I should mention that they came in very hot plates, so you could hear them sizzling, like angels singing to my ears... These steaks were delicious and the first bite, as well as the subsequent ones, were divine: the meat was tender and juicy, with a nice char on top, and a slight hint of kosher salt. The ribeye was deliciously fatty and paired perfectly with the glass of Pinot Noir I ordered.

It was composed of lettuce (too much of it, I ended up removing some, but I admit that I am not a huge fan of it in a burger anyway), tomato, onion, bacon, aged cheddar and chipotle mayo (perfect: I always add mayo to my burger). The menu said that there were crispy onions, but they were nowhere to be found.

Bareburger, the famous organic burger chain, opened a little over a month in Hoboken, following the path of Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries. It definitely starts to crowded on Washington street, if we take into account not only these two restaurants, but also Five Guys and the multiple bars that serve signature burgers. 

There, they follow the philosophy of its owners: sustainability. No frozen food or microwaves, beverage coasters that are 100 percent biodegradable and recyclable, made only with timber from reforestation programs; at lunch, recycled brown butcher paper covers each table to reduce laundry costs and water waste. But is the food good? That is what we would discover there.

Located on the Lower East Side, Sugar Sweet Sunshine is a bakery that two friends, Peg and Deb, opened end of 2003. They succeeded two give to the place the 70's / 80's feel they wanted to create, adding to the flower power, the power of sweets. 

Then, we got our steaks. The signature steak at Peter Luger is the porterhouse (one side tenderloin and one side strip steak, separated by a T shape bone), that you can order for one, two, three or four people, rib steak and sirloin, all of them being USDA prime grade and dry aged on premises.

There, restaurateur Shmulik Avital and Executive Chef Dario Tapia (formerly at Westville and Maison Kayser - that promises some great pastries), crafted an international menu with Mediterranean influences. The name is an homage to Sam Spiegel, the film producer known for movies like Lawrence of Arabia, On the waterfront or The Bridge on the River Kwai, Shmulik being a huge old movie fan. 

So, we saw The Treat House in an episode of Serious Sweets and decided to add it to our wish list. Few months later, here we are, on the Upper West Side, in front of the store, ready to indulge with these decadent cubes. The size of it is perfect so you can try several.

One of their bento boxes, that came with a salad that would have been boring if not for the sesame seeds on top that added a nice nutty flavor. What I like is that you pick the food that will go in the bento box, each time between two choices. For instance, chicken or salmon teriyaki; California or spicy tuna roll. 

Opened in 1993 by Lidia and Joe Bastianich, Becco is one of those Italian restaurants where your palate will transport you miles away, on a culinary trip that you will never forget. Reservations are necessary for this hotspot located in restaurant row, in the heart of the Theater District. Becco means beak in english, hence the bird on their logo.

Buddakan was on my list for a while and I was thrilled when Jodi picked this restaurant for her birthday (ok, I did not tell the restaurant it was her special day as she hates it when they come with a cake and sing...). As soon as we entered, we were amazed by the impressive decor of the venue.

This time, I was at Quality Meats, a steakhouse located Midtown, part of the empire of Alan Stillman who also owns Smith & Wollensky. There are plenty of items in the decor to remind you where you are, whether it is the cow head or white tiles representing a slaughterhouse, to the bulbs held by butcher hooks.

To give you a bit of history of this place, let's go back to 2007, when the adventure started. At that time, Nargis Café was a tiny place, that slowly expanded over the years, taking over a flower shop (interesting considering that Nargis means flower), and later, a dry cleaning. The place can now accommodate, with its terrace, close to 150 guests. We went on a Friday night and it was packed, with lots of people waiting outside in a very good atmosphere.