Clarke’s Miami Beach: Miami Beach, Florida
With its neon green shamrock sign, it’s easy to mistake Clarke’s for yet another Irish burger-and-beer joint or a Cheers wannabe. The mistake, however, would be in not moving beyond the signage—and missing the inviting interior and genuine conviviality…
Trestle on Tenth: New York, New York
One of the many joys of life in Manhattan is turning a corner—and finding something you hadn’t noticed before. This restaurant, for example—how could Trestle on Tenth have been here on the corner of 24th and Tenth Avenue since the summer of 2006—and…
La Bottega @ The Maritime Hotel: New York, New York
It’s always gratifying to return to a place where you enjoyed a meal or a few—and to find, a couple years later, that the place is humming along just fine. Admittedly, in the case of la Bottega Trattoria at the Maritime Hotel, there’s the nearly…
Commerce Restaurant: New York, New York
Nestled in the West Village, Commerce is the sort of street where a mother could send her son running to borrow a cup of sugar—back when mothers baked, that is. We have a friend who grew up in a brownstone right down the block from what was once the…
Florent: New York, New York
For the first time in twenty-three years, the L on the front window was missing—leaving only F ORENT. And therein was the story. After more than two decades of 24/7 service spent slinging bistro fare (and neighborhood civics lessons) to transvestites,…
Nizza Restaurant: New York, New York
Before you indulge at the latest Mediterranean outpost from the folks who brought you Marseille and Nice-Matin (amongst other French bistros scattered around town which constitute the Tour de France Restaurant Group), there are two words you should…
The Blue Door @ The Delano: Miami Beach, Florida
Upon first consideration, the cuisines of Brazil and France might not seem the most harmonic combination—and yet, in South Beach, at the Blue Door at the Delano, they marry beautifully: the tropical sensuality of South America balanced by the refinement…
Fratelli La Bufala (FLB): Miami Beach, Florida
It’s one of those strange twists of fate that you spend nearly twenty days in Italy, wandering through Napoli, Sicily, Roma, and Venice in search of a good pie, a good slice—only to come home and find the best pie within easy walking distance. Of…