Category Archives: Restaurants

Eat Right London!

Posted on by

1

Chicken Rice Bowl from Itsu

I have heard all of the sterotypes about London: bland food, gloomy weather,  and extremely expensive. But being a born and bred New Yorker I know there is much more to a place than its stereotypes. So far I am most impressed with the amount of healthy lunch options in London compared to NYC. There is a Pret on just about every corner, somehow I missed the fact that Pret started out in London. For those of you that don’t know: Pret makes ” proper sandwiches avoiding the obscure chemicals, additives and preservatives common to so much of the ‘prepared’ and ‘fast’ food on the market today.” They also have salads, soup, and other yummy options and list calories on all of their food. While I am not a fan of calorie counting I do think it is useful and important for people to have a sense of how many calories they are consuming. Other than Pret,which most of us New Yorkers are familair with, I stumbled upon Itsu which seemed similar to the Pret Model but serves Thai food, salads, and sushi. The Itsu Motto is Health and Happiness and you can find where they source their ingredients from directly on their website. Like Pret, they also list calories for all items served. Both options are reasonably priced and pretty darn tasty. I wasn’t too surprised to find out that the ladies behind Pret are also behind Itsu. Well ladies, I think it is about time that you bring this delicious chain to the U.S of A. I would surely eat there quite often. So while the brits get a bad name for their bland food, I am pleasantly surprised that there are some tasty and healthy options to choose from.

Yorganics – new organic lunch spot in Tribeca!

Posted on by

3

One of my regular routines is a morning spin class at Soul-Cycle in Tribeca followed by a quick and healthy lunch in the area. I always seem to end up at whole foods for lunch due to lack of other options. Lucky for me Yorganics has answered my prayers for more healthy options in the area and has opened on Greenwich street between Warren and Murray. I finally got the chance to give this 100% organic place a try yesterday and I was not disappointed. I decided to go with the bliss bowl which gives you a bunch of different options to choose from. First you have your base which is a choice of: rice, noodles, or salad. Then you get a choice of different veggie options and different protein options and finally you choose your sauce. I went for soba noodles, spinach, broccoli, jalapeno peppers, mushrooms, and spicy chicken with the spicy chili sauce…yum! So keep in mind that I am pregnant and really into STRONG flavors, but the spicy chicken and spicy sauce really hit the spot. The chili suace was so good that I was convinced there had to be something really bad for you in it so I decided to give them a call and get to the bottom of things. The sauce contains a little bit of honey, a little bit of red agave, white rice vinegar and chili powder. This definitely gets my vote of approval for a healthy sauce and I think I am going to experiment with making my own. My only complaint about Yorganics is that they don’t have any seating. As someone who works form a mobile office I am always looking for a good place to sit and eat  in-between appointments, but lucky for me it was a beautiful day yesterday so I took my delicious organic meal to the park. If you are in the area and looking for a quick organic lunch then this is your spot! It is also a great option for offices in the area who are looking for healthy spots to pick-up or order in from.

Organic turkey dinner options in NYC

Posted on by

0

Between your teenage cousin, your middle-aged aunt and your turkey dinner, avoiding hormones on Thanksgiving Day is next to impossible.  Since you are definitely stuck with your relatives, why not avoid the hormone-induced turkey and go for one that is free of antibiotics, growth hormones, and unnatural additives?  Many New York City restaurants are offering local, free-range, organic thanksgiving dinners, just like you remember Grandma making.  Combine that with the growing number of meat shops and grocery stores selling high quality turkey for you to cook at home, and you have many options to choose from.

