My New Book—Ice Cream: A Global History

Flushing’s New World Mall Food Stalls: Not Your Mother’s Food Court

By now, the Flushing malls, with their compact food booths from which emerge some dazzling regional Chinese dishes, are a well-known stomping ground for the culinarily curious.
The New World Mall, which opened last year, is hidden on the lower floor of a nondescript office building on Flushing’s bustling Main Street, the predominantly Chinese area’s teeming [...]

First Annual Beer Month Kicks Off With Grill-Off at Water Taxi Beach

There had to be a month devoted to local beer making and imbibing, right?  And what better month than July?  That’s assuming the sun comes out, it gets hot and steamy like a normal  NY summer–and it stops raining.  A tall order, I know, given that, weather-wise, we’ve turned into Portland, OR,
Slow Food is using [...]

Bloomsday is Feast for Joyce Fanatics

I was late  last Tuesday to the 28th annual James Joyce orgy, Bloomsday on Broadway, Symphony Space’s 12-hour tribute to the Irish novelist. This year the theme was food.
People scampered in and out throughout the 12-hour marathon that began at 6 p.m. and ended at midnight. I spotted a lot of gray heads dotting the [...]

New York City Outdoor Dining Options Abound

A few days ago, I listed some Upper West Side spots where you can eat outdoors in the warm weather months.  Elsewhere around New York, sidewalk cafes and garden terraces also abound.  Here are a few choices:
What are your favorite outdoor dining spots?
Alto
11 East 53rd Street , 212-308-1099
This is the first summer that Alto has [...]

New Beer Garden to Open in LI City

Just in time for summer, a new beer garden is about to open in Long Island City.  The 18,000 square foot Studio Square will open in May with a cash-only self-serve menu featuring German bratwurst, Certified Black Angus
hamburgers, beef and chicken kebobs, and pulled pork sandwiches.
With both indoor and outdoor bars, the place will serve [...]