Eat Out


November 5, 2008

Dirt Candy- A Carnivore’s Thumbs Up (NYC)

by Kayoko Akabori

Dirt Candy is OPEN!!! It’s a stylish restaurant that makes you forget that there is no meat on the menu. Seriously, a vegetarian joint has never been hipper in atmosphere, or amenable to the carnivorous palette. There’s such a taboo against vegetable-only restaurants: they are always either too granola-y and dogmatic, or tasteless. Often both, […]

October 30, 2008

UM Exclusive: BONJIN Ramen Comes to Williamsburg!

by Kayoko Akabori

Remember BONJIN Diner, the cute little eatery that set up shop in Greenpoint every Thursday night? Well, since closing, BONJIN proprietress Momo and hubby Yuji have been hiding out in their atelier perfecting the bowl of ramen. The time has come to reveal the fruits of their labor- BONJIN Ramen is coming, for all nighthawking […]

October 29, 2008

Best Fancy Budget Lunch in NYC

by Kayoko Akabori

Oishii Eats came to town! This was a very exciting event, as it was her first time in NY. We chatted online furiously the night before she got here- where would we go for lunch? I chose Perry Street, Jean-George Vongerichten‘s Far-West Village outpost. Seriously, it’s the best cheap fancy lunch in town. 3 courses […]

My #1 Restaurant in NYC

by Kayoko Akabori

The Grand Central Oyster Bar is unquestionably my favorite restaurant in NYC. It’s my #1, totally and completely. I love everything about it- from the food to the servers, the long oyster bar counter, watching the soup guy make pan roasts and chowders, the clanking pots, the dim lighting, the white tiles, the swooping, cave-like […]

October 14, 2008

Ferran Adria Live!

by Kayoko Akabori

On Friday we went to see El Bulli‘s one and only Ferran Adria, in conversation with Harold McGee (author of On Food and Cooking) and Atlantic Monthly food editor C0rby Kummer. It was an animated, fruitful discussion, giving the audience a taste of Adria’s brilliance. Adria spoke completely off-the-cuff, in random bits and pieces, with […]

October 9, 2008

Getting Smarter Eating Brain at Kabab Cafe (NYC)

by Kayoko Akabori

As my move date gets closer, the pressure is on to EATNYC, and I’ve constructed a long list of restaurants that I will visit during my final weeks here. The Egyptian joint Kabab Cafe in Astoria, Queens, has been a dream destination for a long time, and a group of us went the other night […]

October 8, 2008

UM Secret: Best Ramen in NYC

by Kayoko Akabori

The best ramen in the city (in my humble opinion) is only available on Wednesdays, and the restaurant only serves 30 bowls of it. This means you must get there right as the place opens at noon, and without any hesitation or shame, order as you’re still walking to the table. You will find that […]

October 6, 2008

Eating Off the Land with Outstanding in the Field

by UM Guest

By Matt ZuckermanPhotos by Matt Zuckerman and Barry Blanton Jim Denevan went local. Several years ago, the chef and artist wanted to educate, entertain and feed his friends with a fresh meal. He did so by preparing and serving one on the very farm the food was grown and raised. From this, Outstanding in the […]

October 3, 2008

Umamiventure #12: Sheepshead Bay Pt. 2 (Randazzo’s Clam Bar)

by Kayoko Akabori

Preface: Umamiventure #12: Sheepshead Bay, Pt. 1 (Jordan’s Lobster Dock) On the morning of our trek out to Jordan’s Lobster Dock, I was cruising the net and happened upon ravings of another seafood shack in Sheepshead Bay, Randazzo’s Clam Bar. Started in 1916 as a fish market, Randazzo’s has built their reputation on fresh seafood, […]

October 2, 2008

Sanma Lunch Special at Aburiya Kinnosuke (NYC)

by Kayoko Akabori

It’s that time of year: sanma time. Sanma aka Pike Mackerel aka Pacific saury, is a wonderful seasonal fish to celebrate autumn in Japan. My favorite time of the year! We just got back from Aburiya Kinnosuke, where they have been serving a sanma lunch special since last week for $13. Check out this spread! […]