Jean George Restaurant Group
New York City restaurateur, Jean George, will be serving thanksgiving dinners at many of his restaurants this year. Thanksgiving menus are now available on the website for the following restaurants: Perry Street (176 Perry Street; 212-352-1900), Jo Jo (160 E 64th St # 1; 212-223-5656) and Mercer Kitchen (147 Mercer Street; 212- 966-5454.) All three of these restaurants will be serving the same thanksgiving menu for $68 per person.  The menu features a roasted organic turkey from Lancaster Pennsylvania. Not in the mood for turkey dinner? You will also be able to order from the regular menu at all three restaurants. Reservations are already filling up, so make sure you  book as soon as possible.  Thanksgiving dinners will also be served at Jean Georges (1 Central Park West at 60th street; 212-299-3900) and Nougatine (1 Central Park West at Columbus Circle; 212-299-3900). This years menus are not yet available, but you can view last years menus on the website and get a taste for what is to come.

GustOrganics (Chelsea, Village)
519 Avenue of the Americas; (212) 242-5800

For a 100% organic Thanksgiving dinner at a reasonable price, GustOrganics is a great option this Thanksgiving. For something different enjoy a special cranberry cocktail with your organic turkey. Another great option is the turkey meatballs with cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes. You will also be able to enjoy some red and white sangria for 50% off on Thanksgiving Day.

Ottomanelli Brothers
If you’re looking for a quality, local bird to cook at home then you should check out Ottomanelli Brothers, which has locations on the upper west side (395 Amsterdam Ave;212-496-1049), upper east side (1549 York Avenuen at the Corner of 82nd St; 212-772-7900) and in Queens (190 21 Union Turnpike Flushing, NY; 718-468-2000) . Ottomanaelli Brothers’ all natural turkeys come from Lancaster Farms in Pennsylvania. You can order a 14 – 16 pound frozen bird online for $59.95 plus shipping or you can order a fresh one for $2.95 a pound and pick it up yourself or have it delivered. (Delivery is based on how close you live to the butcher shop).

Whole Foods Market
With locations all around the city, Whole Foods, is a clear and convenient option for Thanksgiving Day. They have nine different selections when it comes to whole turkeys for Thanksgiving. The Whole Foods Market free-range turkey, raised on Jaindl Turkey Farms in Pennsylvania, seems to be the best value at $1.99 a pound. They are also offering certified organic free-range turkeys for $3.99 per pound, also raised on Jaindl Turkey Farms. You can order and arrange a pick-up day and time online through their website, in person, or over the phone. Not in the mood to cook? Whole Foods also offers complete thanksgiving dinner options, starting as small as dinner for two. The price varies based on what you order. Whole Foods customer service has knowledgeable staff that will answer just about any question you have when it comes to quality and placing orders. Orders must be placed by November 23rd and must be picked up. They do not make Thanksgiving deliveries. Visit their website for the store in your area’s contact information.

Fairway Market
Fairway Market is also offering many options for high quality birds, ranging from certified USDA organic, free-range, and hormone/antibiotic free turkey. Their website has a very user-friendly format for ordering your Thanksgiving turkey; select the size and type of turkey you would like to buy. Once you have indicated your turkey choice, you can then indicate which store you plan to pick-up from and when. Orders for a pre-brined turkey should be made by November 19th, while the deadline for a regular turkey is November 22nd. Fairway also has great catering options, including oven ready organic turkeys starting at $49.99 for an 8 – 10 pound bird.  Catering orders can be picked up or delivered in most areas of New York City. Due to the high volume of Thanksgiving orders there will be no specific delivery time, so you will have to be home to receive the order all day long. Catering orders must be placed by noon on November 21st.

For more information on places to get organic turkey on thanksgiving check out CleanPlates.

