Alfama

On a visit to Lisbon with my family, there are memories of sitting in a tiny restaurant off a cobble-stoned street a few steps from the sea and being served at-least 5 different kinds of fish. All very different from each other, and each dish was had been so very flavourful.

Alfama, in the West Village is a small restaurant that follows the Portuguese tradition of delicious fish preparations. Portuguese cuisine has always had influences from African countries like Mozambique, Angola and of course countries from South America. With their long history of colonisation that began in the 14-15th centuries when Portugal was the leading power in the world for trade and commerce, before the British and before the French. Throughout the 15th century, Portuguese explorers sailed the coast of Africa, establishing trading posts as they looked for a route to India and its spices, which were coveted greedily in Europe.

The current chef, Mark Twersky, a veteran of Per Se's kitchen, reflects attempts to create a more contemporary kind of Portuguese cooking using influences from Africa and Asia.

This restaurant is a must try not just for the cuisine but because the food is absolutely fantastic by itself. The wine-list is overlooked by Tarcísio Costa, the Wine Director and has incredible values with some Portuguese wines that are not found anywhere else. (The restaurant has relocated, the photos and article are from the old Alfama location in the West Village).


214 East 52nd Street,
New York, NY
Tel: 212 759-5552

Antique Garage

I was looking for a certain little shop in Soho and quite by accident stumbled upon this restaurant. Walking by, I was struck by the open facade and the soft golden lights twinkling from a dozen chandeliers. The fact that it was a little out of the way from the usual Soho restaurants and on a very quite corner of Mercer Street seemed very inviting to me. We know how crazy Soho can get during the day times- especially during the weekends. People from everywhere come down here for incredible shopping and people watching. Not that I mind...I am quite prone to observing the latest fashions once in a while and celebrity sightings next to one of the hotels or restaurants does tend to send my heart aflutter! But ever so often, the crowds and all that tourist stuff does get on the nerves a bit and being able to find a little nook which is slightly out of the way and more fashionable with the locals and neighbors is sometimes more suited to my mood.

Antique Garage is owned by Utku Cinel whose two passions in life are collecting antiques and fine dining. The cuisine is inspired by Mediterranean food and consists of a Meze section for sharing and then the regular appetizer section and continues on to the main course. The restaurant used to be a former auto repair shop, but now it is full of old furniture, mirrors, paintings and a lovely selection of crockery - fine china plates and serving utensils add a very delicate touch. To top it all the cocktails are rather good so it is definitely a place to meet good friends or a date!

41 Mercer Street
New York, NY 10013
tel: 212 219 1019

Gordon Ramsay at the London Hotel

We know him from his rather fierce personality on T.V, but did you all know that Gordon Ramsay is Scottish by birth and was brought up in England after his parents moved south to Stratford-upon-Avon? The former birthplace of Mr. Shakespeare himself. Before his rise to fame in the culinary world, he dabbled in football, (soccer for the Americans) but gave it up a few years later to go back to college to complete a course in hotel management. In October 1993, Gordon became chef of the newly opened Aubergine in London, where he won many accolades including two Michelin stars within three years of opening.

In 2006 he made his US debut with the opening of Gordon Ramsay at The London. The restaurant, located in The London NYC Hotel, is perhaps one of the most beautiful hotels in the city at the moment, able to combine the atmosphere of a boutique hotel and world class service. The two restaurants that operate from the Hotel are the more formal Gordon Ramsay dining room and The Maze modeled on the small plates concept offering French based dishes with an Asian influence. Quite refreshing for times when all you want to do is order 2-3 small plates instead of having to order a full 3 course meal! The wine list is fantastic with both restaurants being a must for foodies, and seekers of beauty.

151 West 54th Street
New York
NY 10019
tel: 212 468 8889

Halfway Diner

I was attending a wedding in Woodstock, NY and staying in Germantown up in the Hudson Valley. The wedding was a lot of fun and being a tourist in the area was just as lovely. The natural beauty of the Hudson Valley earned the Hudson River the nickname America's Rhine, being compared to that of the famous 40-mile stretch of Germany's Rhine River valley between the cities of Bingen and Koblenz.

One of the most beautiful aspects of the area, are it's various farms (besides the beautful old mansions), which produce vegetables, duck, chicken etc for the rapidly growing gourmand market in the New York City area. One of the first places that I visited was this quaint little diner in the middle of Route 9W and Redhook, NY, one of the 4 oldest diners in America.  The diner is the size of a train carriage, length and width and unlike fare associated with diners frequented in the city, the food here is quite extraordinary. Fresh ingredients from the valley and decent pricing make this a wonderful choice as a food destination.

Recommend items: Biscuits with Sausage and Buttermilk or Eggs Sunnyside up with Rye Toast lathered in butter....yummy.

location: Route 9, middle of Redhook
Upstate NY.

Bubby's Burrito's

Well! Is this cute or what? Another place near Redhook (upstate NY and not to be confused with Redhook, Brooklyn), that is so absolutely adorable! This little van is in operation during the warmer parts of the year by Bjanetta and Rodrigo who rent it from the Farmer's Market about a 100 feet down the road. Infact this was the last day that they were open for the season and then it is back to Mexico for the winter. The menu is very simple -just about 4 items, water and sodas included!

Bjanetta, who is a former Bard student, along with her husband Rodrigo, make some of the best quesadillas and burritos that I have tasted. They are very lightly toasted, thin and full of yummy cheese and a little dash of salsa. That is all you need...then you can take your food and sit on one of the little picnic tables right next to the forest.
Changes yearly but always somewhere near Bard College

Open from May-September

Woo Lae Oak

This is a very stylish, beautiful restaurant serving traditional Korean fare with a contemporary twist. Being able to order and grill pieces of beef, chicken or fish on the barbecue grills set in the middle of one's table is quite heavenly.

A wonderful place for a group of people or the perfect place for a date. You can always walk around Soho in order to digest your meal or pop into the lobby of an understated downtown hotel for some tea, coffee or some freshly squeezed juice.

148 Mercer St
New York, NY 10012
tel: (212) 925-8200