancy in Williamsburg (which closed back in February) have a new project - a Mexican spot in Long Island City. Just like at the old Brooklyn spot, Top Quality in Queens has a big back patio covered in spaced out picnic tables, and it looks like a great spot to eat chicken tamales and write a thank-you note to whoever invented umbrellas.

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Strangeways Strangeways $$$$ 302 Metropolitan Ave

There’s a new upscale Williamsburg spot that serves bar food from all over the world, including things like oysters, fish and chips, spaghetti with clams, pork cheek vindaloo, and a katsu fish sandwich. You can try them all on their garden patio, which is green enough to pass for a nursery. If you decide to stop in over the weekend, expect brunch dishes like sourdough cinnamon toast and semolina pancakes.

Alexander Stein Cutlets Sandwich Co. $$$$ 326 W 40th St

If someone asks you, “What makes NYC special now that you’re mostly stuck indoors?” You should reply, “I can get a chicken cutlet sandwich with fresh mozzarella and roasted red peppers delivered straight to my apartment.” That’s thanks to Cutlets Sandwich Co., a new delivery-only deli that you can order from online every day except Sunday. Check out their full sandwich menu and delivery details here.

Vodega $$$$ 140 Plymouth St

If you’re not into the whole meat thing, there’s a good chance you’ve grown tired of choosing between boring bodega sandwiches and falafel. Thankfully, this new vegan sandwich shop in Dumbo serves options like a “chopped cheese” with plant-based beef, a jackfruit cuban sandwich, and even a philly cheesesteak with seitan for takeout from 11am to 10pm daily.

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Time Out Market $$$$ 55 Water St

Time Out Market in Dumbo has reopened with seven food vendors and two bars (including Jacob’s Pickles, Fish Cheeks, and Ice & Vice). You can eat your takeout at one of the outdoor tables on their roof, or hang out in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Wild Birds $$$$ 951 Dean St

There’s a new live music bar in Crown Heights called Wild Birds with outdoor tables and different performers every night. Wild Birds is also hosting oyster and jazz nights on Thursdays from 4pm to 10pm where you can get a half-dozen oysters for $15 and drink frozen cocktails while you bob your head along to a saxophone solo. Check out their menu and schedule here.

Drift in Drift In $$$$ 389 West St

The Island Oyster team (who specialize in serving oysters and cold beverages next to water that leads to the Atlantic Ocean) have a new waterfront restaurant in the West Village called Drift In. It’s right on the Hudson River path across from Christopher Street Pier, and while they’re still waiting on their alcohol license, you can stop by for a wagyu beef hot dog or a lobster BLT.

The Bronx Ice $$$$ 782A Amsterdam Ave

Even when it’s raining, summer days in NYC are best experienced with something ice-cold in hand. And if you want that cold thing to be Italian ice, you can try flavors like “Strawberry-Blueberry Lemon Swirl” and “Pink Peach” from The Bronx Ice, a frozen dessert takeout window with new locations on the Upper West Side and in Greenpoint. For more information on specials, hours, and new flavors, check out their Instagram.

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Oh Craft $$$$ 1739 Amsterdam Avenue

This new beer bar in Hamilton Heights has plenty of sidewalk tables where you can drink an IPA that’s more experimental than your new summer knitting hobby, and snack on things like sandwiches, salads, and charcuterie boards. Right now, they have 16 beers on tap and they’re open every day for you and your beer drinking friends.

Wicked Jane $$$$ 15 W 8th St

If you’re looking for a new restaurant where you can show off your new haircut wearing something other than running shorts, the Wicked Jane in the West Village might be your best bet. This upscale American spot is open for outdoor dinner service Tuesday through Saturday, looks perfect for a special occasion outdoor meal, and you should head to their Instagram if you want to know more about dishes like their monkfish and cauliflower puree.

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iSouvlaki iSouvlaki $$$$ 139 E 12th St

You can’t tell us that a pita filled with greek sausage, fries, onions, and tomatoes doesn’t sound like something you should probably eat this summer. Unless of course, you’re vegetarian. In which case, you can try the veggie skewers or one of the loaded salad options at iSouvlaki, the new Greek takeout spot on East 12th Street in the East Village.

Two Girls and A Cookshop $$$$ 1005 Broadway

This new Jamaican pop-up at Bunton’s World Famous in Bed-Stuy looks like the exact place you should be eating jerk chicken tacos with sweet plantains, jerk cheese nachos, and fried fish every Sunday in Brooklyn. Not convinced? The new taco-inspired rap single they just dropped on their Instagram should do the trick. You’re welcome.

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JULY Outerspace $$$$ 99 Scott Ave

The people behind 99 Scott, a huge warehouse space in Bushwick where you may have seen a James Blake DJ set last summer, just opened a new outdoor restaurant on their back patio. And since all of their socially-distant picnic tables are surrounded by bamboo fencing, Outer Space might be one of the safest restaurants in the city to eat sourdough pizza and drink natural wine outdoors. They accept walk-ins during specified hours, but you can also reserve a table here.

Love Nelly $$$$ 53 Rockaway Ave

Love, Nelly is a new Colombian bakery in Bushwick where you can get things like chicken empanadas, pina colada raspas (shaved ice), or a few slices of dulce de leche cake. They’re open 8am to 7pm, Wednesday through Sunday, and you can head to their website if you want to sweat with excitement while looking at their full menu of sweet and savory baked goods.

