Restaurant week is an opportunity to sample new cuisines, broaden culinary palates or simply get into higher end restaurants without breaking the bank.
I visited Aureole in midtown Manhattan for a weekday lunch. The restaurant wasn’t too crowded but it’s always good to make reservations in advance. A new element to restaurant week is the ability to have a meal with or without dessert (difference in price is $26 vs. $32 for lunch.)
An 8 hour flight from New York JFK into Rome Leonardo da Vinci airport. A 4 hour train ride southeast into Bari. Another 2 hour train ride further south into Lecce. And a 45 minute cab ride over to Otranto on the Adriatic Sea.
A bit of a trek, but well worth it to explore and eat my way through the Apulia Region of Italy.
Brunch. I’m not the biggest fan of Maths, but the sum of breakfast + lunch is an equation everyone should get acquainted with. Brunch is the socially acceptable way to get away with two meals in one and to drink bubbles with eggs and hollandaise sauce – Winning. And quite frankly, my experience in the past few weeks has revealed that Christchurch City has many Brunch haunts worth a visit (or two.) Here are some top picks.
A buttermilk biscuit isn’t a buttermilk biscuit without gravy! The same rules apply to real southern cooking; you have to experience it in the South. Whether you’re a true Southern Belle’ or just want to eat good food, you’ll find yourself wondering how you’ve gone through life without dining at the best Southern restaurants in Atlanta. I have included a short list of some of the most mouth-watering, deep fried recipes from the area below. Happy eating!
Classic steak Diane is served with a sauce of sautéed and cooked-down onions, garlic, whiskey, stock, cream, and crushed green peppercorns. Unlike black peppercorns, the green ones have a bright fruitiness to them. I love the same sauce on pork. I brine the tenderloin first to keep it juicy and then grill it whole. The grilling only takes about 10 minutes, and while the meat’s resting, you make the sauce.
The diverse cultural influences reflected in food and restaurants across the city are astounding. Taking weekend trips to deeper parts of Brooklyn and Queens pays dividends to the traveler willing to sit on the N train for an extra 20 minutes. Included below is an example of one of the great dishes available when you are in the city.
I decided to head down south to the city of Charleston, South Carolina. Flight times come in just under 2 hours (2 hours out and 1.5 hours back!) Having never been to Charleston, I chose to stay downtown in the historic district to be close to landmark locations on my list of places to see.
I learned a few things on my trip to the Palmetto City. First and foremost, Charleston is a city that forces you to make a lot of decisions. Shall I get another order of Shrimp and Grits? I already tried She Crab Soup, but should I get another bowl. Do I spend a day on a boat in the harbor or walking around taking pictures and visiting historical landmarks around town? An afternoon on the beach or marshland? Fishing or Kayaking?
Come for the food, stay for the atmosphere. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself after finally venturing to 12 South’s hotspot, bartaco. Only open since October, the restaurant has already made a name for itself with its fresh drinks and tasty food. Though it has multiple locations across the South and Northeast, our very own Nashville location somehow feels one of a kind.
Now that we have finally welcomed the warmer weather, the restaurant has opened its massive garage-style doors in celebration. You can take advantage of the lounge seating under the warm spring sun or simply enjoy the occasional breeze from the indoor tables.
Until I moved to Nashville, I didn’t consider myself a big cauliflower fan. To me, it was broccoli’s less flavorful, less palatable cousin and nothing more. It turns out that in the past few years, Nashville restaurants have become a bit obsessed with their cauliflower appetizers and side dishes, and thanks to their creative takes on the veggie, I’ve finally come to understand what the hype is all about.
I should probably preface this article with a slight disclaimer: in the next 400 words or so, I plan on bloviating in the best of ways about my favorite restaurant in all of Nashville – Fido. Nashville is a town that has gastro-city aspirations, and is slowly headed in that direction, but sometimes the concerted push causes people to overlook the tried and true staples.
