I've always believed there's no such thing as Dutch cuisine. As a Dutch-surnamed American, I've had to live with that. Especially if you don't... More >>
A decade ago, Manhattan's romantic little French bistros withered away, like lardons left too long in the frying pan. But now the institution has... More >>
But do not fear this new Yemeni place in Bay Ridge
By Robert Sietsema,
September 15, 2010
For years, the city's limited collection of restaurants serving the food of Yemen has been confined to the corner of Court and Atlantic streets... More >>
The newest Qingdao restaurant hits Flushing filled with pleasing surprises
By Robert Sietsema,
September 08, 2010
In the past two years, restaurants from China's northeast region—adjacent to the Yellow Sea, across from Korea—have been flooding South Flushing... More >>
The Long Island City restaurant aims for modern trattoria
By Robert Sietsema,
September 01, 2010
As with other great food cities—Paris, say, or Hong Kong—Rome's most profound gastronomic triumphs often lie buried, like ancient ruins, beneath... More >>
The past decade has seen an unprecedented growth in the number of wine bars, so that currently, Yelp counts 524 in the city. For an owner, the... More >>
"Tuscan" must be the most abused term in the gastro-lexicon. Originally, it referred to the cuisine of a Central Italian region where a limited... More >>
Ever been to a place where the food knocks your eyes out, but when you taste it—blech! Such was the case at Plein Sud, a new French restaurant at... More >>
Located in Clinton Hill, Buka ("Eating House") is a new Nigerian restaurant on Fulton Street, but it certainly isn't the first—there's been a... More >>
The bo zai fan, that is -- a tasty rice casserole.
By Robert Sietsema,
July 20, 2010
Those who think of Hong Kong restaurants as grandiose, glitzy, chandeliered rooms, reached mainly by escalator—where the menu flaunts nearly... More >>
A few weeks ago, I was blown away by Hibino, a Japanese restaurant in Cobble Hill specializing in the food of Kyoto, a city 200 miles west of... More >>
Mexican wrestling is the motif of a new micro-eatery
By Robert Sietsema,
June 29, 2010
America's foremost Mexican chef resides, not in New York or L.A., but in Chicago. Author of celebrated cookbooks, host of several PBS series, and... More >>
A new bar and grill in the old Black Betty space offers a wacky menu, but does it pretty well
By Robert Sietsema,
June 22, 2010
'Hey, this looks like my dad's rec room," said my date, scanning the darkened premises as we entered the Commodore. "Danish modern hanging lamps... More >>
Named after an ugly fish with almost-human teeth once caught by colonial English anglers, Sheepshead Bay has long been the city's capital of... More >>
A carload of friends and I had to flee Sheepshead Bay one Sunday evening like escaped prisoners on the lam. We'd started our expedition with the... More >>
An old-line margarita mill evokes the days of the chile queens
By Robert Sietsema,
June 01, 2010
Chile con carne was first introduced to the American public at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair: a bowl of highly spiced beef in a rich red sauce... More >>
Mile End could be the poster child for three recent trends in the city's restaurant industry. The first is the increasing popularity of facsimile... More >>
On the Lower East Side, Sam Sifton meets the ghost of EC Comics
By Robert Sietsema,
May 18, 2010
I often shiver with apprehension when crossing the threshold of the latest overhyped eatery, and Kenmare was no exception. The place is partly... More >>
Step inside Casa Calamari and be blinded by a red-and-green neon squid, sporting a floppy chef's hat and flailing 10 arms. With his crooked smile... More >>
No pig's blood, but plenty of flavors on 34th Street
By Robert Sietsema,
April 27, 2010
"This place doesn't look very good," exclaimed a veteran member of my dining posse as we crawled into Talent Thai after a hard day's night of... More >>
Scott Conant names his new restaurant after a poisoner
By Robert Sietsema,
April 13, 2010
Almost a decade ago, I spotted chef Scott Conant in the newly opened Italian Wine Merchants on Union Square. At 29, and still somewhat wet behind... More >>