Caravan Uyghur Cuisine $$$$ 200 Water St

One of NYC’s few Uyghur restaurants, Caravan is a new outdoor dining option in FiDi where you can eat dishes like lamb kebabs, hand-pulled noodles, and beef dumplings. And if you’d rather take your food back to your apartment and eat it while your roommate glares at you with jealousy, just place your order at their takeout window on Pearl Street.

Pasta Louise $$$$ 803 8th Ave

Park Slope now has a new neighborhood Italian spot where you can pick up homemade sauces and fresh pasta by the pound. While Pasta Lousie doesn’t offer outdoor dining just yet, this place seems like a great weeknight takeout option for when you want something more impressive than what you usually pour out of those blue boxes in your cabinet.

The Rogers Garden $$$$ 708 Rogers Ave

If you replace the acoustic guitar chords with upbeat R&B, this new outdoor rum bar in Prospect Lefferts Gardens seems a lot like Berkeley in the ’60s. The socially-distant seating at Roger’s Garden is mostly made up of colorful patio furniture that looks ideal for drinking mojitos and eating paninis in 90 degree weather. This place is open every day, except Monday, starting at 2pm.

Good Judy $$$$ 563 5TH AVENUE

Jell-o shots, drag shows, and glitter bombs are all things you can expect to enjoy at this new bar from the people behind C’mon Everybody. Both the curbside seating area and the back patio at this Park Slope spot are open everyday, and if you want to stay up to date on Good Judy’s event calendar, be sure to follow them on Instagram.

Sushi Lab $$$$ 132 W 47th St

Sushi Lab, the hotel restaurant in Midtown with a relatively affordable omakase, isn’t new. But, Sushi Lab, the rooftop restaurant with a la carte options and omakase sets, is new and looks like a great place to bring someone you don’t plan on ghosting anytime soon. Before you make any big plans, you’ll need to reserve one of the socially-distanced outdoor tables, or a few seats at the chef’s counter, on the restaurant’s website.

Finback Brewery $$$$ 545 President St

If beer with notes of orange pith sounds like something you’d be into, you probably already know that you can find it at Finback Brewery in Queens. We’re just here to tell you that this brewery opened a new taproom in Gowanus with outdoor sidewalk seating. You can stop by starting at noon, Tuesday through Saturday to make a final decision on whether or not to make your Zoom name “Orange Pith” sometime in the near future.

Emmeline Zhao Silver Apricot $$$$ 20 Cornelia St

The rolled scallion puffs from Silver Apricot look like a good enough reason to try this new upscale Chinese spot in the West Village on their own. But if dishes like poached arctic char, skirt steak, and black sesame panna cotta also sound good to you, they’re all available for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining, Tuesday through Saturday from 4:30 to 9pm.

Green Garden Buffet $$$$ 332 E 9th St

There’s a new pay-by-weight buffet in the East Village where you can pick up healthy-ish French dishes like baked sweet potatoes and samosas from Chad. Green Garden Buffet is open from 11am to 11pm daily, so if you decide you want something other than the usual ‘nachos larger than your head’ order after 9pm, keep this spot in mind.

Pupusas Ridgewood $$$$ 71-20 Fresh Pond Rd

We don’t want any trouble, but it’s likely that you’re not eating enough pupusas right now. The good news is you can change that by ordering lunch or dinner from this new, woman-owned, Salvadoran restaurant on Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood. Whether you want cheese and squash, revueltas, or chicharron in your pupusas, this spot has them all available for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining right now.

Tradisyon $$$$ 792 9th Ave

For dishes like squid adobo, sisig, and lumpia outdoors, try Tradisyon in Hell’s Kitchen. This new Filipino spot is open every day except Sunday, and if you’d rather order a few dishes for lunch or dinner at home, their entire menu is also available for takeout and delivery.

Maki Kosaka Maki Kosaka $ $ $ $ Japanese , Sushi in Flatiron $$$$ 55 W 19th St

If a romantic relationship with high quality sushi is the only one you’re willing to fully commit to right now, Maki Kosaka in Flatiron might be of interest. Nothing on its menu of sushi and hand roll combination sets costs more than $50. And if you want to know more about the onigiri fillings like yellowtail, snow crab, and spicy salmon offered here, you can check them all out on their website.

Blume Blume $$$$ 1652 Second Avenue

Blume is a new outdoor wine bar on the Upper East Side, located behind Schaller’s Stube Sausage Bar. There are only 20 tables here and they’re all painted gold with pink chairs tucked underneath them, which makes this place look like the one baby shower we might actually want to be at. So if you’re in the mood to try some Austrian wine and snack on charcuterie plates, cheese boards, sandwiches, and sorbets give this spot a try.

Village Square Pizza $$$$ 118 Christopher St

Every once and a while, it’s good to switch up your pizza order. And since Village Square Pizza is opening a second location in the West Village this week (July 15th), you can swap your usual pepperoni and sausage pie for a few grandma slices topped with things like mozzarella, tomato sauce, and pesto.

Travis W Keyes Photography Ampia $$$$ 100 Broad St Fl 2

Ampia is a new rooftop Italian spot that has a few two-top tables inside individual greenhouses that you can reserve for lunch or dinner. The Fidi restaurant serves a bunch of seafood-filled paninis, a few pastas, and some small plates like calamari and grilled octopus. And if the greenhouses are booked, you can always eat at one of their socially-distant outdoor tables.

