Posts Tagged ‘Blue Smoke’

NYC Restaurant Week® To Go Is Extended through the End of February

Let’s call it what it is: the city’s popular prix fixe dining event, NYC Restaurant Week, should really be called NYC Restaurant Month. This year, in deference to the evolving outdoor dining, indoor dining and takeout/delivery situation, the newly renamed NYC Restaurant Week® To Go has been extended through February 28. You still have plenty of time to try out some of the fascinating cuisines featured in neighborhoods all over the city without ever leaving your home, all for the low price of $20.21 per meal.

No Passport Needed: Around the World

Marta (c) Peter Garritano

If you’ve been lamenting not dining at Union Square Hospitality Group’s popular restaurants, you’ll be happy that Union Square Café, Blue Smoke, Marta and Gramercy Tavern have all ponied up for Restaurant Week® To Go. Happily, now-closed Blue Smoke has two of their signature BBQ items available:  pulled pork and Texas beef brisket. Grab them while you can.

Courtesy Concord Hill

Simple but decidedly Brooklyn in inspo, Concord Hill brings you Chef Guy Kairi’s locally sourced, wild caught fish with a side of truffled fingerling potatoes. Ask for one of the New American restaurant’s signature cocktail infusions to go.

Courtesy UN Plaza Grill

Midtown East’s glamorous and kosher UN Plaza Grill is a popular stop for UN delegates as well as neighborhood residents. Diners can choose either the Plaza Burger with homemade BBQ sauce or chicken paillard with a Mediterranean couscous chopped salad. Please note, the restaurant is closed on Friday and Saturday until dinner.

Courtesy Lekka Burger

Chef Amanda Cohen’s plant-powered burger restaurant, Lekka Burger, has just what you need for settling in with your boo on a snowy evening. Curated from the TriBeCa restaurant’s menu favorites, you’ll get a signature Lekka burger, broccolini Caesar salad, French fries and a milkshake in your choice of flavor.

Courtesy CS DAK by Cuisine Solutions

CS DAK by Cuisine Solutions, New York’s first Dark Assembly Kitchen showcasing sous vide cuisine, is partnering with City Harvest for Restaurant Week® to Go. Under the direction of Chef Sean Wheaton, the team will donate a meal to City Harvest for every meal sold, helping to support the organization’s work rescuing food for New Yorkers in need. CS DAK is very generous to you as well, offering a culinary trip around the world with five chef-curated choices including roasted cod, petit beef tender, chicken breast, Mexican-style tamarind glazed pork ribs and Berkshire pork belly, all with a range of creative sides.

I’m in the Mood for Italian

Courtesy Mario’s Restaurant

Mario’s Restaurant on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx is as Italian as you can get. The 102-year-old Belmont fave serves up chicken cutlet parmigiana, chicken Francese, veal cutlet parmigiana, veal marsala, linguini with white or red clam sauce, ravioli, or fillet of sole Napoletana or oreganata, all with appropriate sides or salad. Ask for a bottle of Chianti to accompany.

Leonelli Restaurant (c) Emily chan

Leonelli Restaurant & Bar will keep you cozy with cuisine from Michelin-starred chef Jonathan Benno’s (Lincoln Ristorante) trattoria in the Evelyn Hotel. A polenta baguette, eggplant parmesan or lasagna verde Bolognese, and almond biscotti make a great spread while you tune into another season of The Crown. Or with this, you might want to consider re-watching The Sopranos.

Courtesy Gran Morsi

Tribeca’s Gran Morsi is offering one of the most extensive Italian selections for Restaurant Week with pizza, nine pastas and many contorni. Try the unusual busiate cacio e pepe or the spaghetti limone for something you might not find elsewhere. For your side, polpette or truffle arancini are a must.

So Many Asian Cuisines

Courtesy Kimika

Chef Christine Lau’s new Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant, Kimika, offers a Menchi Katsu version of a burger combining 30-day dry aged beef, fried mozzarella, shaved cabbage and pickled onion, served with a side of duck fat-fried potatoes. Pretend you’re sipping at the NoLita bar with innovative alcoholic and zero-proof cocktails like “Not a Rum and Coke” with rum, amaro, sherry and Prosecco; or the zero-proof “Basil Cobbler,” a combo of Seedlip Spice, basil, cranberry and other flavors.

Courtesy Tiger Lily Kitchen

Tiger Lily Kitchen highlights Michelle Morgan’s health-conscious, gluten-free Asian dishes.  The soon-to-be-permanent restaurant features appetizers including vegetable summer rolls, Japanese kabocha squash soup, or tofu bites with chili-spiced garlic chips. Mains offer a choice of lemongrass roast chicken, grilled Koji marinated salmon or vegetarian coconut curry with tofu.

Courtesy Torien

As close as you can be to Japan now, Tokyo export Torien in NoHo is offering a range of yakitori bento boxes including Yakitori- Soboro Bento with sauteed minced chicken, nori seaweed and egg; an all-veggie Yaki-Yasai Bento with Torien’s custom spice blend; or a Grilled Vegan Vegetables Box. Sides are a choice of toridashi chicken soup or vegetable broth. The yakitori counter’s skewers are prepared over a custom grill uskng charcoal imported from Japan.

