Benares is still rather new to the New York Indian food scene, but it's getting plenty of attention for the niche it fills. Chef Peter Beck—coming off of over six years as the executive cook at Tamarind—is focusing on vegetarian dishes from the North Indian city of Benares (also called Varanasi) as well as seafood dishes from Southern India. Click through the slideshow to see Chef Beck take us through the step-by-step making of
Sevai Tomato Kurma, seafood curry on pan fried rice noodles.
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Half of my visits to
Hampton Chutney Co. aren't even for the dosas or sandwiches. They're for the drinks (and peanut butter cookies). On warmer days their
Lassis ($3.95) are ideal for cooling down, thick and tangy with whole milk yogurt.
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It's sort of like a dream come true isn't it? Five courses of plated dessert (not to mention sweet amuses and mignardise), from Pastry Chef Elwyn Boyles.
Per Se's recently launched $65 dessert tasting menu is
served exclusively in the Salon, which means that you can walk in on a whim any day of the week to indulge. And what a way to go. The menu changes frequently, incorporating both classic Per Se favorites (hello, "Coffee and Doughnuts") along with new, inventive numbers.
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[Photograph: Kathy YL Chan] On the dessert menu of Lincoln Ristorante, search for Bocca Nera ($12), Italian for "black mouth." The individual cakes live up to their name—rich in chocolate and decidedly intense. Think triple-packed layers of supple, bitter...
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No point in bothering with "normal" affogato when you can replace espresso with hot chocolate.
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Temptation lies near the cash register of
Épicerie Boulud. Truffles, out in the open, piled high in sparkling glass bowls. How can you resist?
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Somehow the humble meatball has become a breakout star of one of the best food cities in the world, and there's some satisfaction in that. Meatballs just ooze comfort (although really, all ground, bound and formed food items do). On the Upper West Side, several restaurants are doing these soulful spheres justice.
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Six different layers in this
Mint-Chocolate Cake ($6.95) from Bouchon Bakery, and I can't decide which I like best. Is it the mint-jelly and chocolate ganache quenelle that tops off the slice? Or maybe that pure white layer of vanilla bean mousse? It's hard competition when pitted against soft green mint mousse and a brownie-like chocolate cake. And don't forget about that layer of milk chocolate mousse!
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A winter special, Salumeria Rosi's
braised radicchio manages to capture the rich warmth of a comforting cold-weather dish without being heavy.
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How do you invent a new loaf?
Grandaisy Bakery is known for its white, Italian-style breads. But after they opened a store on the Upper West Side, they sensed a demand for a "health" loaf.
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