Brooklyn Noosh $$$$ 988 Atlantic Ave

Whenever you’re ready to check ‘eating Flaming Hot Cheeto-coated wings’ off your bucket list, head to Brooklyn Noosh in Bed-Stuy. It’s a new outdoor spot surrounded by tall trees and string lights, with a menu that also includes some of the more classic wing flavors like buffalo and BBQ, a burger, and a few different meat kabobs. If you’d rather order takeout, you’ll find their online menu here.

The Good Batch Creamery $$$$ 995 Fulton St

The people behind The Good Batch Bakery in Clinton Hill are opening this new ice cream shop right across the street this week (July 15th). To celebrate, they’re offering a free scoop of ice cream to anyone who registers using this link, between now and Friday, July 17th. The flavors here include cookies, cakes, and other sweets from the original bakery.

Baylander Steel Beach $$$$ West 132nd Street

This new restaurant on an aircraft carrier near the West Harlem Piers is run by the same team behind Prohibition on the UWS. And since it’s an aircraft carrier, you can drink cocktails on its massive top deck while eating lobster rolls and wondering when the engineers working on the simulation you call your life will fix all of the glitches. Check out Baylander Steel Beach’s website for more details on their hours.

JUNE Dante West Village $$$$ 551 Hudson St

A new cocktail bar from the team behind beloved Greenwich Village Italian spot Dante just opened for outdoor dining on Hudson St. In addition to negronis and other cocktails from the original location, Dante West Village is offering a bunch of specialty martinis, spritzes, and dishes like roast chicken from 3pm to 11pm, Wednesday through Sunday.

Pulkies $$$$ 428 W 16th St

There’s a new Jewish BBQ spot that just opened in Chelsea Market and the dishes on their menu are a blend of Southern cuisine and things you’d find at a classic New York deli. From chilled borscht gazpacho and pastrami turkey breast to honey butter cornbread and brisket, you can order a bunch of entrees and sides for takeout and delivery on Pulkies’ website.

Kokomo $$$$ 65 Kent Ave

Kokomo is a Caribbean spot in Williamsburg where you can get pastas, flatbreads, and more topped with things like jerk chicken and oxtail. This black-owned restaurant opened in late June, offering delivery, takeout, and dine-in service on their outdoor patio. For more information on specials and updates, check out their Instagram.

The Beer Garage $$$$ 148 5th Avenue

The Beer Garage in Park Slope seems like a great spot to send someone who misses the feeling of sitting at a bar with a tall glass of beer. There are a few outdoor bar stools where you can order drafts, wine, oysters, and clams. And if you stop by this beer bar between June 29 and July 5th for its opening week, you’ll get 25% off your entire bill.

Magdalene $$$$ 524 Lorimer Street

Like many restaurants on this list, Magdalene first opened in February and has since reopened for takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining. This Lebanese spot in Williamsburg has mezze like babaganoush, edamame hummus, and more, plus entrees like a falafel fried chicken sandwich and huge shrimp caesar salad that you can eat on their back patio. While you’re at it, be sure to take advantage of their natural wine selection - they’re offering 20% to 30% off every bottle right now.

Merchants NY $$$$ 190 7th Ave

Chelsea has a new American restaurant with sidewalk seating, that’s open for every day from 3pm to midnight. So if you’re looking for a spot to sit down for a spicy fried chicken sandwich and a spiked lemonade after 8pm this summer, try Merchants.

Dame $$$$ 85 MacDougal Street

The next time you’re in the mood for fish and chips, disco fries with curry sauce, or a parfait with earl grey meringue, try this new English restaurant’s pop up in the West Village. After halting their West Village restaurant opening, Dame has opened a temporary spot with outdoor seating, and all proceeds benefit organizations like the NAACP and Harlem Grown. Stop by Dame’s summer pop up from 5 to 10pm on Tuesday through Friday or 1 to 10pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Sami & Susu $$$$ 279 Grand St

Here are just a few things you can expect from this new Mediterranean spot in Williamsburg: grilled shrimp pitas, rolled bourekas, ratatouille, and bottles of sparkling wine with labels designed by people who apparently love hand drawings, symmetry and pastel colors. Opened in June, Sami and Susu is currently offering delivery, takeout, and limited outdoor dining in the old Marajuca space on Grand Street from 12 to 9pm daily.

Santo Brúklin $$$$ 548 Court St

Now that the backyard is open at this new Brazilian restaurant in Carroll Gardens, you can eat steak sandwiches, pão de queijo (cheese bread), and brigadeiros (fudge balls), while contemplating why you didn’t rent that apartment 250 square foot apartment with the nice back patio after all. They’re open from 4pm daily and since they’ll be starting weekend brunch service on July 4th, you should follow their Instagram for menu updates.

Forsythia $$$$ 104 East 7th Street

It would be strange if this new pasta spot in the East Village didn’t have picnic kits with bread, cheese, and cured meats since they’re located within a few blocks of Tompkins Square Park. But since they do, you can pick one up the next time you’re in the area, or go for one of their Italian dinner kits, which they say will only take 20 mins to prepare at home. Forsythia is offering these kits for pick up and delivery right now and their Instagram is the best place to check for updates on their rotating three-course menu options.