Courtesy Little Chef Little Café

From Long Island City, Little Chef Little Café’s three-course meal includes a starter beverage choice of housemade iced ginger tea, basil lemonade or rosemary limeade. Highlights on Chef Diana Manalang’s Filipino menu are the adventurous Sinigang, a Filipino tamarind-based soup with tomatoes, potatoes, tofu, green beans and bok choy; or a rice bowl with garlic fried rice and topped with chicken adobo, pork adobo or vegan Ginataang (vegetables sauteed in coconut milk and topped with spicy pickled pineapple). Dessert is a traditional Filipino comfort treat, Biko, a coconut rice cake.

Bourbon, Rum, Tequila, Vodka and Whiskey Bars

It’s time to move on to our next set of summer cocktail celebrations in the second exploration of the city’s single liquor bar craze.  Here are some fabulous one-note venues that will satisfy your taste for something a little heavier than bitters or champagne.

Bourbon

Blue Smoke: If you can pull yourself away from the heavenly smell of barbeque, head straight to the bar and be wowed by the extensive bourbon list. Those feeling overwhelmed by the selection can opt for the bourbon flights including one ounce tastes of Basil Hayden’s, Blanton’s, Russell’s Reserve, Jefferson’s Reserve, and Blue Smoke Single Barrel.

116 East 27th Street; 212-447-7733; http://bluesmoke.com/blue/

Blue Smoke

Fette Sau: This Brooklyn hotspot is truly deserving of its repeated “Best BBQ in NYC” designation, but it should be equally recognized for its selection of “America’s Native Spirit.” Sit at the bar or grab a picnic table and show your New York pride while enjoying Hudson Baby Bourbon, the first bourbon to be distilled in New York.

354 Metropolitan Avenue (Brooklyn); 718-963-3404; http://www.fettesaubbq.com/

Fette Sau

Rum

Cienfuegos: Step into this Cuban-style speakeasy and be transformed into a world of pinks and greens where the rum steals the show. Rums hail from Barbados, Martinique, Fiji, and Guyana—to name a few. Bring some friends along and make sure to order any of the punch bowls with recommendations including the Isla Punch and the Peach Jam. Each of the three-selection rum flights includes specialties aged to perfection such as the High Roller with Ron Zacapa Centerario 25-year, Mount Gay 1703 Old Cask selection, and El Dorado Vintage Reserve 25-year.

95 Avenue A; 212-614-6818; http://www.cienfuegosny.com

Cienfuegos

Tequila

La Biblioteca: The basement of Richard Sandoval’s Zengo may call out to bookworms, but instead of finding shelves of the classics, explore more than 400 varieties of tequila. Take notes on your favorites while lounging over the wooden library tables or purchase your favorite bottle and store it in your own tequila locker for up to six months. Show your library card to retrieve your bottle and have it served with homemade sangrita or a shaker, sour mix, and salt to design your own margarita. Brush up on your tequila studies on Tuesday nights at 5pm while meeting ambassadors from different distilleries.

622 Third Avenue; 212-808-8110; http://www.richardsandoval.com/labiblioteca/

La Biblioteca

Mayahuel: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo every day at Mayahuel and gain a fine appreciation for tequila. The dark and sexy design is complemented by the smoky Mezcals as well as the inventive tequila-featured cocktails, punches and flights. For an authentic agave experience, try any of the sotol, blanco, reposado, or añejo selections. Traditional bar fare and bites take on a Mexican twist with palomitas (popcorn with lime, cotija cheese, and ancho chili) and croquetas (black bean and plaintain with roasted red pepper or chorizo and cheese smoked tomato).

304 East 6th Street; 212-253-5888; http://mayahuelny.com

Mayahuel

Vodka

Russian Vodka Room: In this Theater District favorite, choose from 53 different featured vodkas or be adventurous and try the Russian Vodka Room’s homemade flavor-infused vodkas. The brave at heart can try the horseradish or garlic, pepper, and dill vodkas. A traditional Russian menu accompanies the vodka, with highlights including the Gravlox with potato pancakes, assorted caviar selections, and pan seared veal blintzes.

265 West 52nd Street; 212-307-5835; http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/

Russian Vodka Room

Whiskey

Brandy Library: This TriBeCa favorite does boast a menu with almost any spirit you can think of, but its whiskey offerings are especially impressive. Browse through the 21-page whiskey menu online if you fear the anxiety coming on — you’ll find whiskeys from all over the world including selections from India and Japan, definitely enough to make your head spin without even a sip. Make sure to check in with any of the librarians for recommendations and suggestions.

25 North Moore Street; 212-226-5545; http://brandylibrary.com

Brandy Library:

Whiskey Tavern: Whiskey Tavern brings the feel of an authentic tavern to Chinatown with its old wooden booths and floors. Come for the game and enjoy your favorite whiskey with some traditional pub fare. True whiskey lovers should bravely order the pickle back, a shot of whiskey accompanied by a shot of pickle juice.

79 Baxter Street; 212-374-9119; http://whiskeytavernnyc.com/

Whiskey Tavern

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