don't tell mama
343 West 46th Street, New York
4:00pm – 2:30am daily
+1 212-757-0788
www.donttellmamanyc.com
4:00pm – 2:30am daily
+1 212-757-0788
www.donttellmamanyc.com
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4TBs dined at Don’t Tell Mama after our Circle Line Harbour Sightseeing Cruise on the Hudson River. In close walking distance to Pier 83, Don’t Tell Mama has it all; a restaurant and multi-purpose club with a piano bar all under the one roof.
We couldn’t go past ordering the Chicken & Vegetable soup with a serve of Garlic Bread to kick off our dining experience. This soup warmed the soul with its flavoursome chicken broth, diced vegetables and pieces of chicken and the toasted garlic sourdough was topped with loads of dried parmesan. We could’ve easily ordered another serving of the Garlic Bread, but didn’t want to fill up on bread.
Our mains consisted of pork ribs, chicken breast and Lobster & Shrimp Ravioli.
Mamas BBQ Ribs was a half slab of succulent, tender juicy Baby Back Ribs served with garlic mashed potatoes and cornbread. Like a religion for 4TBs, these mouth-watering sweet sticky ribs were basted in plenty of marinade and best eaten with our fingers.
The flavoursome Chicken Scarpello & Chorizo was a tender chicken breast sautéed in a garlic lemon rosemary sauce, served with julienne vegetables and mashed potatoes. Although a nice dish; it was up against two other delicious mains, it was the least impressive dish of the evening.
A sophisticated pasta dish served in a light tomato vodka sauce, the homemade Lobster & Shrimp Ravioli was scrumptious. The vodka reduction was a light, creamy and velvety texture and ever so slightly spiked, we couldn’t stop raving about the beautiful flavours, smoothness of the sauce and al dente ravioli. An impressive dish with the perfect combination of the filling and the robust sauce.
It was a no brainer when it came to the indulgent dessert menu. The Chocolate Prada sounded irresistible with a chocolate mousse cake topped with zabaione dark chocolate. You may be forgiven for thinking this dessert would be super rich with all the chocolate layers; it was a match made in heaven. The light, moist cake was moreish, the mousse was light, creamy and fluffy and the zabaione was subtle. The wickedly sticky caramel and chocolate sauce spider web decoration on the plate added the presentation wow factor.
A decadent sweet treat, the Crème Brulee was sensational. With a hint of vanilla bean in the light velvety smooth creamy custard, we were excited when we heard the crack of the caramelised brittle with our dessert spoon.
Rounding out our dining experience we ordered a Lemon Meringue. The short crust pie base was buttery and crisp filled with a creamy smooth lemon curd and topped with a soft fluffy meringue. A personal preference the lemon curd was missing the tangy citrus centre and lacked that extra generous measure of lemon rind!
Great service and vibe, this is a must dining experience in New York.
We couldn’t go past ordering the Chicken & Vegetable soup with a serve of Garlic Bread to kick off our dining experience. This soup warmed the soul with its flavoursome chicken broth, diced vegetables and pieces of chicken and the toasted garlic sourdough was topped with loads of dried parmesan. We could’ve easily ordered another serving of the Garlic Bread, but didn’t want to fill up on bread.
Our mains consisted of pork ribs, chicken breast and Lobster & Shrimp Ravioli.
Mamas BBQ Ribs was a half slab of succulent, tender juicy Baby Back Ribs served with garlic mashed potatoes and cornbread. Like a religion for 4TBs, these mouth-watering sweet sticky ribs were basted in plenty of marinade and best eaten with our fingers.
The flavoursome Chicken Scarpello & Chorizo was a tender chicken breast sautéed in a garlic lemon rosemary sauce, served with julienne vegetables and mashed potatoes. Although a nice dish; it was up against two other delicious mains, it was the least impressive dish of the evening.
A sophisticated pasta dish served in a light tomato vodka sauce, the homemade Lobster & Shrimp Ravioli was scrumptious. The vodka reduction was a light, creamy and velvety texture and ever so slightly spiked, we couldn’t stop raving about the beautiful flavours, smoothness of the sauce and al dente ravioli. An impressive dish with the perfect combination of the filling and the robust sauce.