Pineapple Club $$$$ 509 E 6th St

There are many things you could do to remind yourself that it’s summer. But ordering a mezcal ginger margarita, an oyster platter, or a plate of fried jerk chicken on the turf-covered outdoor patio at this new tiki bar in the East Village will probably be one of the more memorable options. Pineapple Club is open from 3 to 9pm daily, and if you’d like to make an outdoor dining reservation here, call 212-697-8600.

Rothschild TLV $$$$ 1129 Lexington Ave

If you’re looking for a new Kosher spot to try while taking in the outdoors, Rothschild TLV is an upscale option on the UES where you’ll find things like a short rib flatbread, lamb shank, or a piece of fish on the menu. They’re taking reservations for patio seating over the phone at 917-341-4169, but if you’d rather get takeout, you can place your order online.

MAY The Bun Hut $$$$ 178 Stanton St

Since May, this new Caribbean spot on the LES has been making Chinese bao buns filled with things like coconut shrimp, oxtail, and jerk chicken. It’s a new black-owned restaurant that you can support by ordering takeout and delivery online, and if you do it soon you’ll get 20% off their entire menu. Head to The Bun Hut’s website for more on their dishes, like chicken roti and coconut tarts.

Soothr $ $ $ $ Thai in East Village $$$$ 204 E 13th St

Soothr opened its doors In May, serving Thai dishes like chicken khao soi, roasted duck with jade noodles, and massaman potato curry. And ever since then, the food photos from this East Village spot have made us want to leave everything we know about “picnic food” behind and push for Thai noodles the next time we’re picking up something to eat in a park. If you want to do the same, they’re open for pickup and delivery from 12 to 9pm daily.

High Low $$$$ 295 Wyckoff Ave

For beer, wine, coffee, and pastries near the Bushwick and Ridgewood border, try this new all-day bar. Since May, they’ve served things like sugar doughnuts filled with sour cherry lime leaf jam and a bunch of other pastries that sound like something you’d find in a bakery that’s core mission is to excite you with orgasmic menu titles. So if you need to stock your bar cart and load up on baked goods, you can do both at High Low, which is only open for takeout.

Tamam $$$$ 1106 Lexington Ave

The UES has a new vegan Middle Eastern spot that serves falafel bowls, pita, and shawarma filled with things like roasted cauliflower and crispy eggplant. And if you want to pick up an order from Tanam, which is just below E 79th on Lexington Ave, you can do it any weekday from 12 to 7pm. The restaurant is delivery-only on weekends.

Pizza Collective $$$$ 2060 Broadway

We’re not sure what’s better, the fact that you can pick up a slice of pizza with speck and toasted walnuts from this new shop on the UWS or the fact that the spot’s website looks like a relic from the Y2K era. Right now, Pizza Collective has a few outdoor tables where you can order a carbonara square slice or a calabrese pie, but you can also just order takeout and delivery online.

Haizea $$$$ 142 Sullivan St

This new Basque spot has a few sidewalk tables where you can eat an Iberico sandwich, spanish omelette, or grilled octopus in Soho right now, but since they’re also doing takeout and delivery from 12 to 8pm daily, you can enjoy all of these dishes from the comfort of your apartment. Recently, Haizea announced it’s offering brunch service from 11am to 5pm on Sunday and if you want more updates on what’ll be on the menu, check out their Instagram.

Sofia's of Little Italy $$$$ 143 Mulberry St

Since March, Sofia’s has been selling DIY meal kits for pasta, sourdough starter, and a bunch of other Italian options for an easy dinner at home. But now that their LES restaurant space is open, you can enjoy things like tuna and watermelon crudo, sourdough margherita pizza, and a glass or two from their extensive natural wine list on their garden patio from 5 to 10pm, Wednesday through Sunday.

Shinn East $$$$ 119 E 7th St

Like us, you’ve probably been craving some great sushi. So the fact that this new East Village spot has a good-looking 12-piece sushi omakase that costs $45 and is available for takeout right now will probably excite you. They’ve also got eel unagi, akami tuna, and other seafood boxes that you can order online, from 12 to 8pm daily.

Claudy's Kitchen $$$$ 5981 Broadway

Previously an empanada delivery-only spot, Claudy’s opened a restaurant on West 242nd Street in the Bronx, with a menu of Peruvian-style roast chicken dinners, ceviche, lomo saltado empanadas, flan, and more. This new spot sits right across the street from Van Cortlandt Park, so if you’re looking for somewhere to grab food for a picnic, this is a great place to try.

APRIL Saigon Social $ $ $ $ Vietnamese in Lower East Side $$$$ 172 Orchard St

After years of doing pop-ups around the city, Saigon Social has officially opened its own location on a sunny corner of the Lower East Side (formerly Mission Taqueria). They’re currently offering a rotating takeout and delivery menu of Vietnamese dishes, like a bowl of chicken pho, a banh mi burger with oxtail gravy, pork ribs, and so much more. Check their Instagram for updates.

Rangoon $$$$ 500 Prospect Pl

Rangoon is a Burmese spot that you might remember from its years of doing pop ups around the city. After briefly opening a new Crown Heights restaurant in March, the team pivoted their menu toward takeout and delivery. For dishes like tea leaf salad, coconut chicken noodle soup, or prawn curry, call 917-442-0100 or place your order online.

Niko's Souvlaki Handmade $$$$ 1933 Ditmars Blvd

New Greek food in Astoria might not sound like earth shattering news, but the juicy-looking meats covered in lemon juice and tzatziki sauce on Nikos Souvlaki’s Instagram have us contemplating a big shift in our weekly diet. And since this place is still doing takeout and delivery, along with dine-service on their outdoor patio, you can join us in whatever way makes you comfortable.

