Umami Mart

I don’t care what Time Out thinks. They ridiculously passed up the The Smoke Joint for Blue Smoke in Manhattan in their Eat Out Awards last week for Best BBQ, and all I have to say is: BAD CALL. I’d like to testify that The Smoke Joint is far superior to Blue Smoke, in taste […]

I photograph dinners at the The James Beard House in New York about once a month, and it’s quite a treat. If you ever have a chance to go, I’d highly recommend it. The Beard House is located in a great old brownstone on West 12th Street. The kitchen is small, but anyone who is […]

I’m the worst and haven’t blogged in a week– my apologies. But to make up for it, I’m going to talk about my absolute favorite restaurant in the city, the Grand Central Oyster Bar. I was introduced to this place by my dear family friends, the Hashimoto’s, when I first moved here over 4 years […]

Lunch during the workweek has never struck me as an opportunity for a truly enjoyable eating experience — especially working in midtown! But I went to ISE for the first time in a couple months and you know what, I think this place might have the best ramen in NYC that I’ve tasted so far. […]

(Editor’s note: This post was co-written by Aya and Tmonkey. All opinions and typos are theirs.) Aya: I am always hungry. But Tmonkey, you are always always hungry. What’s up with your metabolism? Tmonkey: I burn a lot of chi doing kung-fu. Also my massive brain controlled by alien maggots requires about 3 times more […]

I’ve walked by Brooklyn Fish Camp many a time, and the few times I’d tried to just “drop in” I’d been turned away either by the charming hostess or the long lines (or the hours of operation). Last night, I stumbled there, weak from low blood sugar (lunch sushi from Sunrise Mart never seems to […]

I made this little video this weekend. Check it out and let me know what you think! It’s the first in a series… The Best Soup Dumplings in Manhattan I was inspired to take some photos and make a regular ol’ blog post, but then I decided to mess around and try to distill it […]

it’s that time of year again: Brooklyn Restaurant Week, which i am utterly grateful for considering that my funds have nearly hit rock bottom. we made reservations for Applewood- a popular restaurant in Park Slope which fully embraces the organic movement. three courses at Applewood for $21.12! on any normal day, they fetch that much […]

Meet Aaron Unger. Performer/ puppet artist/ photographer/ visual artist extraordinaire. World-traveling Jew from Miami. A man bursting with joie de vivre, a culinary maverick and loving husband and father. A man who has entertained hundreds of people from New York to Berne with his ice-shaving performance (some time accompanied by girls with big bear heads), […]

Grub Street reports that Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle will open his new restaurant, Perilla, in Greenwich Village at 9 Jones Street!!! any day now… thanks Melissa for this! *k* footnote: Troy Division and i went out for a drink at Marion’s a few months back when Harold walked in with Dave (eliminated from the […]