HK  HELL'S  KITCHEN

Lynn and I were looking for a place to eat lunch on 9th Avenue. We decided to try the restaurant on the corner that I had frequented with Devin in the past.  It has changed owners and venues, so it was like a maiden voyage for us both.  The menu offered a variety of American food with miscellaneous Mediterranean options.  Our server was very attentive and pleasant, and our lunches were great!  Lynn couldn't eat all of her generous club sandwich while I ate all of my salmon.  I get teased in my family for ordering salmon frequently but I was very happy I did at HK.  It was prepared perfectly.  If I worked in that neighborhood, I would definitely be a steady customer.





HK  HELL'S  KITCHEN
523 Ninth Avenue
New York, NY  10018
PH: 212-947-4208

GALLO NERO

Last weekend it was cold and snowy, but that didn't stop us from walking the streets to eat in a restaurant we haven't tried.  We had tickets to see Hedwig and wanted a casual dinner before going to the show.  Gallo Nero was perfect for just that.  A cozy little restaurant with friendly waiters and good food.  My rigatoni with salmon and asparagus was excellent.  Lynn enjoyed her spaghetti carbonara as Devin did the muscles.  Instead of dessert we drank Nutty Irishman coffees (with Frangelico and Bailey's) topped with whipped cream.  Who couldn't love that???





GALLO NERO
402 West 44th Street
New York, NY  10036
PH: 212-265-6660

DA ANDREA

I'm pretty sure I've suggested this restaurant in a previous entry, but eating here with Andrea for her birthday made it very poetic.  And besides, the food is so good here, I can't mention it enough!



DA ANDREA
35 West 13th Street
New York, NY  10011
PH: 212-367-1979

 MUSTANG HARRY'S

It was Saturday afternoon and the four of us, being Ravens fans, needed a place to watch the game while in New York.  Clare did her homework and found us Mustang Harry's on 7th Avenue near Penn Station.  It's the longest bar in the City with over twenty HD televisions.  Not only is it a sports bar, but it is Ravens friendly.  We were thrilled when we walked in and saw a sea of purple jerseys!  We spent the rest of the afternoon eating and drinking and cheering (even though we didn't win).  Devin joined us for a bite and a drink and a good time was had by all.  This bar is a keeper for sports fans!

MUSTANG HARRY'S
352  7th Avenue
New York, NY  10001
PH: 212-268-8930

CAFE UN DEUX TROIS

Andrea had a "Big" birthday that needed celebrating in a "Big" way, and New York City was the best place to do that!  So, Vicki and Clare and I made plans for the four of us to have a fun weekend there together.  We rode the train and walked to our hotel to check our bags so we could get started.  Once our bags were secured, we walked across the street for some lunch at the Cafe Un Deux Trois.   We ate and drank and absorbed being in the City at a leisurely pace.  It was a good kick-off to a wonderful weekend.



CAFE UN DEUX TROIS
123 West 44th Street
New York, NY  10036
PH: 212-354-4148

TESSA, New York

It was a busy weekend, and a lazy Monday night at home was tempting, but not enough to keep us from checking out Tessa.  Conveniently located (for us) on the Upper West Side, we met at the bar for happy hour at 5:30pm.  It was quiet, but it was early.  The drinks were great and a good intro to what was to follow.  We were seated promptly at 6:15pm, our reservation time (again, early).  I was happy to be seated at a table for four so the three of us could talk more easily.   It's off balanced when you are asked to sit along the wall in a restaurant and two people face one person.  Christopher chose our wine for the evening and we were off and running.  We decided to sample two appetizers:  House Dips (smoked eggplant, ricotta cheese, and hummus with crispy lavash bread) and Octopus a La Plancha (yellow squash caponata and green olive tapenade with aged balsamic).  Delicious on both counts!  For dinner, I ordered the Roasted Monkfish with lentil, quinoa, and pancetta pilaf and mustard agrodoice.  It was wonderful.  Devin and Christopher were pleased as well with their choices - Scallop Risotto and a Tile Fish Special.  No one really wanted or needed dessert but I insisted.  How can you try a new restaurant and not go all the way?  We ordered Chocolate Mousse.  What arrived was in no way traditional. There was toasted almond, fennel seed caramel, and honey anise ice cream. Wow!  It was a fun evening, one we were glad to have under our belts - literally.  But so worth it.


TESSA
349 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY  10024
PH: 212-390-1974

LE  GARAGE

 

Hampden has some great bar/restaurants and Le Garage fits right in.  Vicki and I went there tonight and were not disappointed.  We prefer to sit at the bar and tonight the bartenders dazzled us with their drink making talents.  The bar specializes in specialty drinks and beer.  We loved our choice - the Beaute.  It consisted of Polish rye vodka, creme de pamplemousse, grapefruit juice, and mint.  Smoooothe.   To accompany our cocktails, we shared a cheese course.  Fresh ricotta with honey on zucchini bread.  It was delicious.  Following that, Vicki chose an open faced bacon, tomato and basil sandwich and I loved my onion soup loaded with braised short rib and flavor.  We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and after looking around the room, felt a good time was had by all.