Kings Kolache $$$$ 321 Starr St

This new Bushwick spot specializes in Czech kolaches, which are fruit dough pastries filled with things like apricot preserves, blueberry, and sweet cream cheese. Along with the classics, Kings Kolache serves them Texas-style with things like candied jalapeno and bacon inside. If you want to get your hands on one, or try one of their good-looking breakfast tacos, Kings Kolache opens at 8am daily for takeout and delivery.

Winner $$$$ 367 7th Ave

Whether you’re looking to pick up a freshly baked sourdough croissant for breakfast, a BLT on ciabatta for lunch, or a roasted chicken with butterball potatoes for dinner, this bakery in Park Slope has you covered. Winner does it all from 9am to 6pm daily, and you can pre-order your takeout by emailing [email protected]. And if you want to know more about their friends and family weekly meal series, you can read more here.

Public Display Of Affection $$$$ 669 Union St

This new pizza place in Park Slope is offering wood-fired sourdough pies for takeout, plus a bunch of other things you’ll probably want to eat like breakfast burritos, chicken wings with chili jam, and crispy Cameroonian croquettes. You can order online or you can text the restaurant at 718-635-1678 to schedule your pick up.

Dr. Clark $$$$ 104 Bayard St

The people behind The Izakaya in the East Village have opened another Japanese spot during quarantine, and its dishes like lamb curry, cold ramen noodle salad, and Hokkaido-style fried chicken all look promising. Dr. Clark is currently offering delivery, takeout, and limited outdoor seating on Bayard Street in Chinatown.

Public Village $$$$ 23 Essex St

For Sichuan dishes like chili oil dumplings, dan dan noodles, and grilled noodle wraps with sausage and cheese, try Public Village. Since March, this Chinatown spot has been offering a rotating menu of dishes for takeout and delivery, so be sure to check their Instagram to stay up to date on specials like their spicy beef jerky. You can order takeout or delivery from Public Village from 11:00am to 8:00pm daily.

March Karazishi Botan $$$$ 255 Smith St

One of the original chefs from Ippudo has opened his own walk-in only Japanese spot in Cobble Hill. Karazishi Botan is a narrow, brick-walled room with about ten bar seats and a menu of just three ramen options, including less common ingredients like oxtail, lemon broth, and pork bone.

American Brass $$$$ Center Blvd & 49th Ave, 2-01 50th Ave

This huge, bright waterfront restaurant in Long Island City serves seafood towers, steak frites, and pig-shaped charcuterie boards covered in American ham and cheeses that look good enough to make this Queens spot a go-to for dinner in the neighborhood.

Omar's Mediterranean Cuisine $ $ $ $ Mediterranean , Middle Eastern in Midtown East $$$$ 154 E 55th St

If you spend a lot of time in the East 50s, you’ll be happy to hear that Omar’s - the Lebanase counter-service spot with incredible chicken shawarma - has reopened in the same space on East 55th Street. And if you’re new to the area, you might want to break up with your go-to healthy bowl place and start getting meat platters with tabbouleh, hummus, and eggplant salad for lunch here.

Loulou $$$$ 176 8th Ave

If you want to feel like you’re at a mountain wedding while you eat a duck leg or steak frites for dinner, try Loulou, a new French spot in Chelsea. And if you’re looking for somewhere dark to get cocktails, take the stairs down to the underground speakeasy.

Ama $$$$ 37-06 36th St

We love an all-day spot just as much as the next chronically hungry busy body, but Ama’s looks especially nice. This huge Long Island City restaurant feels like an upscale diner with cement floors and fiddle leaf fig trees where you’ll want to spend hours eating piles of fried chicken, and dim sum-style seafood dishes like poke, oysters, and clams that are pushed around the room on a service cart.

Good Bar $$$$ 1 Bedford Ave

The team behind Good Room, one of the best bars where you can dance in NYC, have opened a new cocktail bar in Greenpoint where you can listen to someone’s vinyl collection. There are also cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches and beer on the menu in a room with a colorful mural that opens at 5pm every day.

Ras Plant $$$$ 739 Franklin Ave

Ras Plant is a vegan Ethiopian spot on Franklin Ave in Crown Heights where you can eat things like red lentils, beets, collard greens, and potatoes all wrapped up in a mound of injera for lunch, dinner, or weekend brunch. Whenever you try the food here, we recommend sitting as close as you can to the colorful graffiti mural that runs along the back of the casual dining room.

Skin Contact $ $ $ $ Lower East Side $$$$ 76 Orchard St

A narrow, candlelit natural wine bar has opened on the LES. It’s from the family behind Chamber Street Wines, so you can expect this place to be packed from the long bar up-front to the small tables in the back.

Bohemien Bar $$$$ 97 Atlantic Ave

If listening to vinyl through floor-to-ceiling speakers while drinking an Old Fashioned at a marble-top counter sounds like a good time to you, try Bohemien Bar. It’s a shiny new Brooklyn Heights spot where you can eat snacks like chicken sliders and duck confit tacos.

Spicy Moon $$$$ 66 W 3rd St

The original location of Spicy Moon is one the best places to have a vegetarian birthday dinner in the city. And now that there’s a new West Village location of this vegetarian Szechuan spot where you’ll find a similar menu involving Beyond Beef dan dan noodles and dry pot with tofu.

