Andrea Strong
The Archive
Battle of the meatheads
This month, two of summer’s most anticipated al-fresco extravaganzas fire up their grills, and in doing so, will duke it out in the ring for the title of Ultimate Meatfest....
Green is good
On a recent episode of “Modern Family,” Mitchell — half of the hilarious gay couple, played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson — returns from the farmers market. “How was the farmers...
Rhythm and chews
New York has no shortage of spectacular dining options. Ditto its opportunities to hear fantastic music. But try to find a place where you can combine the two and you’re...
Cook of revelation
Tuning in every Wednesday to “Top Chef” is one way to put your fingers on the chopping block of the next chef rock star. But serious talent lurks right here...
Turn over a new leaf!
Nothing says summer like a fresh salad. But a plate of leafy greens, tomatoes and cucumbers topped with house dressing is the stuff of amateurs. Stay cool while the heat's...
CRAZY, TASTY, COOL
THAT old familiar ice cream truck jingle often brings back fond memories of running down the block barefoot with a pocketful of change and an aching sweet tooth. While similar...
MOCKTAIL MANIA
When I first found out I was pregnant, I was holding a glass of wine in one hand and the positive pregnancy test in the other. While I was thrilled...
TOP CHEFS DOWNTOWN
Scuderia 10 Downing St., between Houston and Bleecker streets; 212-206-9111 Scuderia, a modern Italian trattoria owned by Silvano Marchetto and daughter Leyla, offers the air-kissing crowds across the street at...
Filled to the gills
New York has always been a great port town, which perhaps explains why a culinary ode to the sea is washing over us at a host of seafood spots. These...
VIVA LA SEDER!
FOR most Jews, Passover is not only a symbolic remembrance of the their exodus from Egypt accompanied by four glasses of wine and a weeklong carb-freeze, but also a return...
GOTHAM GRADS
When Jacinto Guarddarrama first walked into Gotham Bar and Grill 24 years ago, it wasn't to whisk sauces or prep mise en place. He slaved over a steaming hot dishwasher,...
CIRQUE DU SUSHI
Inakaya 231 W. 40th St. (on the first floor of the New York Times building); 212-354-2195 Inakaya, one of the most exciting Japanese barbecue restaurants in Tokyo's Roppongi neighborhood, has...
CHEWIN' THE 'FAT'
Fat Hippo 71 Clinton St.; 212-228-0994 True to its name, after dining on cheese-fondue burger sliders ($12), chocolate-glazed spare ribs ($8) and pan-fried mozzarella balls ($6) at chef Ten Vong's...
HIGH BRASS DINING
Atria 13-15 W. 54th St.; 212-262-4600, atrianyc.com This Rockefeller townhouse, formerly the home of Aquavit and most recently Grayz, is now an elegant Midtown reprieve with a vaulted downstairs atrium,...
FLAT OUT FLAVORFUL
Trigo 268 West Broadway; 212-925-1600 Trigo, named for the Spanish word for wheat, offers a stylish new reprieve in SoHo, with its brass and steel accents, black-and-white tiled floors and...
CHINESE NEW GEAR
Macao Trading Company 311 Church St.; 212-431-8750 This speakeasy-esque spot is modeled after the red lantern district of the industrial port of Macao in the '40s, and it's already drawing...
THE ITALIAN JOBS
L'Artusi 228 W. 10th St.; 212-255-5757 If you love Dell'anima, the West Village debut from chef Gabe Thompson and wine director Joe Campanale, you'll also fall for their follow-up -...
LA VIE EN FOOD
Les Caves des Fondus 20 Prince St.; 212-966-5073 (no reservations) Sipping wine from a baby bottle may sound like a fraternity prank, but it's the way wine is served at...
A SLICE OF ITALIAN LIFE
Motorino 319 Graham Ave., Brooklyn; 718-599-8899 It's not every day that a classically trained chef decides to drop his saucepans and trade them for a pizza slab. But chef Mathieu...
'PIG' OUT ON FISH
The John Dory 85 10th Ave.; 212-929-4948 The Spotted Pig's gnudi and Roquefort cheeseburger started a revolution of sorts, and the same will be said for chefs April Bloomfield and...