It was a no brainer when it came to the indulgent dessert menu. The Chocolate Prada sounded irresistible with a chocolate mousse cake topped with zabaione dark chocolate. You may be forgiven for thinking this dessert would be super rich with all the chocolate layers; it was a match made in heaven. The light, moist cake was moreish, the mousse was light, creamy and fluffy and the zabaione was subtle. The wickedly sticky caramel and chocolate sauce spider web decoration on the plate added the presentation wow factor.
A decadent sweet treat, the Crème Brulee was sensational. With a hint of vanilla bean in the light velvety smooth creamy custard, we were excited when we heard the crack of the caramelised brittle with our dessert spoon.
Rounding out our dining experience we ordered a Lemon Meringue. The short crust pie base was buttery and crisp filled with a creamy smooth lemon curd and topped with a soft fluffy meringue. A personal preference the lemon curd was missing the tangy citrus centre and lacked that extra generous measure of lemon rind!
Great service and vibe, this is a must dining experience in New York.
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epicerie boulud
1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023, United States
+1 212-595-9606
Monday to Saturday 7:00am – 11:00pm
Sunday 8:00am to 10:00pm
www.epicerieboulud.com
+1 212-595-9606
Monday to Saturday 7:00am – 11:00pm
Sunday 8:00am to 10:00pm
www.epicerieboulud.com
It was a cold and dreary Monday in New York but we were up early as we were heading over to ABC TV Studios to watch a taping of The View. We could not wait to see Whoopi and the rest of the ladies, however before we could shine for the cameras we needed refuelling in the form of LARGE coffees and some French pastries.
A 10 minute walk from the ABC studios is Épicerie Boulud and it is just what we needed to get our mojo on. The coffee was hot and reminded us of the lattes we enjoy in Melbourne. We were getting use to the differences in what we would call a latte and a flat white coffee in Australia as to what is served up in the USA. Épicerie Boulud was right on the money when it came to what type of coffee we wanted.
With no seating inside there are only two long tables to stand around and eat the French inspired breakfasts. There are plenty of options with croissants, sweet French pastries, quiches, sandwiches and cakes. We went with a couple of toasted sandwiches consisting of egg cheese and jambon (a Parisian ham) all in toasted French bread. The jambon was traditionally cured with a slightly sweet flavour making this sandwich oh so scrumptious.
The health conscious Travel Buddie went with the yoghurt parfait. This creamy Greek yogurt with Épicerie Boulud’s house made granola and seasonal berries was just what was needed to rebalance after all the carbo loading and cocktails in Las Vegas!
Of course we couldn’t not try some sweet treats and they were lip smackingly good. The croissants were light buttery and flaky just as they should be and the parma biscuit was melt in your mouth gorgeous.
Although small and not much room to linger Épicerie Boulud is buzzing in the morning with suit clad workers rushing in to grab a coffee and a pastry before heading off to work. There was also a lot of traffic through from the school kids picking up to go lunches. Épicerie Bouludalso offers catering packages for social and corporate functions and if we lived in New York we would definitely be using them for our next function.
A 10 minute walk from the ABC studios is Épicerie Boulud and it is just what we needed to get our mojo on. The coffee was hot and reminded us of the lattes we enjoy in Melbourne. We were getting use to the differences in what we would call a latte and a flat white coffee in Australia as to what is served up in the USA. Épicerie Boulud was right on the money when it came to what type of coffee we wanted.
With no seating inside there are only two long tables to stand around and eat the French inspired breakfasts. There are plenty of options with croissants, sweet French pastries, quiches, sandwiches and cakes. We went with a couple of toasted sandwiches consisting of egg cheese and jambon (a Parisian ham) all in toasted French bread. The jambon was traditionally cured with a slightly sweet flavour making this sandwich oh so scrumptious.
The health conscious Travel Buddie went with the yoghurt parfait. This creamy Greek yogurt with Épicerie Boulud’s house made granola and seasonal berries was just what was needed to rebalance after all the carbo loading and cocktails in Las Vegas!
Of course we couldn’t not try some sweet treats and they were lip smackingly good. The croissants were light buttery and flaky just as they should be and the parma biscuit was melt in your mouth gorgeous.