Nakaji $$$$ 48 Bowery

Nakaji is a new omakase sushi spot in Chinatown from a chef who used to work at Sushi Inoue. To eat here, you’ll have to find the hidden entrance at the intersection of Bowery and Elizabeth Street, ring the unmarked door bell, take a seat at the modern sushi counter, and order either 12 pieces for $165, or the same omakase, plus sashimi and appetizers for $195. There is also a cocktail bar at the front of the restaurant called Bar at Nakaji, where you can order la carte sushi or a $30 cocktail omakase.

East Hae $$$$ 98 N 6th St

East Hae is a Korean bar that’s attached to the Urban Outfitters in Williamsburg. Before you stop reading, you should know that this place has decent-looking bar food like grilled octopus skewers, scallion pancakes, bulgogi burgers, and katsu sandwiches. Plus Happy Hour goes till 8pm, when you can get half-off of all skewers, wings, and cocktails.

Thyme Bar $$$$ 20 W 23rd Street

This new cocktail bar in Flatiron is in an underground cellar where you might be tempted to order a whiskey neat even if you’ve never ordered whiskey in your life. If you decide to go into full hibernation mode down here, there are a handful of snacks, in addition to a full bar menu.

Kuih Cafe $$$$ 46 Eldridge St

You’ll mostly find pastries like pineapple tarts and kuih serimuka (steamed, glutinous, layer cake) at this casual new Malaysian cafe in Chinatown. But if you want something more substantial for lunch, there’s also a plate of nasi lemak (coconut rice topped with fried anchovies, peanuts, cucumbers, and hard-boiled eggs) on the menu.

Gatsu Gatsu $$$$ 196 Smith St

Cocktails on fire, pork buns, vegetable gyozas, and tonkatsu ramen are all things you can expect from this Japanese izakaya in Cobble Hill. So if you’re looking for a dimly lit, brick-walled room to decompress after work in the area, this place is open at 5pm, Wednesday to Sunday.

Nisi NYC $$$$ 250 W 47th St

One of the chefs who used to cook at Anassa Taverna has opened his own Mediterranean spot in the Theater District. Starting at 11am every day, you can get a mezze spread or some shrimp paella at this two-floor, sit-down spot on W 47th Street.

The Izakaya $$$$ 215 E 4th St

The Izakaya has an unassuming name, impressive Japanese small plates, and now, a second East Village location that looks like what would happen if a merchandiser from Anthropologie designed the inside of an underground bunker. You’ll find some of the same dishes from the original spot at this new location, plus new ones like BBQ duck wrapped in eggplant and jalapeno fried chicken.

february Barbuto $$$$ 113 Horatio St

Barbuto is back in the West Village, along with its popular roast chicken. It’s right around the corner from its original location, and it seems like nothing has changed, except there are no garage doors.

Sushi on Jones x Don Wagyu $$$$ 600 11th Ave

There’s a new sushi spot in Gotham West Market that looks like it could become one of the best restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen. It’s run in part by the Sushi on Jones team, who are serving a la carte and omakase sushi. And if you’re craving a beef katsu sandwich, you can order one during your omakase experience or from the takeout window run by Don Wagyu.

Thai Diner $ $ $ $ Diner , Thai in Nolita $$$$ 186 Mott St

Lower Manhattan has a cool new diner to get excited about, this time from the people behind Uncle Boons. Thai Diner is currently serving Thai breakfast and lunch until 4pm every day, including a dish with five nouns we like a lot: Thai tea babka French Toast. No need to freak out if you don’t spend daytime hours near Nolita - they’re extending dinner hours soon.

We checked out Thai Diner and added it to our Hit List.

Hakata Zen $$$$ 31 St Marks Place

After a 12-month closure, this Japanese hot pot place just reopened on St. Marks. Hakata Zen specializes in motsunabe hot pot - a red or white broth typically made with intestine, chives, cabbage, and tofu.

Top Thai $$$$ 55 Carmine St

The West Village has very few casual Thai spots in the neighborhood. So if you live in the area, take note of Top Thai Vintage on Carmine Street.

Factory Tamal East Village $$$$ 63 E. 4th Street

If you spend time on the LES, it’s possible you’ve been meaning to check out Factory Tamal for a while now (or you go every other Sunday morning for breakfast sandwiches and tamales). Consider their new second location in the East Village a further incentive to get involved with a chipotle chicken tamale.

Indika House $$$$ 943 Broadway

Indika House is a casual Indian restaurant in Bed-Stuy, right across from the Myrtle Broadway subway station. The menu seems pretty straightforward (full of dishes like biryani and vindaloo), and we can only describe the walls as having a similar aesthetic to the Rainbow Road level in Mario Kart.

Citizens Of Soho $$$$ 201 Lafayette Street

Did anyone ask for a new place to get charred broccoli bowls and lattes in Soho? Likely not. But if you work or live in the area, this location of an Australian cafe chain is here for your light meal needs.

& Sons $ $ $ $ Wine Bar in Prospect Lefferts Gardens $$$$ 447 Rogers Ave

If you’re into wine and charcuterie, you’ll probably want to become a regular at this new Prospect Lefferts Gardens wine bar, which specializes in American country ham. It’s owned by an ex-sommelier from The French Laundry in Napa Valley who also used to run the beverage program at Per Se, which is to say, you should expect to learn more about great wine (and ham) in this tiny, brick-walled room on Rogers Ave. Just keep in mind that, for now, & Sons is only open Thursday through Sunday.

