Chili vs Cafe China seems to have been a story for some time, people confusing sometimes the two places. In fact, Chili is located where Cafe China used to be before deciding in 2021 to move two blocks away to a bigger location. Soon after, several former employees opened Chili and there has been a bit of a dispute as Cafe China accused Chili to copy their menu. I admit that when I saw the menu at Chili, I saw few similar items like the tea smoked duck, that made me think that it was owned by the same people.

Laree Adda in Jersey City was not really our first choice when going to Grove street, our first target being closed when we arrived. So, as we love Indian cuisine, we decided to give a try to their Pakistani / Indian casual eatery. This is not a table service restaurant: you order at the counter and they will bring the food once ready. So we decided to try few things there, especially their curries. For me, it was their chicken tikka masala that was good, but did not have enough…

It’s been a while since we went to Momosan, the ramen and sake joint from Chef Morimoto. So we decided to go there on a Friday evening and sat at the bar, preferring these seats from the communal tables that are in the back. And when sitting at the bar, you cannot miss all these bottles with Chef Morimoto on the label.

Jersey City Heights has some great finds and Los Tres Chilitos (the three chilis) is one of them. Serving Mexican cuisine, it has a quite extensive menu that can be a bit overwhelming, with some many dishes and options that it is endless. For instance, I got their enchiladas that could be with pollo (chicken), carne asada (grilled steak), quesillo (Oaxaca cheese) or vegetales (vegetables), and then with three types of choices: verde, roja, mole. So I ended up with chicken enchiladas with mole sauce. Served with refried beans and yellow rice, it was very good, not that I am an expert in mole. Still, that sauce, made with chocolate was delicious, not too rich and comforting.

Emma’s in Jersey City, right outside the Journal Square Path station, is truly an incredible find. We passed few times in front of it, but never imagined that their food would be so delicious, if it was not from someone Jodi knows who mentioned it casually. They opened right at the beginning of Covid that has been a bit of a challenge and is very courageous and we went there few times, seeing their menu evolve. They serve Southern cuisine and even smoke meat. Regrettably, at the time of the post, they do not have anymore their slow smoked BBQ St Louis Spare ribs that…

We were looking for a place Midtown for a dinner on a Friday evening when we stumbled upon Parker & Quinn, a restaurant located in the Refinery Hotel. Big, bright and not too loud, the kind of places I like.

This place that serves an American fare proposes some interesting cocktails, not just the classic ones. So I got tempted by The City is Mine, an original cocktail made with Great Jones bourbon,…

I discovered Black Barn few years ago and I have to say: this is one of my favorite places in the city for brunch or dinner. Their menu is mouth watering with so many interesting options that you would want to order every single dish. On top of that, you sit in a place with a relaxed atmosphere and beautiful decor that matches the name of the place, i.e. a barn, but without the smell!

I discovered Dim Sum Garden recently, thanks to one of my colleagues, Alex who recommended it, but with the caveat that he thought it was expensive for dim sum. I had to see it myself. The place is bright with few booths that I admit are not that comfortable…The way it works is that you will mark with a pen your selection and the dishes will come as they are ready. One of the original dishes is their sampler that is beautifully presented in a wooden tray that separates

After trying the T Brasserie in the Tin Building, our next stop was their vegetarian restaurant, Seeds and Weeds, on the second floor. Nice place, spacious, with lots of light, the green color and wood decor rendering perfectly the theme of the restaurant and giving a zen atmosphere to it.

We started off our meal by ordering beverages. Jodi got the same Cherry and yuzu carbonated soda she tried the last time, and I got the “red juice” that is made with beets and…

It’s been years since we had a meal at Cafe Fiorello on the Upper West Side. I discovered this place when a colleague of mine referred it as the best pizza in NYC. The rectangle crust at the time (not anymore) was good, but what I loved there was their open face lasagna, Parmesan ravioli and their chocolate mousse bucket that was always a treat.