Most and Least Contaminated Produce and Purume Restaurant – NYC

Posted on by

1

I recently wrote a post about the importance of Organics and how it is important to eat chemical free food as often as possible. Don’t worry I don’t plan on repeating myself, I will spare both of us the boredom. Instead I am going to help you shop organic and smart all at the same time. The most common excuse I hear for not eating organic is that it is too expensive. How can you shop smart, but at the same time shop organic? Below is a produce cheat sheet for you to bring with you to the grocery store:

12 Most Contaminated

Peaches

Apples

Sweet Bell Peppers

Celery

Nectarines

Strawberries

Cherries

Pears

Grapes (imported)

Spinach

Lettuce

Potatoes

12 Least Contaminated

Broccoli

Cabbage

Bananas

Kiwi

Sweet Peas ( Frozen)

Asparagus

Mango

Onions

Pineapples

Sweet Corn (Frozen)

Avocado

Next time you go shopping stick to this list and you should be able to save a little cash and still keep your body chemical-free. Another good rule, (which doesn’t work all of the time), is to buy organic when you are buying produce that does not have an outer layer on it that needs to be peeled off. (Example: Onion)


Not in the mood to cook? One of the things I love about living in NYC is that we have tons of organic restaurants to choose from. I’m not saying we have one  on every corner, but we have a lot in comparison to the rest of the country. I recently went to Purume which is located on 13th street between 5th and University. Like most organic and vegetarian restaurants in the city, Purume’s menu is Asian inspired. One of the things that I loved about GustOrganics was that it is organic American cuisine, which is not something we see as often. I went with a friend and we shared the vegetable dumplings and spring-rolls and I got mixed vegetables in a curry sauce. While I give this place a thumbs up for being fresh and organic, it’s not great in comparison to other similar restaurants. I have had the inspired vegetable curry from Souen and it is about one thousand times better than the one served at Purume. When I go to new restaurants I always like to ask about the items on the menu that I am not familiar with. There were quite a few of these at Purume, but unfortunately the waiter was not able to tell us what they were; this was pretty disappointing.  I would definitely go back to Purume in the spirit of supporting organic, fresh food, but it is certainly not one of the best organic restaurants I have ever been to.

Calling all New Yorkers: $200 giveaway!!

Posted on by

9

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about GustOrganics, an 100% organic restaurant on 14th street and 6th avenue in NYC. I love supporting organic restaurants in the city and I especially love supporting organic restaurants that serve organic wine! Nothing better than eating clean and getting a small buzz on :) . I am really excited to share that GustOrganics is offering a $200 gift certificate to their restaurant for one very special reader.  To enter this giveaway please do one of the following:

1. Tweet the following: @eatrightnyc is giving away a $200 gift certificate to GustoOrganics. Enter at www.eatrightnycblog.com. Leave a comment and let me know that you tweeted.

2. Leave a comment letting me know why you think it is important to eat organic.

I will announce the winner this Friday, August 13th. Good luck!

GustOrganics and the importance of organics!

Posted on by

2

I have been receiving a lot of questions lately on the importance of eating organic. It seems like many people view it as a hippy-dippy sort of movement that really shouldn’t mean anything to you unless you are sporting dread-locks and wearing Birkenstocks. The truth is that it is one of the most important factors in fending off disease as well as… LOSING WEIGHT! Now do I have your attention?

Organic foods are free of GMOs, antibiotics, herbicides, pesticides, growth hormones, fertilizers and synthetic chemicals. This should be enough reason to try to keep organic foods on your plate and chemicals off it, but if isn’t then LISTEN UP:

Our bodies are not designed to process all of the extra chemicals and hormones on our food these days. Once you switch to a mostly organic diet your hormones will balance out and you will be able to metabolize your food more efficiently. When your metabolism works more efficiently then you metabolize your food faster and naturally start to drop pounds.

