Amy Blogs Chow food writer eats it • reviews it • can't cook itcontact
amy@amyblogschow.com
Manhattan
THE PERFECT AGE For Cupcakes
In August 2009, I made my first Stupidly Simple Snacks video in which I bumbled through banana shakes. Twelve months later, I’m still bumbling, making videos, eating cupcakes and, somewhere along the line, gained a teenage fan base.
MY BEST NYC BITES OF SUMMER
I often get asked for restaurant recommendations and lists of my favorite foods. Today, I decided to share them. Some dishes are tried & true; others were unforgettable the first time I had them. Whichever camp they fall in, these are summertime foods in New York City I’d hunt down again in a heartbeat.
A TINY ICE CREAM SANDWICH STORY
J’ Chanceux Macaron • 202a mott st, nyc, 718 916 5119
I RECENTLY BEGAN WRITING FOR TASTING TABLE. My first write-up, on ice macaron by J’Chanceux Macaron in Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood, went up last week while I was traveling and eating through western New York.
Soul Food and CITYMEALS-ON-WHEELS
SYLVIA’S • 328 lenox ave, nyc, 212 996 0660
Last Saturday morning, Jason and I wandered north to deliver meals with other “young professionals” in East Harlem. It was a gorgeous, sunny morning – just as the weekend heat wave rolled in – and we were with good company, which made the act of wandering around the projects a less daunting task.
VILLAGE TART • Pastries Short Ribs FREE TIRAMISU
VILLAGE TART • 86 Kenmare Street, New York City, 212 226 4980. Follow them on Twitter @villagetart I TEND TO AVOID NEW YORK CITY RESTAURANTS WHEN THEY FIRST OPEN, unless I’m required to go for an assignment. Thus, I wasn’t in a rush to dig a fork in Nolita’s Village Tart til opening ceremonies were [...]
No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
I’M RASH. I don’t like the word but, sometimes, that’s what I am. I also tend to arrive ten minutes late for personal appointments and have a death-grip on what some regard as unrealistically high expectations. To top this toxic cake of bad traits, I’m guilty of cynicism too. For that, Conan, I’m sorry. • [...]
A NEW YORK STATE OF WINE • offManhattan.com
ANYONE WHO’S EVER WAITED 12 MONTHS FOR A PEPPERMINT MOCHA knows our yen for some beverages are not only season specific, they are time-sensitive too. We look forward to light cocktails in spring, citrus notes in summer, and the aromas of cider to ease into autumn. Recently, we discovered a new wintertime favorite, mulled wine. [...]
KUMQUAT CUPCAKE Wednesday
I ARRIVED EARLY TO SELL CUPCAKES ON WEDNESDAY. It was the first job I’ve had to physically report to in a year so I was anxious I’d be late. But thanks to actually leaving the apartment on time, I made it to the corner of 4th and Lafayette with ten minutes to spare! (Cue the [...]
DBGB • A WIENER IN DISGUISE is still a wiener
DBGB • 299 Bowery, New York City, 212 933 5300 “So I copied-and-pasted the generic online dating profile from AskMen.com and used it as my own,” said Chris. I looked at my old Boston University friend and scanned his face for a blink, an apologetic wince, a “Just kidding!” But Chris was just being himself, [...]
Chocolate BREAK/COUNTDOWN
4:13PM I JUST REALIZED THE NANAIMO BARS I’m entering into tomorrow’s Brooklyn Chocolate Experiment taste rubbish at room temperature. I don’t think this would be an issue if they were normal Nanaimo bar-size, but my scaled down, bite-size version makes the chocolate-custard square melt quickfast! I am off to buy ice packs after I finish [...]
Amy Blogs Chow takes over @ZAGATBUZZ
I ATTENDED THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION of the French Culinary Institute on behalf of ZAGAT this Monday. Initially, I was just attending a panel discussion and after-party, but when I asked my editor if I could tweet about the evening among French folk and amuse-bouche, he suggested that I beam the event to the foodie [...]
SQUEEZING FOR SOFTNESS & other taste tests
I LEARNED WHAT HAMENTASHEN are during a free Dessert Tour around the Upper East Side on Sunday. The sugar-powered excursion began at Beanocchio’s where the guide, Bruce, introduced himself and recommended the black & white cookie in the same breath – “Get them before they’re gone!” I made a beeline for the counter, feeling smug [...]
XIE XIE : Julie & Julia Allison
XIE XIE 645a 9th Avenue, New York, 212 265 2975 THERE’S SOMETHING MAGICAL about the internet – you can diagnose your own neuroses, self-publish, order pizza, and see where you’re going before you even get there. Sometimes, I feel nearly telepathic thanks to twitter. And Match isn’t just for the socially awkward and utterly undateable [...]
Tasting Table Delivers
SOMEHOW I MANAGED back to Midtown on my own two feet after Tasting Table‘s Great Taste Debate at Hill Country last night. Good thing too, as all-you-can-eat events have a way of making me feel like I swallowed a whale. Still, it was a well-done evening with free-flowing tequila, a cupcake tower, whole roasted pig [...]
Aureole Offers a Taste of the Future | ZAGAT SURVEY
AUREOLE | 135 West 42nd St, New York, 212 319 1660 [IN JUNE] WE JOINED chef-owner Charlie Palmer for a sneak peek at Aureole in its sleek new digs at One Bryant Park. Designed by longtime collaborator Adam D. Tihany, the airy interior boasts ample elbow room across three spaces: a front bar area where [...]
Superstition in the Kitchen | ZAGAT SURVEY
IN THE SPIRIT of infamously unlucky Friday the 13th, the Buzz uncovered some curious superstitions at local restaurants. Chef Scott Bryan of Apiary admits that superstitions are a part of his daily routine. When plating food, Bryan will only add an odd number of, say, asparagus to a dish. “Always three or five of something. [...]
BILLY’S BAKERY : All I Ever Wanted
Me: Happy to hear the beach was everything you wanted it to be! Did you swim? Jackie: Indeed I did and saved some clams from death! IT’S BEEN AN AGREEABLE Labor Day weekend and it was in these 80 degree days that I got to thinking about happiness while watching a homeless guy dip his [...]
ELEVEN MADISON PARK : dinner with a side of rent
AS A FREELANCE RESTAURANT WRITER I’m often asked one of two questions: “How do you stay so tiny?” and “Does restaurant writing pay the bills?” While my compact size gives me a competitive edge on the 6 train during rush hour, it also means I’m smaller than the average woman (which renders the clothes-buying process [...]
The Wrong Year at CORTON
CORTON 239 West Broadway, New York, 212 219 2777 Mar 30 09 | TO COMPLEMENT OUR DINNER, Clare brought two bottles from the Tribeca Grill wine collection. To her disappointment, however, she had grabbed a white from ’97 when she meant to bring one from ’99. Across the table, Jason seemed to enjoy the supposedly [...]
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