My New Book—Ice Cream: A Global History

Upper West Side: Pio Pio Chicken Chain Sued for Labor Violations

Pio Pio’s Peruvian chicken is a mainstay at our house.  Want take-in?  We go for their chicken, crispy on the outside, succulent on the inside.
Now, the chain with eight outposts—on the Upper West Side at 702 Amsterdam Ave., in Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx—is being sued by nine of its workers for for allegedly running [...]

Dessert Recipe: S’Mores–Not Just for Kids

As Chef Renee says, these S’mores crafted for adults—a little Cointreau goes a long way—are a great start to the summer season.  Sit around the campfire (or make them the finishing touch for a picnic in Riverside Park) and savor these very adult treats.
Grown up S’mores
Serves 6
12 skewers
1 box Carr’s wheatmeal biscuits (crackers)
6 ounces bittersweet [...]

Upper West Side: Sal & Carmine Shuttered by Health Department

The Westside Independent reports that neighborhood pizza mainstay, Sal & Carmine on Broadway located between 101st and 102nd streets, has been shut down by the city’s health department. Last summer, Sal, one of the longtime pizza makers, died suddenly last summer, saddening fans of the neighborhood slice stalwart.
The reason for the health department clampdown?
According to [...]

Upper West Side: Taste of the Upper West Side Coming May 21-22

There are some who insist that there’s nothing much to taste when it comes to Upper West Side food. But others say there’s plenty to celebrate about the neighborhood’s robust dining scene. The New Taste of the Upper West Side is designed to let you sample a range of area restaurants’ offerings.
A panel on healthy [...]

Upper West Side: Tangled Vine Opens, Starbucks Closes, Eighty One Bites the Dust, Roth’s Steakhouse Shutters

Tangled Vine, which opened recently on Amsterdam and 81st is another small plates and wine bar joint. The small plates were fine. In fact, the mushroom fricassee had a nice crunchy richness to it. But like so many places these days, the noise level was deafening.  Every surface in the place–from the [...]