We found Blue Dog Café thanks to Opentable, because, based on where it is and how hidden their door is, I am not sure I would have gone to that place soon...Yes, it is hidden, but, considering the number of people there where we arrived, they did not seem to have any difficulty to get patrons. Except that it seems that people came there before a show, because after 7:30pm, this place was empty, with only Jodi, I and the staff left. Weird! 

I was looking at restaurants with Michelin stars in New York, when I noticed The Clocktower, a restaurant located in the New York Edition Hotel, in front of Madison Square Park. I admit that you really need to know that the restaurant is on the first floor, as when you enter into the hotel, you cannot see it right away. But, when you are in the main dining room, you are amazed by the beautiful decor, with its crown molding, paintings, and of course the big fireplace in the back. 

I am a big fan of Chef Carlos Darquea, the co-owner of Chimichurri Grill who, with its two restaurants, one on the East side and one in the heart of Hell's Kitchen, serves fantastic Argentinian cuisine. So I was delighted to go back there, when Chef Carlos invited me to sample his Gaucho ribeye for two, ribeye being my favorite cut of meat. And what a feast! Here is what I tried:

Yes, the name is misleading: Union Square Burger by Cozy Myers is not in Union Square, but near Times Square. I admit that you really need to know this place is there and it goes in direct competition with Shake Shack that is a couple of blocks away. Well, I do not think that the owner opened to be in direct competition with Shake Shack so to speak, but the stakes are high in that neighborhood and while Shake Shack was full when we passed in front of it, Union Square Burger was totally empty.

I passed so many times in front of Azalea that we finally decided to try that place and you know what? Although most of their patrons are theater goers and tourists (full before 7pm and start emptying at 7:30pm, so that's how I guessed that), it serves pretty good Italian cuisine, at the prices of Times Square (not cheap, but not outrageous prices). This is a big place with a nice amount of light thanks to the very large windows of the main dining room. In fact, I suggest you try to sit there, the little room in the back being quite dark, unless you want some privacy...

We rarely go to Queens, but could not say no to my friend Malini, The Restaurant Fairy, who was organizing a meal with a bunch of bloggers at Sevan, an Armenian restaurant located in Bayside. There, we met with Arthur Matevosyan who has been running this family restaurant since 2004, keeping in mind the advice of his father, a restauranteur in Armenia, gave him. The food there was delicious, the kebab being my favorite, especially the lamb chops that came in a very spectacular way to the table. Here are the various dishes we tried: