Viennese, If You Please...

Making my way around NYC on a motor scooter, sometimes I feel like there isn't much in this city I haven't seen. Yet every so often you discover a place that transports you far, far away and that's exactly what recently  happened to me at Cafe Sabarsky on the Upper East Side. The cafe is tucked inside a museum showcasing early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design, the Neue Galerie. Housed in the former William Starr Miller House, a Louis XIII/Beaux-Arts structure located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 86th Street, the imposing mansion is a treat for the eyes.

The restaurant, operated by restaurateur Kurt Gutenbrunner, does have somewhat unusual hours and often, a 20-minute wait for a table is common. Early mornings, with windows overlooking Fifth Avenue and a collection of daily international newspapers, it's a lovely spot for breakfast alone. Try the marzipan ring cake ($3.00), and a cup of Kaiser Mélange,  fresh-ground coffee with whipped cream ($5.00), just one of their famous coffee offerings that's worth waking up for. 

While the restaurant offers the same selections for both lunch and dinner, after sunset, it's a whole different environment as the room seems to take on a magical glow. With its' lights dimmed and a knowing crowd that's  aware that its' found a special spot, you feel as though you've just been transported into a wonderful fairytale. 

Many come here in the evening to dine on the variety of German Sausages such as Weisswurst Mit Brezen, Händelmaier's Bavarian Sausage served with a warm Pretzel & händelmaier’s Mustard ($12.00) or Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut, Röstkartoffeln roasted sausage with riesling sauerkraut, roasted potatoes & dijon ($14.00). I encourage you to enjoy your meal with a glass of Franziskaner Weisse beer from Munich.

Another treat is the opulent dessert display that's set up only during the evening dinner service. It's quite a sight! As if inside the dining room of a grand palace, a marble buffet table displays a large variety of Viennese cakes and torts including Sachertorte, a classic viennese dark chocolate cake with apricot ($8.00).

If you live in New York, or have the opportunity to visit, I urge you to stop by Cafe Sabarsky for Breakfast, Dinner or Dessert. It's just one of the treasures you'll find in the Neue Galerie.

Cafe Sabarsky

1048 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10028-0111
P. (212) 288-0665

Amy is a member of HHonors® Dining

Flex Mussels, NYC - You've Gotta Go!

Restaurants come and go in New York City, though East 82nd Street, between Lex and Third has had more than its share of eateries that bite the dust. Good news! We finally have a keeper: Flex Mussels. 

Itʼs lively, itʼs hip ,itʼs fun, with very good food and service plus an extensive and reasonably priced wine list. Bottled water, fizzy or flat, is complimentary. You gotta love a restaurant with all that going for it, plus you wonʼt eat up a weekʼs salary when the check comes. 

The main attraction is mussels - 23 varieties of preparation. My fave is Fra Diablo, prepared with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil. Thai is also on my ʻdeelishʼ list, featuring coconut curry broth, mongrass, coriander, lime, garlic, and ginger. Ingredients of each dish are listed on the menu, so there are no surprises. Whether you order the Italiano, the Maine, the Spaniard, the Classic or any others, you will be served a potful of plump, gorgeous mussels, cooked exactly right, with enough sauce for dunking. Prices range from $17.50 to $20.50.

Soup, salads, crab cakes and the best oysters in town are among the starters. Non-mussels diners have a variety of other dishes from the sea to choose from, such as lobster rolls, salmon, cod, or fish and chips. And when all else fails, thereʼs always roast chicken.

Save room for dessert - pastry chef Zac Young starred on Bravo's Top Chef Just Desserts. Order the lemon meringue pie in a glass, or go for the praline or salted carmel Flex donuts. Yum, yum.

If you like quiet, go early, Otherwise itʼs mega noisy, with singles of all ages crowding the bar. Tables in the back tend to be the least noisy. 

Enjoy at either one of Flex Mussels' NYC locations!

Flex 13th Street

154 W 13th St
New York 10011
P. (212) 229-0222 

Flex 82nd Street

174 E 82nd St
New York 10028
P. (212) 717-7772 

Marlene is a member of Priority Club® Dining.

Dallas BBQ: My Comfort Food Winner in NYC

This winter in New York, the weatherman’s predictions came true--blizzards, 40mph winds, below freezing temperatures, and snow accumulations reaching two feet. Is this Manhattan or Anchorage?

I will stay home, cuddle up by the fireplace (what fireplace?) with my Kindle, and send out for dinner. Besides, a scratchy throat forwarned a pending cold, flu or worse. 

During this time of year, I need solid, real comfort food, not wimpy sensible salmon and salad. Perusing my stash of restaurant menus, I zero in on Dallas BBQ, without a thought of calories and cholesterol.

I phone; I order; they deliver.  

I go for the Chicken Vegetable Soup ($3.99 per quart). It will last all week and can cure anything, and also the Rack of Baby Back Ribs. At $10.99, these come with potato or rice plus a side of warm cornbread.

I might have ordered the large BBQ’d chicken ($6.99) but will try that on another day. I also like the starter portion of the crabcake and crispy shrimp ($8.99) - amazingly tasty for a chicken and ribs place.

If you are New Yorker, and you don’t know Dallas BBQ, isn’t it time you discovered it? They are all over the city, but I know the one on Third Avenue. It’s a big barn of a place. For me, it's usually too crowded, with too long a wait at prime time - and they don’t take reservations. I rarely eat dinner at the restaurant, but I often pick up at their Take Out window, or pick up the phone for delivery.

Dallas BBQ participates in the Rewards Network dining programs. With Priority Club Dining, I earn eight points per dollar, including what I spend on tax and tip, that goes directly onto my Priority Club account.

Oops, gotta go. Doorbell ringing. Here comes dinner.

Dallas BBQ

1265 Third Ave 
New York, NY 10021
P. (212) 772-9393

Marlene is a member of Priority Club® Dining.

Over the river and through the airports, to grandmother's house we go...

I'm a restaurant diva who dines out, takes out, and sends out for too many meals. But then there's Christmas, when I cook, cook, and cook--for fourteen people.

Most of them fly in to NYC  from Florida, the the Midwest, New England, and DC. A few locals take the subway. There's no room for sleepovers in my micro- NYC apartment, so the outta' towners settle into a nearby hotel, with most nights paid for with Priority Club points.

One highlight on Christmas is the annual Esther Soccer Bowl, named lovingly in memory of my mom, her mother, and my great grandma. My two daughters, two sons-in-law, and their five children meet at 10am in Central Park for a down and dirty soccer game--the NJ Powells vs. the Chicago Cases. Winners have their name inscribed on the trophy which they keep for one year, until the next Esther bowl.

Prior to Christmas, I  rearrange the furniture to accommodate the dining table which extends into the living room. Dinner is a sit-down affair with a long table (actually three tables placed together), draped with a handmade cloth long enough to fit. There are placecards, china, silver, crystal, candles, and a centerpiece. Simply gorgeous.

The menu is traditional--too much food, you know the drill. I cook most dishes from scratch, but a few prepared  things  come from local grocers and restaurants. The hummus, which accompanies crudites is from Cafe Ravagh, and the entree for the vegan in our group is from Fratelli. Both restaurants are on Rewards Network's Priority Club Dining program--and that spells more hotel points for me.

Christmas is noisy, busy  hectic, and I always fear we will run out of ice cubes, but I love every minute of it. After the big day, I stay home to recuperate, and whoever wants to stops in for leftovers and a quieter visit.

Here is an excellent holiday recipe, always on my menu, given to me by my good friends, Doctor and Mrs. Loren Goldstein:

Sweet Potato Casserole

Serves 12

6 large sweet potatoes (use canned if you must)
6 T brown sugar
2  beaten eggs
2 T unsalted  butter
1 t vanilla
1/2 t salt
1/4 C orange juice

Topping
3 T softened unsalted  butter
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 chopped pecans

Bake potatoes, remove from skin and mash until smooth. Stir in sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, salt, and orange juice. Place in greased casserole or souffle dish. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of potato mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, at 350 degrees, or until heated through.

Bon appétit, and happy holidays everyone!

Marlene is a member of Priority Club® Dining.

High Chinese Cuisine, Low-Cost Check - Philippe, NYC

I can't afford Philippe at night, where an average check is $100+ per person. But at lunchtime the  three-course  prix fixe lunch is a steal at $20.10. I dine on remarkably good Chinese food, served by attentive waiters in an elegant setting. The location is central (East 60th Street near Madison Avenue) and the prix fixe lunch hour is quite generous, running from noon to 4pm, Monday-Friday. 

The stunning decor in the dining room and  bar is  sensual, a  striking combo of black, red and white, Tables are well set with fine china, chop sticks, plus forks and knives, and one perfect white lily in a bud vase. Simply gorgeous.  

And on to the food.

I like the chicken satay as an appetizer, but the hot and sour soup, chicken in lettuce wraps (delish) and crispy seaweed are also standouts among the starters.

Entrees include crispy beef (my fave), but salmon or chicken dishes are good choices too. Rice is served from a large silvery covered urn. Yes, it's quite fancy. Portions are large--I often end up taking home  leftovers.

Dessert is simple: ice cream or sorbet. Coffee or tea is included. Unless I  order a  drink, there are no extras. The bill will be $20.10 plus tip and tax. 

Philippe participates in the Rewards Network dining programs, and I earn eight Priority Club points per dollar spent.

I like Philippe a lot, but I'm not the only one. Philippe is  rated as the top Chinese restaurant in the current Zagat guide. Go, enjoy, tell me what you think. Bon appétit!

Philippe

33-35 E 60th St 
New York, NY 10022
P. (212) 644-8885

Marlene is a member of Priority Club® Dining.