Bar Camillo $$$$ 333 Tompkins Ave

The people behind Locanda Vini & Olii and Camillo, two solid neighborhood Italian spots in Brooklyn, just opened a third spot in Bed-Stuy where you can drink negronis and eat Italian food. They specialize in Roman-style pizza called pinsas, but you can also order things like baked cacio e pepe and beef short ribs here.

Dashi Brooklyn $$$$ 119 Ingraham St.

Eat outdoors at Smorgasburg all winter if you want to. But first, you should know that the team behind a couple of regular vendors at the weekly food fair (including a fried chicken truck and a pho bar), just opened an all-day Japanese comfort food place in East Williamsburg. To no one’s surprise, you can find a fried chicken sandwich and pho on the menu, but there are also some donburi rice dishes, sandwiches, and avocado toast served with an optional $6 slab of hanger steak.

Rome To Brooklyn Pizza $$$$ 755 Grand St

There’s a new slice shop in Williamsburg where you can get toppings like blueberry and pancetta, or pear and gorgonzola on your pizza. And if you’re looking for a sit-down lunch or dinner, you can grab a seat at one of the two-tops inside and think about adding a rosemary focaccia panini, hellboy panzerotti (essentially a fried calzone from the heel of Italy’s boot), or a beef-filled arancini to your order.

Strings Ramen $$$$ 188 2nd Ave

Our good friends at The Infatuation Chicago love Strings Ramen, so we’re happy to see that the first NYC location of this counter-service spot just opened in the East Village. In this small dining room on 2nd Avenue, you can get things like duck ramen in pork bone broth for lunch, dinner, or just before you go into hibernation for the next three months.

Da Toscano $ $ $ $ Italian in Greenwich Village $$$$ 24 Minetta Ln

The Italian spot Perla in Greenwich Village was an all-time Infatuation favorite until it tragically closed several years ago. Now, the team behind Perla is back in the same space with their new restaurant Da Toscano. You can expect to eat unusual dishes like octopus carpaccio, veal parm, and a giant porchetta chop wrapped in pork belly here.

Quality Bistro $ $ $ $ French in Midtown $$$$ 120 W 55th St

The people behind Quality Eats, a chain of steakhouses trapped in cool restaurant bodies, just opened a huge new French brasserie in Midtown. Quality Bistro has a few luxury hotel lobby-sized dining rooms where you can eat steak frites and stare at hundreds of framed bird photos lining the walls.

We checked out Quality Bistro and added it to our Hit List.

Taqueria Al Pastor $ $ $ $ Tacos in Brooklyn , Bushwick $$$$ 128 Wyckoff Ave

Taqueria Al Pastor is a new counter-service Mexican spot with a meat spit in the kitchen, which makes us confident that they’re serious about tacos. This small Bushwick restaurant has only a few counter seats, but the al pastor tacos served with hand-made corn or flour tortillas seem good enough to eat standing up.

We checked out Taqueria Al Pastor and added it to our Brooklyn Hit List.

Paisley $$$$ 429 Greenwich St

If you’re looking for a new place to have a business meal in Tribeca, this new upscale Indian restaurant could be a solid option. The chef at Paisley used to cook at Tamarind, another upscale Indian spot that’s just a few blocks away, where we like the fish curry and paneer lababdar.

January Bar Goto Niban $$$$ 474 Bergen St

The team behind Bar Goto, where we go when we want to pretend we’re at a tiny bar in Tokyo for a few hours, just opened a new, slightly-larger bar in Park Slope. The new location has different bar snacks and Japanese-inspired cocktails than the original, but you can get their incredible miso wings in this dimly-lit, wood-covered room near Barclays Center.

Kissaki $$$$ 319 Bowery

Kissaki is an upscale omakase sushi spot with a colorful space on Bowery. For $160, you get 12 pieces of nigiri plus four small plates.

Two Wheels $$$$ 426 Amsterdam Ave

Two Wheels is a new counter-service Vietnamese spot on the UWS where you can get pho, banh mi, and vermicelli noodles in a white brick-walled room that looks like a mini Sweetgreen. It’s open from 11am to 10pm and (unlike when you add too many premium toppings at its salad chain doppelgänger), nothing on the menu costs more than $15.

Sushi Ishikawa West $$$$ 207 W 80th St

The UES location of Sushi Ishikawa made it into our guide to Where To Eat Omakase Sushi In NYC For Under $100, but the second location from the same team is slightly more expensive. This new UWS Japanese spot offers a 15-piece sushi omakase option for $125 or a 16-piece option for $155.

Kettl Tea $$$$ 348 Bowery

If the green tea packets from your office cabinet aren’t keeping you awake anymore, you can get the strong stuff, straight from Japan, at Kettl in Noho. This is the second NYC tea shop from the Kettl team, but it’s the first to offer things like a four-course green tea tasting, tea-based gelato, and hot tea from a to-go window on Bowery.

Somtum Der $$$$ 380 Van Brunt St

Somtum Der is one of the best Thai spots in the East Village and now that the people behind it have opened a second location in Red Hook, we’re hoping we can say the same for this South Brooklyn neighborhood.

Izakaya Toribar $$$$ 164 E 56th St

This new Japanese izakaya on E 56th Street in Midtown East looks like a good spot to eat things like skewered eggplant, pork belly, and short rib on a causal weeknight. And if you also want to get drinks with your snacks here, Izakaya Toribar has a long sake list and some good-looking cocktails.

