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Vodka Infusion!

Summer Deals: $1.25 Raw Bar Specials Every Night in NYC!!!

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Chef Ho's Restaurant (New York) - Review

November 15th 2008 03:29

Chef Ho's Restaurant (interior)

Chef Ho's
1720 Second Avenue
(bet. 89th & 90th sts)
New York, NY

(212) 348-9444
Hours: 12pm - 11pm daily

Craving Chinese food, but you're on the the Upper East Side of Manhattan? Before you jump on that subway to take the long ride downtown, consider Chef Ho's restaurant!

Chef ho's serves up authentic Szechuan and Hunan dishes right here in the upper-east neighborhood. While the decor and ambience is hovering just around the average range, the fresh, white, linen table cloths, dark wood, french windows, and semi-dim lighting subtly add to the flavors of the delicious dishes. What's more is that the food is very reasonably priced... which is a plus if your wallet is on a diet but you're not.

The bar is fully stocked with a wine list that is extensive enough to complement any dish. The menu even considers vegetarians, boasting a healthy supply of vegetable only dishes.

For the particular diner, Chef Ho's offers original dishes such as the Happy Family (Shrimp, Beef, Chicken, and Crab meat in an ornate, noodle, nest), or the Peacock Fantasy (which consists of two different chicken dishes). Other favorites include the crispy prawns, orange beef, and Szechuan steak. Of course, my personal favorite is the Peking duck, which always makes my mouth water on every visit.

Chow down!

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Vodka Infusion!

September 5th 2008 03:54

From my past experiences as a frequent bar-hopper in Manhattan, I happened upon some truly tasty vodkas at places like Punch Lounge to the notorious Russian Vodka Room.

Some of the flavors I've tried range from peach and apple to black currant and chili pepper to chocolate and licorice. Each of them were delicious in their own right... except for the licorice infusion (because I really don't like licorice to start with).

Chocolate and Strawberry

Oranges

So if you're interested in trying vodkas that depart from the norm, visit a local, somewhat trendy bar/lounge and sample any of the concoctions available. Or you can infuse your own vodka:

Gather Your Desired Ingredients. In terms of choosing a flavor, you can use almost anything. Some of my suggestions would be chocolate, apple, berries, and peach. You can also experiment with herbs, but citrus fruit like lime or orange are the easiest to start with.

Use a potato peeler to shave the peel into an airtight jar filled with a mid-priced vodka. Take note that about 1 liter of vodka needs approximately 2 to 3 limes or oranges. Store the jar in a cool, dark, place.

Taste test the stuff! Shake the jar once a day to ensure that the ingredients are distributed throughout the jar. After about three to four days take a sample from the jar and test its taste; also check the smell. According to one mixologist that I spoke with at Punch Lounge, flavors usually peak after 7 to 10 days, after which the vodka pulls too much of the undesirable flavors out of the ingredients.

Cold Filter your creation. When the vodka tastes like you want it to taste, take a funnel and a bottle and pour the infusion through an unbleached coffee filter. The concoction should come out to be clear and flavorful, or if infused with darker ingredients like chocolate or wild berries, should turn out delicious and tinted. And, there you have it... fancy, infused vodka to impress your friends!

Infused Goodness!

If you are seeking good places to try infused vodka, here are some of the places with the most varieties... they know what they're doing!

Uncle Vanya
315 W. 54th St., New York, NY 10019
nr. Eighth Ave.
212-262-0542

Russian Vodka Room
265 W. 52nd St., New York, NY 10019
nr. Broadway
212-307-5835

Punch Lounge
913 Broadway
New York, NY 10010

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Best Pizza In New York, Thus The US

August 10th 2008 20:57

Best Pizza In New York, Thus The US
By Daniel Zwicke

There's always a big debate on who makes the "Best Pizza in New York City." It's never ending, and with the World of YouTube and Blogs, the coverage

that Pizza and the Pizza Parlors of New York is absolutely "Astronomical." Hundreds of people comment on Pizza and New Yorks Pizzerias every single day.

Who has the "Best Pizza Overall," who has the "Best Slice" in town, who makes the best Coal Oven, the best wood, or the best gas fired Pizza? Who? First-off, when it comes to which city in the United States of America makes the "Best Pizza," this is the "Easiest Thing on Earth." There is no contest! It's "NEW YORK." Everybody knows it. For Pizza, when it comes to the "BEST," there's no place else! There's ONLY New York.

So, who has the "Best Pizza in New York." Now that's not so easy, but there's Lombardi's, Totonno's, Di Fara, Patsy's, and John's (Bleecker Street). Well, "I Love them all, but I have two that are most dear to me, and they are "John's," of which I have been going to for over 25 years, and Totonno's that I discovered about fifteen years ago.

They both make absolutely "Perfect Pizza." They both have "Monster Coal Fired Ovens" that reach temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees and give the crust that perfectly crispy blistered finish that any "Great Pizza" must have. The Classic Pizza Margarita has a perfect balance of ingredients of dough, tomato, mozzarella, olive oil, and Pecorino Romano and cooked to "perfection."

"Totonno's Pizzeria Napoltano," I won't argue with anyone that it might be the Best of New York.

If you wonder why we use the words "perfect" and "best" so many times in this report, its just that no other words would fit when you are talking about; John's Pizzeria, Totonno's, Lombardi's, Patsy's and "New York Pizza." They're perfect and they are, the "Best" Pizza in the country. "Take that Chicago."