 

 

 

LE GARAGE

911 W 36th Street

Baltimore, MD  21211

PH: 410-243-6300

 FRIEDMAN'S , New York


It was Monday morning and we needed nourishment!  Our concierge recommended Friedman's and away we went.  Remind me to thank the hotel for having a concierge with such good taste.  Like lots of women (and men), we are trying to be more health conscious, not to mention not gain weight.  Friedman's was perfect for a discriminating breakfast.  I posted my delicious egg white scramble with vegetables with an

avocado beautifully spread over the top (I had already eaten some of it before I remembered to take this pic, what can I say?? ).   It was a great place to eat, not to mention its location is not far from Penn Station.  Looking forward to frequenting Friedman's again (and again)!

FRIEDMAN'S
132  West 31st  Street
New York, NY  10001
PH: 212-971-9400

DA ANDREA, New York

Ever wonder where the locals go for a great, inexpensive dinner?  That would be Da Andrea.  Located in Greenwich Village, it was the perfect place for Georgia and Vicki and I to decompress after a full day of activities.  The wine selection was good, something that's very important to the three of us.  We shared homemade pappardelle with sweet sausage ragout and truffle oil essence.  It was delicious.  We also shared a salmon filet with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and dijon mustard sauce.  Wow!  When the food arrived, we knew we ordered too much, but it tasted so good that we didn't care and managed to clean all the plates.  It was easy to see why it was one of the few neighborhood restaurants that was crowded on a Sunday evening in July.  Do your best to eat there and be as content as we found ourselves.


DA ANDREA
35 West 13th Street
New York, NY  10011
PH: 212-367-1979

LATTANZI,  New York

Georgia and Vicki and I had a fun morning on the train and then checked our bags in our hotel, all the time thinking about where to eat lunch.  We chose Lattanzi, a wonderful Ristorante on Restaurant Row in Broadway's Theatre District.  As much as we loved our lunch choices, I think the appetizer we shared was the most intriguing.  It was their signature dish - artichokes sauteed with garlic and extra virgin olive oil.  Excellent!  Do put this restaurant on your list of places to eat on Restaurant Row, it's a perfect accompaniment to seeing a show on Broadway.



LATTANZI
Ristorante Italiano
361  West  46th  Street
New York, NY  10036
PH: 212-315-0980

THE FOOD MARKET

Sunday Brunch - one of my favorite things!  Today's brunch was especially fun because I've been wanting to get together with my friends Bill and Brian and Eileen and Richmond.  We ventured to The Food Market in Hampden hon, on The Avenue.  Everyone enjoyed their selections, but here are the ones I considered to be the best from our choices:  Drink:  French Tease.  Hendrick's gin, domaine de canton ginger liqueur, splash lemon juice topped with champagne.  Lunch:  Pat Lafrieda Burger.  Diced bacon, lettuce, tomoato, onion, cheese, pickles, sesame bun.  Dessert:  Heath Bar Bread Pudding.  And that says it all!  We are looking forward to trying their dinner offerings, hopefully very soon!!

THE FOOD MARKET
1017 West 36th Street
Baltimore, MD  21211
PH: 410-366-0606

We were a week shy of St. Patrick's Day, but we managed to finish our night out at this great Irish bar.  Although we were filled from dinner, we decided to have one last night cap in Times Square.  The bar was filled and serviced by a bartender who was most accommodating.  Eileen ordered a half and half beer and I tried my first Irish coffee.  It was about 1am when we decided to call it a night.  Having a drink in friendly O'Donoghue's was the perfect way to end our day - or should I say our good fortune?


O'Donoghue's
Bar and Restaurant
156  W.  44th Street
Times Square
PH: 212-997-2262

 ANDANADA 141


Eileen and I recently met Devin and Christopher for dinner and a great time was had by all.   The Spanish cuisine at AndanadA was amazing.  We met at 7:30pm and relaxed over two bottles of wine, tapas, paella and a dessert.  We each chose a tapas selection to share: Sauteed shrimp in spicy garlic sauce, Meatballs in squid ink sauce, Fried artichokes with grated Manchego cheese, and Mini potatoes in an "earth" of black olives.  Afterward we shared two orders of paella mixed with chicken, calamari, shrimp, fish, and mussels.  It was the perfect amount of food for us, but we couldn't not sample one of the desserts.  We tried the warm torrijas with hazelnut ice cream.  Yumm.  Everything was so good I can't wait to return for more - and more!