There are many restaurants in NYC that claim to be organic, but Gusto on 14th street and 6th avenue claims to be the ONLY 100% certified organic restaurant in all of the nation. Could it be true? I usually ask the waitress when eating at healthy restaurants if everything on the menu is organic, if the beef is grass fed, and if the poultry is free range and they generally say that they use fresh, local, and organic ingredients whenever possible. So, maybe it is true that Gusto is the only 100% certified organic restaurant in all of the nation, but I am not sure I buy it. Either way, does it really matter? GustOraganics is serving fresh, organic, and local food 100% of the time and that is something rare and amazing. I had lunch at this restaurant with my mom yesterday and we thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. The restaurant is cool and unique, especially for 14th street, and the menu boasts tons of interesting options: From salads, soups, sandwiches, and pizza to unique juices and stews. I decided to go with the Santa Fe sandwich on whole wheat with a side of avocado and mixed greens. I have never been in a restaurant that serves green monsters so I decided it was necessary to try one of their “green juices”, so I ordered “Rose’s Organic Garden” which included: Kale, swiss chard, spinach, broccoli, celery, green apples, peeled lemon and ginger. Serious nutrition blast! I left this restaurant feeling extremely healthy, but most importantly I was full and satisfied!

Colicchio and Sons

Posted on by

2

I am not going to lie and act like I don’t love reality TV, as trashy as it gets, I watch it and I am usually entertained.   I can’t say I don’t truly love watching a bunch of Guidos make fools of themselves at the Jersey Shore, Hugh Hefner’s ex girlfriend complain about how fat she is post baby,  and of course a normal 22-year-old girl turn herself into a tranny mess after ten plastic surgeries in one day. As much as I love all reality TV, Top Chef, on Bravo is a breath of fresh air in between all the trashy reality madness.

My husband and I celebrated our one year anniversary this past weekend and decided to have dinner at Top Chef judge, Tom Colicchio’s new restaurant:  Colicchio and Sons. Colicchio closed Craft Steak  and opened Colicchio and Sons in the same location in January. The new restaurant is modeled after the “Tom: Tuesday dinner concept”, something that was offered at Craft Steak on Tuesday nights. The Tuesday dinner concept used fresh, local, and high quality ingredients to make up the menu for that evening. I am never sure what to expect when going to a big celebrity chefs restaurant because I always fear it will be overrated, but I was optimistic based on the concept behind the restaurant; I am always excited to try anything local and fresh. I ordered  an asparagus appetizer that had just been added to the menu because asparagus just came into season and it was delicious. I can honestly say I have never tasted asparagus cooked so perfectly.

For my entree I ordered the ROASTED SIRLOIN WITH PIPÉRADE & ROASTED RAMPS. I barely ever order steak, I am not a huge red meat-eater, but for some reason it was calling my name on that menu. I strongly believe that when you are having a craving  your body is trying to tell you something, and you should follow your instincts. It also didn’t hurt that I knew  I was ordering high quality grass-fed beef. Unfortunately it is pretty unusual to both be served grass-fed beef at a restaurant and for the waitress to know that the beef being served is grass-fed. As far as steaks go, this steak was excellent.

We were so full and satisfied we decided to skip dessert and call it a night. We really enjoyed our dinner at Colicchio and Sons and I hope to be able to visit them again very soon. If you are into good food, local food, and good quality food I would definitely recommend Colicchio and Sons.

Us on our one year anniversary

Whole Foods Dinner

Posted on by

3

We have officially closed down our kitchen for the big move to, gasp, Brooklyn and we are in full on eating out mode until Saturday when our move is final. Although eating out is fun and can be delicious, it can also get out of control very quickly. I love cooking at home, because I can control the quality and quantity of what I put on my plate. Last night we decided to check out the Whole Foods prepared food section for dinner. The positives of whole foods is that all of their ingredients are natural or organic and they try to use locally grown as often as possible. Some might say the negatives are that they are seriously expensive, but I beg to differ and here is why: From whole foods I ordered chili glazed salmon with sides of spinach and green beans, all for a whopping $14.99.  Some  might say if I was really looking to save cash I could have gone to McDonald’s, but that is just not an option! I’d rather pay an extra 8 bucks on some organic salmon and vegetables and save on medical bills later in life, thanks! Another alternative might be a diner, so I checked the neighborhood diner to see what the equivalent would cost there and here is what i found: Broiled Salmon Filet which comes with a salad and a choice of potato or vegetable is $19.95!. So, not that I would ever order salmon from a diner, that is just a bad idea, but if I were to opt for the same meal from a diner it would be more expensive, most likely not as good, and definitely lower quality. So for those nights when you do not feel like cooking, give the carving bar at whole foods a try. Just remember to stay away from the mac and cheese and potatoes and go for some lean protein, whole grains, and vegetables. Oh and here is a picture of my delicious dinner from last night:

yummy!

