M & I International Foods is the place to go to for Russian imports and other Eastern European produce here in New York City. “Brighton Beach” came from a naming contest that reminded the developers of a beach resort in Brighton, England. In the 1950s, the neighborhood welcomed its first settlers of second-generation Americans from [...]

240 Ninth Avenue between 24th and 25th Streets 212/242.4730 $230 for four, with a bottle of wine, with tip ♥ ♥ ♥ I will always be impressed when someone can make something out of almost nothing. When that something is different than usual, I’m even more in awe of the skill that comes with that [...]

I’ve made pigs’ ears salad at home before, but this version is crispier, saltier and more perfect with beer. This is for my friend, Hafeez, who liked the Irving Mill version a lot when we ate there. At home, I fried the ears in really hot oil while standing on a short step-ladder. I wanted [...]

The mostly American crowd waiting outside made me question the reviews I read before coming, but it was our last night together with G. and he really wanted to share our last meal at La Cabrera. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; I was just wondering where the locals were. It was a warm [...]

54 Carmine Street on the corner of Bedford 212/255.2100 $90 each for a group of three, with a bottle of wine, with tip ♥ ♥ ♥ Is it too early to name my favorite restaurant of 2009? Last year, I ate at Dovetail the day after Christmas (and a week after its official opening) and [...]