Daniel Bellino Zwicke is a former Chef and now one of New York and the United States foremost authorities on Italian Wine and Venetian Wine Bars (Bacari). Daniel was the former Wine Director of Barbetta Restaurant in New York City as well as the Chef, Wine Director, and Managing Partner at Bar Cichetti which he created. Bar Cichetti was the first ever Venetian Wine Bar to exist in the United States.

Article Source: <EZine Articles>
Photos courtesy of and copyright Free Range Stock, www.freerangestock.com

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Summer Deals: $1.25 Raw Bar Specials Every Night in NYC!!!

August 9th 2008 14:10

Do you love raw oysters, clams on the half shell, or some cool, shrimp cocktail? Bummed that they're a bit pricey in the city? Well... here's your chance to sample some of the finest raw bars in Manhattan!!!

Take a break from the heat and congestion and saunter over to one of these restaurants. Show up at the bar or sushi bar after 10pm every night this summer and ask about the raw bar specials:

Atlantic Grill
1341 Third Ave
(@ 77th St.)
New York, NY
212.988.9200

Blue Fin
W Hotel Times Square
1567 Broadway
(@ 47th St.)
New York, NY
212.918.1400

Blue Water Grill
31 Union Square West
(@ 16th St.)
New York, NY
212.675.9500

Ocean Grill
384 Columbus Ave.
(@ 78th St.)
New York
212.579.2300

Then satisfy your cravings for oysters, clams and chilled shrimp for only $1.25 per piece! What a great way to start a night on the town!

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Sushi and the City...

August 8th 2008 04:31

Eat sushi!

Top 5 Sushi Restaurants For Your Dinner Party
By: Mario Stewart

Did you ever have any notion of trying a sushi food in a sushi restaurant in New York? For a lot of people the sushi food means only the raw food. Many food lovers just get turned off when they hear about the uncooked fish which is served in a classy way. But the actual truth is that once you have a sushi food, you will actually love it and it will add in your favorite cuisine list. You will actually discover the sushi food and enjoy it a lot.

Sushi can be a great feast for the sea food lover. It does not only include the fish but also many other sea dishes. You get a lot of superb varieties of food. New York City has some of the best sushi restaurants in the world. They serve great food to its guest and people definitely change their view about the sushi food.

Some of the top sushi restaurants in the city of New York are:

Tomoe Sushi: If you want to treat yourself with the yum sushi food in this restaurant, all you need is patience. This restaurant is always very crowded as people love to relish their sushi food here. The wonderful fresh and superb scallop sushi is among the most beloved dish which is offered at a very reasonable price.

Jeollado: This restaurant is among the top sushi restaurants in the city of New York. It can be a wonderful place for a dinner party especially for people who like to hog on the sushi food. This is an East Village restaurant which serves both Japanese and Korean food, sushi being the main on the menu list. The seaweed salads are among the best cuisine in this restaurant.

Yama: Although this restaurant is one of the finest sushi restaurants in New York, you will get amazed to see the low priced food on the menu list. This brilliant restaurant chooses to offer great food at very low price without any compromise on the taste. The classic décor and services in this restaurant makes it a perfect place to throw a dinner part here.

Blue Ribbon Sushi: This sleek and small restaurant offers some of the great and freshest fish food in the city. This particular sushi restaurant is best for those people who love sushi food which is spicy, attractive and has awesome taste.

Nobu New York: This sexy Japanese restaurant offers superb sushi, elegant décor, greaseless tempura, extraordinary specials and a huge bill. But paying for the finest sushi food is worth here as you get everything to satisfy your appetite. So, it is a perfect place to have a dinner party if you have promised to treat your friends or family with the best sushi food.

In the recent years, the sushi food has become very famous and a lot of restaurants have come up that offers great and original sushi food. New York City has a lot of restaurants that specializes in the sushi food and are great to dine.

Mario Stewart has a passion to write about New York City and the event spaces, clubs, bars and restaurants in the city. He is internationally popular for providing the most apt reviews about the New York restaurants. You may visit one of his websites to know more information about [http://www.emrgmedia.com/] New York Restaurants.

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Robert Mondavi's Philosophy of Life

July 24th 2008 03:07

Robert Mondavi Winery

Hello all! As part of my inspiration series, I'd like to re-hash Robert Mondavi's Philsophy of Life, which is in my opinion true and heart-felt. His words can help steer us in the right direction... so, if you haven't seen them already, here they are:

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Want salad with attitude?

July 19th 2008 02:30

Once the big and little hands on your analog watch/clock rendezvous over the 12 marker during the workday, you automatically feel a familiar grumbling in your midsection... translating into either, "what's for lunch", or, "maybe it wasn't a good idea to scarf down that heavy breakfast burrito with extra black beans." In this post I will address the former... with my opinion on what I had for lunch today.

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Asia de Cuba

July 19th 2008 01:59

Asia de Cuba
237 Madison Ave
New York, NY

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Your Taste Buddy in the City...

July 18th 2008 19:27

Join me as I explore and enjoy the various foods and cultures in the urban melting pot! Read my reviews and agree or disagree... we are all entitled to our own opinions.

My purpose is to provide you with some insight and preparation before you embark on your own journey of eclectic cuisines. My taste buds are at your service!

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November 2008

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