ANDANADA 141
141  W.  69th Street
New York, NY  10023
PH: 646-692-8762

ALCHEMY, Maryland

What a FUN night!!  The four of us were supposed to eat dinner together at a table by the window in lovely downtown Hampden hon, but we got there early and the four seats at the upstairs bar were calling us.  We nuzzled in and had a wonderful dinner with the help of our great bartender.  We loved the beverage menu and each of us ordered something different (Amy withchild, drinking non-alcholic).  Our dinners were great, three of us ordering from the Restaurant Week menu.  We all loved our choices and were quite pleased with our decision to eat here.  Do give it a try!


ALCHEMY
1011  W.  36th Street
Baltimore, MD  21211
PH:  410-366-1163

Crab Mac & Cheese
 

 OUZO  BAY

Georgia and Vicki and I met here tonight to celebrate my birthday.  What a great evening.  As a New York City lover, I am always looking for restaurants that remind me of NY and this one fit the bill.  I love going out with Georgia and Vicki because they appreciate good food and know where to go.  Tonight was no exception.  The lamb meatballs appetizer was amazing and my scallops entree was perfect.  Our server couldn't have been more nice, not to mention attentive.  If I'm going to get older, this is the way to do it!!!!


OUZO BAY
1000 Lancaster Street
Balto  MD  21202
PH: 443-708-5818

 

 

 LOCANDA  VERDE

It was Monday afternoon and time to part with French cuisine.  We had a wonderful weekend and chose Locanda Verde in TriBeCa as our last culinary hurrah.  It was fabulous!  We began with Sheep's Milk Ricotta with sea salt and herbs Crostini.  Very rich and filling, but we had all afternoon to take our time and savor each course.  Our second plate was a pasta that melted in your mouth, and we finished with Scallops on Sicilian Cauliflower.  A great lunch and a great way to finish our weekend.  We walked from the restaurant through SoHo and the Village and Chelsea just to justify eating so richly, but it was worth it!

 

 

LOCANDA VERDE

377 Greenwich Street

New York, NY  10013

PH: 212-925-3797

  LE  GIGOT


We were pretty tired after scouting Brooklyn all afternoon, but not too tired to meet Devin and Christopher for dinner in the village at Le Gigot.  It was a great evening - good company, good service, and good food.  Very enjoyable.  My steak (in pic) was excellant!  Everyone loved their entrees and we couldn't resist sampling a few appetizers beforehand.  We had a salad, escargot, and pate.  After dinner, we passed around a pudding and a slice of chocolate cake with chocolate sauce (a meal isn't complete without chocolate).  Un bon moment a ete eu par tous!



LE  GIGOT
18 Cornelia Street
New York, NY  10014
PH: 212-627-3737



PATES & TRADITIONS


Sunday morning Vicki and I decided to spend the day in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  It was virgin territory for us, making it all the more exciting.  We read about a great little cafe that serves wonderful buckwheat crepes so our brunch mission began.  We got there not long after it opened and were able to get seated right away which was perfect since we really needed some coffee and tea to warm us.  Everything was delicious!

 

 

 

Bon Appetit

PATES & TRADITIONS

52 Havemeyer Street

Brooklyn, NY  11211

PH: 718-302-1878



 

 


CHEZ JOSEPHINE

It was a cold weekend, but one can always find places to go in New York City.  Vicki and I met there Saturday evening to spend a few days absorbing as much of the City's offerings that we could.  First, we went to see "Betrayal" on Broadway featuring Danial Craig and Rachel Weis.  As a James Bond fan, I was very excited to see one of the "Bonds" live.  He did not disappoint.  After the theatre, we went to Chez Josephine (as in Josephine Baker) for dinner.  What a fun spot!  It's like stepping back in time.  I love live music and the gentlemen playing a piano and sax kept a steady pace throughout the evening.  We were seated at what we thought was the best table in the house, which made it all the better.  Our dinners were delicious and when we left an hour or two later, we left fulfilled. 


CHEZ JOSEPHINE
414 West 42nd Street
New York, NY  10036
PH: 212-594-1925

 

THE WOMEN'S EXCHANGE

Tonight I attended the Industrious Woman Event honoring Baltimore City Deputy Mayor, Kaliope Parthemos.  The Exchange began shortly after the Civil War and has been at it's present location on Charles Street since 1887.  There are lots of hand-crafted goods made by women (and men) wishing to support themselves with dignity.  A great place to pick up specialty holiday gifts!  Visit at lunch time (11am-2:30pm) and enjoy delicious home-inspired comfort food.

THE WOMEN'S EXCHANGE
333 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD  21201
PH: 410-685-4388, 410-244-6450