Casa del Toro $$$$ 626 10th Ave Ph B

There’s a new Mexican restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen that looks like the dimly-lit lair of someone whose goal in life is to take over the world by way of a five for $20 taco deal. You’ll find this and dishes like queso fundido and elote on the menu at this casual sit-down spot on 10th Ave.

Dun Huang Miss Noodles $$$$ 531 Myrtle Ave

If you’re a fan of noodle soups and wall art involving majestic wildlife, this new Lanzhou noodle house in Clinton Hill could become your go-to for a casual weeknight dinner in the neighborhood. Dun Huang Miss Noodles serves good-looking bowls of hand-pulled noodles in a small room with red leather booths and a deer mural that could be a film still from Pocahontas.

Eleni’s $$$$ 226 3rd Ave

Eleni’s is a new, all-white, Greek restaurant in Gramercy that’s decorated with rope chandeliers, sailboat murals, and small (definitely artificial) olive trees. If you’re looking to eat seafood dishes like lobster pasta or octopus with a group in the area, this spot might be a good fit.

Ms. Ohho $ $ $ $ Korean in Greenpoint $$$$ 146 Nassau Ave

If you’re looking for a Brooklyn coffee shop that also serves good food, try Ms. Ohho. This new Korean counter-service spot in Greenpoint is only a few blocks from the Nassau Ave G stop and the menu has things like japchae, bibimbap, and kimchi stew.

We checked out Ms. Ohho and added it to our Brooklyn Hit List.

Sanpoutei $$$$ 92 2nd Ave

If you’re the kind of person who prefers your ramen served on the saltier side, you’ll probably like Sanpoutei. This casual ramen place has several locations across Asia and specializes in soy sauce-based broth. Now that it’s open on 2nd Avenue in the East Village, you can come here for lunch or dinner in the neighborhood.

Sushi By Bou $$$$ 218 Newark Ave

We’re fans of the $50, 12-piece omakase at Sushi by Bou in Flatiron, so it’s comforting to know that a new location just opened in Jersey City. It looks like a strong contender for our new guide to The Best Restaurants in Jersey City.

Sally's $ $ $ $ Chinese , Caribbean in Bedford-Stuyvesant , Brooklyn $$$$ 151 Tompkins Ave

If you like Sally Roots, you’ll probably be into Sally’s, a new Caribbean spot in Bed-Stuy from the same people. It looks like a good spot to drink tiki cocktails and eat things like curry crab rangoons and jerk pork bowls for dinner - and like Sally Roots, nothing on the menu costs over $20.

Jiang Diner $ $ $ $ Chinese in East Village $$$$ 309 E 5th St

Jiang Diner just moved to a new location around the corner from its original spot in the East Village. Unlike the first version of this Chinese restaurant, the new place is counter-service, so it’s a good option if you’re looking for some quick congee in the area.

Peoples Wine $ $ $ $ Wine Bar in Lower East Side $$$$ 115 Delancey St

A new natural wine bar from the team behind Contra and Wildair has opened inside of The Market Line (a big food court on the LES that also just opened a few months ago). Peoples Wine seems like a good spot to drink and learn about wine or just snack on things like lobster pasta and cream puffs. Plus, if you like something you drank at the bar, you can buy one to take home.

Ernesto's $ $ $ $ Spanish , French in Lower East Side , Two Bridges $$$$ 259 E Broadway

A chef who used to cook at Frenchette has opened his own upscale Basque restaurant on the LES - it has exposed brick walls, leather chairs, and a chandelier that looks like a map of the solar system. Dishes like grilled Iberico ham, lamb-stuffed peppers, and monkfish with clams and salsa verde look promising.

We checked out Ernesto’s and added it to our Hit List.

Tiki Chick $$$$ 517 Amsterdam Ave

Tiki Chick is a new bar on the Upper West Side from the team behind Jacob’s Pickles and it looks like a strong contender for our guide to 15 Uptown Spots That Feel Like Downtown Spots. If you’re looking for a place near W 86th St. to meet someone who you might take on a tropical honeymoon in the future, consider getting mai tais here.

Boca Santa $ $ $ $ Mexican in Bedford-Stuyvesant , Brooklyn $$$$ 480 Madison St

This plant-covered Mexican spot in Bed-Stuy looks like a convenient and affordable way to eat things that you’d otherwise have to fly over 2,000 miles to try. Plus, all of the vegetarian-friendly Mexican dishes here, including dishes like chicharron and butternut squash quesadillas, cost less than $15.

Alison $$$$ 1651 Lexington Ave

Alison is a neighborhood restaurant in East Harlem where we’ll probably eat some oysters and a burger alone at the bar on a Tuesday night. There are also some good-looking pancakes and a smoked salmon croissant available here during weekend brunch.

Anassa Taverna $$$$ 28-10 Astoria Blvd

Anassa, a Greek spot that works well for a Last-Minute Group Dinner in Midtown East, has opened a second restaurant in Astoria, which looks like it might also work well for a spontaneous dinner in the neighborhood.

via The Infatuation Feed https://www.theinfatuation.com/new-york/guides/new-nyc-restaurants-openings Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://trello.com/userhuongsen

Created August 11, 2020 at 03:42AM /huong sen View Google Doc Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xa6sRugRZk4MDSyctcqusGYBv1lXYkrF

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