Although small and not much room to linger Épicerie Boulud is buzzing in the morning with suit clad workers rushing in to grab a coffee and a pastry before heading off to work. There was also a lot of traffic through from the school kids picking up to go lunches. Épicerie Bouludalso offers catering packages for social and corporate functions and if we lived in New York we would definitely be using them for our next function.
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230 Fifth rooftop garden bar & Restaurant
230 5th Ave, New York, NY 10001, United States
+1 212-725-4300
4:00pm – 4:00am daily
www.230-fifth.com
+1 212-725-4300
4:00pm – 4:00am daily
www.230-fifth.com
After a 6 hour flight from Las Vegas and carrying some serious baggage under our eyes from a jam packed schedule of eating, dancing, drinking and gambling we made it to New York City in one piece!
230 Fifth Rooftop Garden Bar and Restaurant was just what we needed to get into the New York swing. The weather was not on our side and so we opted to be seated indoors however this did not detract from the amazing views of the New York skyline.
As we were settling in for an evening of cocktails and tapas other diners started to climb up on the window ledges as there seemed to be something happening outside that was causing quite a hullabaloo. Soon we could all see clouds of smoke and fire flames billowing up from our prime position. Later we were to find out that a church on the next block was on fire.
Once the staff had determined we were safe to remain in the venue we started to soak up the ambience of this converted penthouse with ample seating, comfortable couches and panoramic views. There is also seating at the bar if you wanted to pop in for a quick drink, but why would you want to make a fleeting visit when you can spend time at New York's largest outdoor Rooftop Garden (weather permitting).
Now for the drinks, we couldn’t spend our first night in New York rooftop bar without a few bevvies to kick off the visit. Our drinks of choice were the Bellini and Raspberry Mojito. The Bellini had a peach puree which complimented the champers. The Raspberry Mojito was a sweet twist on the traditional Mint Mojito with Vodka and White Rum.
230 Fifth Rooftop Garden Bar and Restaurant was just what we needed to get into the New York swing. The weather was not on our side and so we opted to be seated indoors however this did not detract from the amazing views of the New York skyline.
As we were settling in for an evening of cocktails and tapas other diners started to climb up on the window ledges as there seemed to be something happening outside that was causing quite a hullabaloo. Soon we could all see clouds of smoke and fire flames billowing up from our prime position. Later we were to find out that a church on the next block was on fire.
Once the staff had determined we were safe to remain in the venue we started to soak up the ambience of this converted penthouse with ample seating, comfortable couches and panoramic views. There is also seating at the bar if you wanted to pop in for a quick drink, but why would you want to make a fleeting visit when you can spend time at New York's largest outdoor Rooftop Garden (weather permitting).
Now for the drinks, we couldn’t spend our first night in New York rooftop bar without a few bevvies to kick off the visit. Our drinks of choice were the Bellini and Raspberry Mojito. The Bellini had a peach puree which complimented the champers. The Raspberry Mojito was a sweet twist on the traditional Mint Mojito with Vodka and White Rum.
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As the usual 4 Travel Buddies MO goes when choosing food, we opted for 4 dishes to share along with the hand cut chips. Now a couple of us were nursing a hangover so the Chicken Strips with house made honey mustard did just the trick with curing this!
Although the steamed Wontons filled with shrimp and pork, were flavoursome unfortunately they were lukewarm and therefore fell a little short on the mark. We also order the All Beef Sliders which were the perfect bite size mini hamburgers and just enough to fill us up.
The real winner of the night was the Macaroni & Cheese baked in all its cheesy goodness. The macaroni was generously coasted in a creamy sauce and topped with a delicious combination of breadcrumb and cheese giving it a crunchy top layer.
If we hadn’t been recovering from 3 solid days of partying in Las Vegas we would have stayed much longer at 230 Fifth bar enjoying the city that never sleeps, however we needed sleep and so until next time and there will definitely be a next time we had to bid this gorgeous bar a good night.
Although the steamed Wontons filled with shrimp and pork, were flavoursome unfortunately they were lukewarm and therefore fell a little short on the mark. We also order the All Beef Sliders which were the perfect bite size mini hamburgers and just enough to fill us up.
The real winner of the night was the Macaroni & Cheese baked in all its cheesy goodness. The macaroni was generously coasted in a creamy sauce and topped with a delicious combination of breadcrumb and cheese giving it a crunchy top layer.
