Umami Mart

Editor’s note: Wes Anderson’s new film, The Darjeeling Limited kicked off the New York Film Festival last Friday night with its lush annual opening night black tie affair at the ultra rococo, boho chic Central Park NY institution, Tavern on the Green (TOTG). I was told that this was the “hottest ticket in town”, the […]

Editor’s note: This post was written in July by the very lovely Jane Stillwater, but got buried in my inbox, and is only now coming to light on UM. She says that they accidentally deleted all their pics, but scroll below for some of Mike and Christi’s feast. Sorry for the delay!!! *** Good grief! […]

Behind all the star chef restaurants such as Morimoto, Del Posto, and Craft Steak, lies a hidden treasure in deep west side of Chelsea, or I should call it Starchitect Row (if you know all the new condos and buildings in the neighborhood designed by Jean Nouvel, Shigeru Ban, Annabelle Selldorf, Frank Gehry to name […]

Last week, when Matt sent me this Gridskipper link— a guide to banh mi in the city– it was 11am. By 11:05, my stomach was grumbling; 11:10, I was drooling; 11:30, fantasies of pork, cilantro and pate filled baguettes kept me from getting any work done. So what did I do? I knocked on my […]

Summer’s over for the both of usThat doesn’t mean we should give up on loveYou’re the one I’ve been thinking ofAnd I knew the day I met you you’d be the ooooooone…– Justin Timberlake Ok, so it’s a bit premature to say that summer is over, but here’s a post to remind you that the […]

With such a ramen frenzy going on in New York right now (a cute little “guide to ramen” column in Time Out this week; buzz on Eater about yet another Hakata-style rameneria opening in Greenpoint in the fall; the ramen war that Setagaya ignited with Momofuku before they opened a couple months back, etc), I […]

[Disclaimer]I am not a devoted blogger, and don’t bring my camera anywhere, so I don’t have any pictures, which is so crucial for food blogs. However, this meal was so amazing that I feel the need to share the experience. As you know by now, I cook a lot, and I usually don’t get too […]

With my dining partner Matt in tow, we were off to the METApacking District for a restaurant week lunch at Morimoto. When Hua told me that Morimoto NYC was like being in Vegas, my interest piqued. Vegas?? In NYC?? No WAY, can’t wait! (Sarcastic face here). This perceptive comment has inspired this no-holds-barred, special Vegas […]

On the way home just now I spied a kidnapper van boasting that it contained “JOSE’S BAGELS.” It struck me as odd that a commercial bagelsman–in New York of all places–would stick with his given name of “Jose.” Absolute Bagels, for example, does not advertise itself as “SOME THAI PEOPLES’ BAGELS.” (note that the worst […]

As today is the 4th of July in some parts of the world, I think it is important to reflect upon the gains we have made as a human race. And, as such, I am exercising my freedom from having to carry a camera to every restaurant I go to. Instead, I have drawn you […]