Cubana Cafe

Posted on by

1

Cubana Cafe in Soho is one of my favorite restaurants in NYC. It’s cheap, it’s delicious, and it has a really cool, authentic , Cuban vibe. I used to work and live near Cubana Cafe and eat there quite a bit. Jed and I were in soho meeting my cousin for a drink the other night and decided we were too tired and too lazy to cook so we popped into Cubana Cafe, and boy am I glad we did. This place is one of those restaurants where you can make really smart choices or  really unhealthy choices. I ordered my favorite dish: Shrimp with roast garlic and tomato salsa with rice and black beans. Minus my feelings on white rice this is definitely one of the healthier options to order off of this menu and it is really wonderful tasting. I am a firm believer in asking the waiter to not bring a part of the dish if you don’t want to eat it, because once something is on my plate I have very little self-control. So, naturally, I ate the white rice and I must admit worse things have happened. I have learned to not beat myself up over little things like white rice, life is short so while being as healthy as possible is important, it is also important to eat and enjoy what is in front of you. Another healthy option on this menu is the Ensalada De Aguacate: avocado with shrimp, mango, and mesclun greens…yummy! My one warning against this restaurant is be careful if you go in the summer; it is unbearably hot. I am not sure if they don’t use AC or if their AC sucks, but either way it is very uncomfortable in the summer months.

Johns on 12th Street

Posted on by

2

While I was living in Italy for a year I learned very quickly that what us Americans think of as Italian food really isn’t Italian food; it is actually Italian-American food. In true American fashion we have managed to make an already delicious cuisine cheesier, fattier, creamier and overall larger than life. Penne Alla vodka had always been one of my favorite items to order off of a menu in NYC, so naturally I couldn’t wait to land in Rome and taste it at it’s best. To my surprise it was not on any menus. When I did finally manage to score myself some Penne Alla Vodka in Rome, it was at the most touristy restaurant I could find and sadly it tasted like Kraft macaroni and cheese. Another classic that I was unable to find in Italy was Chicken Parmesan. Italian immigrants created chicken Parmesan outside of Italy; it is an adaptation of the Italian dish Eggplant Parmesan that was created in Sicily. Us Americans have taken Chicken Parmesan to a whole new level. The chicken and cheese combo weren’t enough so we decided to bread the chicken and throw it on a huge hero for lunch, or on top of a heaping pile of spaghetti for dinner. Does it really come as a surprise that obesity is such an issue in the U.S?

Now that I am back in NYC I have been labeled by many of my fellow New Yorkers as an Italian food snob. I don’t think of myself as a snob as much as someone who appreciates real Italian food. Not only is it authentic, but it is also MUCH healthier for you. John’s on 12th street represents most of what I dislike about Italian-American cuisine. Huge portions, not much flavor, and not one option that won’t leave you feeling like you need to unzip your pants and take a nap at the table.  I was there recently for my moms 60th birthday dinner with my huge family. This is the type of restaurant where you should ask them if they could alter the menu a little bit for you. If I went back again I would ask for the shrimp and calamari in marinara sauce without the spaghetti and get a side of vegetables to go with it. Of course you can always just order it how it is and not eat the spaghetti, but that would require more self control than I have.

She doesn't look a day over 40, right?

It was a nice atmosphere for a big party, though a little on the noisy side. The restaurant itself is really cute and has a nice old style New York Vibe. If you are going to a restaurant with a big group and don’t care about the food then this is the place for you.