If we hadn’t been recovering from 3 solid days of partying in Las Vegas we would have stayed much longer at 230 Fifth bar enjoying the city that never sleeps, however we needed sleep and so until next time and there will definitely be a next time we had to bid this gorgeous bar a good night.
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Amy ruth's
113 West 116th Street, New York
+1 (212) 280-8779
Tuesday – Friday8:30am – 11:00pm
Saturday – Sunday 7:30am – 5:30pm
Monday 11:00am – 11:00pm
www.amyruths.com
+1 (212) 280-8779
Tuesday – Friday8:30am – 11:00pm
Saturday – Sunday 7:30am – 5:30pm
Monday 11:00am – 11:00pm
www.amyruths.com
If there’s one meal in New York City (NYC) that we wanted to bottle up and take home, it would be the waffles and fried chicken from Amy Ruth’s. This famous soul food restaurant in Harlem has been serving up home-style African-American cuisine to locals and tourists since 1998.
With meals being very reasonably priced, we heard it gets extremely busy and best to dine outside of the usual service times otherwise be prepared to wait for a table. We dined here mid-morning during a mid-week day and it was pumping with singles, couples and large groups of diners. Staff were very welcoming, friendly and interacted with customers. The décor is funky with large wall paintings of iconic musicians including Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.
The four brekkie dishes we ordered were delicious and those waffles are perfection. We ordered three different waffle dishes and they were all simply delish. The waffles were golden brown, warm, fluffy and had deep grooves that served as a well for the stewed apple juice. These waffles are up there as the best of the best we have tried from around the world.
With meals being very reasonably priced, we heard it gets extremely busy and best to dine outside of the usual service times otherwise be prepared to wait for a table. We dined here mid-morning during a mid-week day and it was pumping with singles, couples and large groups of diners. Staff were very welcoming, friendly and interacted with customers. The décor is funky with large wall paintings of iconic musicians including Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.
The four brekkie dishes we ordered were delicious and those waffles are perfection. We ordered three different waffle dishes and they were all simply delish. The waffles were golden brown, warm, fluffy and had deep grooves that served as a well for the stewed apple juice. These waffles are up there as the best of the best we have tried from around the world.
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Let’s start with The Tommy Tomita waffle with Fried Chicken Wings. Forget your regular fried chicken; this chicken was totally amazing. With a crispy batter, perfectly golden and extremely crunchy seasoned wing, this is the BEST fried chicken we’ve tried. The chicken was moist, tender, not dried out, nor greasy or dripping in oil. It was so damn good and matched perfectly with the waffle.
Our sweet waffle dishes; The Guy Woods & Shay Barnett waffle with Cinnamon, Fresh Banana & Pecan and The Bishop Charles Reed with sautéed apples were filling and super delicious. The apples were sautéed to perfection, still tender and in a truck load of juice and the banana’s fresh and not over ripe.
Rounding out our dining experience we ordered the Corn Beef Hash with 2 eggs. The mighty hash was an OMG moment with the party in your mouth experience with every bite. We added onion to the freshly prepared corned beef hash. The hash had a crisp outside, was fluffy on the inside and deliciously seasoned.
You can easily see why there is a fried chicken wing and waffle phenomenon at Amy Ruth’s. Do yourself a favour and get to Harlem to experience the best waffles and fried chicken in NYC hands down; you won’t be disappointed. 4TBs might see you there as we will definitely be returning on our next trip to NYC.
Our sweet waffle dishes; The Guy Woods & Shay Barnett waffle with Cinnamon, Fresh Banana & Pecan and The Bishop Charles Reed with sautéed apples were filling and super delicious. The apples were sautéed to perfection, still tender and in a truck load of juice and the banana’s fresh and not over ripe.
Rounding out our dining experience we ordered the Corn Beef Hash with 2 eggs. The mighty hash was an OMG moment with the party in your mouth experience with every bite. We added onion to the freshly prepared corned beef hash. The hash had a crisp outside, was fluffy on the inside and deliciously seasoned.
You can easily see why there is a fried chicken wing and waffle phenomenon at Amy Ruth’s. Do yourself a favour and get to Harlem to experience the best waffles and fried chicken in NYC hands down; you won’t be disappointed. 4TBs might see you there as we will definitely be returning on our next trip to NYC.