So we went back last Saturday after a…

There are few places in Hoboken I would go for dinner in a heartbeat. Anthony David’s is one of them. The restaurant from Chef Pino who also owns Bin 14 Uptown is a true gem, serving succulent food for brunch or dinner, although, if I had to pick, it would be brunch where this place is usually packed.

Contrary to Bin 14, plates are larger, less crafted for sharing, and, strangely, they seem made for a more formal dining as opposed to Bin 14 that has a more casual feel. For brunch, I love their…

Few months ago, the owners of Barbes, a French-North African restaurant located Uptown Hoboken that serves delicious tagines and couscous, decided to open a French restaurant where the closed restaurant Cucharamama use to be. So we went there on a Friday evening, to check it out. The decor at La Boheme is great, with the very large black and white photos of French celebrities like Alain Delon, Brigitte Bardo, Serge Gainsbourg or Eddy Barclay, giving a bit of a nostalgic atmosphere to the place.

Jacques Brasserie used to be my favorite French restaurant when we were living on the Upper East Side and it has been 9 years since our last visit! So we decided to go back there for a lunch on a weekend. The place looks like what I remember: brasserie feel with a decor that would make you think that you just travelled across the ocean in a restaurant in Paris, besides the music being more international!

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, simply known as Jean-Georges, opened a month ago a high end market at South Street Seaport, the Tin Building. This gigantic market proposes various restaurants serving French, Japanese, Chinese and Italian cuisine in the middle of a busy market place where you can get vegetables, fish, meat, cheese, cookies and all sorts of delicacy that would make you want to move in.

When Il Laboratorio del Gelato opened mid-July in Hoboken, I did not know what to think. I went to their spot on the Lower East Side many years ago and, although I thought it was an interesting concept, I never really craved it. The concept? Making hand-crafted gelato with unique flavors like olive oil, malt, buttermilk, cardamon, tarragon, mint, etc.

Dear Maud opened in July in Hoboken and I surely wanted to try this eatery. Our first attempt was on the Friday before Labor Day, thinking it would be quiet. We were wrong: the restaurant was not only busy, but they were blasting music that is something I really cannot stand while having a meal! So we went back for brunch the following Sunday. Quieter, but with still loud music, we decided to give it a try. Entering the place, we soon realized how big it is with the back area that seemed to be quite spacious and the bar area, also large, with its impressive bar that dominated the room. To start our meal, we decided to get…

When Plaka Souvlaki opened on Newark avenue, I was quite excited, not being too excited by Surf Taco, its predecessor, but more because I love Greek food and heard that they were serving souvlaki that is meat cooked on a skewer, not to be confused with gyro that is meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. My favorite meat? Lamb!

Restaurant week is always a gamble: some restaurants understand that it can be a way for diners to discover a place, others simply do not care, looking more for number of tables than number of returning customers. Benjamin Steakhouse Prime is the former, offering a delicious menu for $45 with an appetizer, an entree and a dessert that certainly will make you think you got yourself a good deal. For appetizer, I got their grilled calamari that was a good change from the usual fried calamari, giving the sense that I started with a healthy dish…The calamari were perfectly cooked, not rubbery, served with olive oil, lemon and garlic.

We were looking for a restaurant for brunch on the Upper East Side when we found Who’s Jac W.?, wondering what the somewhat cryptic name was all about. Is it Jack? is W for Wife? My curiosity stopped when we looked at the menu and decided to give it a try. It is a spacious restaurant, with a cozy feel, but going at the beginning of service might not be the best idea as they were still setting up things…

We passed many times in front of Great Jones Distillery Co and it was time to check out the only active whisky distillery in Manhattan, opened 100 years after prohibition. We went for dinner and so did not get a chance to visit the distillery or even the lounge, but, as we entered, we could not miss the large copper pot that dominates the shop where you can buy some of their whisky as well as various merchandise like glasses, books, hats, etc.