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Chefs Dining Featured Lifestyle Nutrition NYC Restaurants

HIGH STREET ON HUDSON

Where can you find a chemical engineer and a would-be forensic psychologist collaborating on a tartine?

 

High Street on Hudson, the all-day restaurant in the West Village, where head baker and partner Melissa Weller and chef Mary Attea have teamed up to revamp the menu.

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Chef Weller By Ryan Liu

I met Chef Weller and Attea at GrowNYC Grains in the Union Square Greenmarket to pick up 25-pound sacks of einkorn, the world’s oldest known variety of wheat. Weller makes a dense bread with einkorn flour and whole grains that she slices thinly for the base of the tartine she and Attea collaborated on.

 

We also picked up a bunch of breakfast radishes from Eckerton Hill Farm in Berks County, PA and beautiful radish microgreens from Windfall Farms of Montgomery, NY.

HIGH STREET ON HUDSON
Einkorn loaf By Ryan Liu

 

Weller’s einkorn loaf is best the day after it is baked.

The untoasted slices are slathered with a thick layer of butter that Attea has infused with lemon. Chunky slices of pink radishes are topped with shaved breakfast radishes and microgreens. Another splash of lemon covers the dish before Attea cuts open a beautiful soft boiled egg and showers the whole thing in Bottarga, a luxurious cured mullet roe beloved by chefs. The radish tartine is a dish that truly reflects Weller and Attea’s new partnership.

High Street on Hudson is an all-day neighborhood restaurant and cafe founded around the love of bread.  Our ovens and bakery are the center of our kitchen starting from the pastries in the morning, freshly baked breads for sandwiches and salads at lunch, to the bread to sop up your chicken at dinner. Our bread, all made from locally sourced grains, is baked fresh on-site daily.  Located in NYC on the border of the West Village and the Meatpacking District, High Street is right off the High Line around the corner from the Whitney Museum of Art.  Pick up a loaf or join us for a glass of wine and cheese.

HIGH STREET ON HUDSON
637 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014
(917)388-3944
info@highstreetonhudson.com

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Dining

An Evening At The Roxy

There’s a new generation of hotels in Downtown. No longer just a place to sleep, these hotels are an experience in themselves with food, drink, and entertainment that may just keep you from going outside at all. One of such places is The Roxy Hotel, a luxury boutique venue in TriBeCa, which Downtown visited for dinner last week.Upon entry, you’ll be enveloped in the dark and mysterious ambiance, with notes of smooth piano music playing in the background Tuesday through Saturday. The Roxy exudes cool luxury with a wide mix of people; Wall Street bankers, international guests, well-dressed friends slurping on oysters and intimate dates relishing in a tête-à-tête.What do to when arriving? There are four bars; the Oyster Bar with a menu featuring every imaginable delicacy from the sea, the jazz bar known as Django, Paul’s Cocktail Lounge and of course, the plush, cozy Roxy Bar and restaurant.  

The food service starts at 7 a.m. with a cup from the laid-back in-house coffee shop, Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee and continues into late dinner service.

Dinner will be a fancy affair, but it’s worth the expense. The waiters have been trained well, attentive yet not overbearing, friendly but with a keen sense of when to leave the table. Choose from light, mostly organic appetizers, perhaps share pigs in blankets or a dipping board of Mediterranean Mezze and savor a round of lightly seared scallops for the table.For mains, the menu has been kept delightfully uncomplicated. Sample the Roxy Classics – Garganelli pasta, Brick Chicken, 14oz NY Strip Steak or a healthy kale salad, and pair with sides of brussel sprouts, sautéed wild mushrooms or pomme purée. Is your mouth watering yet? (YES!). As is traditional in New York City, the portions are also very generous.Pair your food with the finest wines, traditional or New World, seasonal and standard Roxy cocktails or Pinkus Unfiltered Ur-Pilsner and Ithaca Flower Power IPA.As if we haven’t already enticed you to swing by the hotel after work this afternoon (see you there!), there’s one more element of this world that we need to introduce you to. Namely, the Roxy Cinema.

Currently being refurbished into a film lover’s haven, the boutique cinema will re-open to the public in late September and promises a wide selection, from documentaries, art, indie flicks and celebrity showcases to 35mm and its latest introduction, 16mm films.

Keep your eye out for our interview with the hotel’s cinema manager, Illyse Singer, too!

Photos courtesy of the Roxy Hotel

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Dining

Healthy Breakfast Guide

After all the Fourth of July celebrations with not-so-healthy food and drinks, we’re craving greens, grains and vegetables. We know you can grab a green juice on your way to work, but taking care of yourself with a nice, healthy breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day. We’ve done the searching (and eating) for you — these breakfast spots will definitely get you back on track!

Café Henrie

This Lower East Side café is as healthy as it’s instagrammable. The pink tables and beautiful bowls ask to be photographed, but Café Henrie is more than just aesthetically pleasing. The acai bowl is served with all the toppings you need, including chia, fruit, fresh coconut and seeds. The banana bread contains crystallized ginger – all we know is that ginger improves digestion and can boost our immunity, so a crystallized version must work magic. The avocado toast is served with house sprouts, herb tahini and watermelon radish, providing you with that good kind of fat.

Address: 116 Forsyth Street
Closest subway station: Grand Street 

The Butcher’s Daughter

The Butcher’s Daughter serves everything except meat, being a plant-based restaurant revolving around vegetables, fruits and juices. Classics on the menu are the smashed avocado toast, coconut yogurt parfait and the spinach egg bowl. They even do healthier takes on our guilty pleasures, including homemade rice pancakes with almond milk batter, matcha green tea pancakes or an almond butter & jelly (instead of that all-American peanut butter jelly). Eating healthy really can be delicious and fun.

Address: 19 Kenmare Street (original location)
Closest subway station: Spring Street 

The Elk

Eating breakfast at the Elk won’t only do your body good, your mind will thank you too. The small café is located on a quiet street in the West Village, and the relaxing vibes make the whole experience very enjoyable. The menu consists of healthy light bites, such as yogurt with an almond-coconut crumble, oatmeal or a market fruit salad. The Elk gives the traditional potato hash a healthy twist, by including sweet potatoes, cage-free local eggs and roasted tomato. This place is perfect if you’re not a great morning person, or don’t generally like to eat a big breakfast.

Address: 128 Charles Street
Closest subway station: Christopher Street 

De Maria

De Maria is about as healthy as it gets, and many dishes on the menu involve ingredients you’ve probably never heard off – in a good way. Highlights on the menu include the rooster bowl with honey cured egg and seed seaweed gomasio (told you), porridge with miso butter or rhubarb molasses and home-made tahini yogurt with urfa bieber. All you really need to know is that it’s good for you. De Maria also does a less basic version of avocado toast, served with lavender cured salmon.

Address: 19 Kenmare Street
Closest subway station: Spring Street 

Banter

Banter is an Australian restaurant, and Australians know how to cook up something healthy. Ok – not everything is good for you, and you’ll have to ignore the bacon and pulled pork sandwiches. But the banter bowl or greens salad contain all the vegetables and nutrients you need, while being delicious and filling at the same time. The chia pudding with strawberries will satisfy your sweet tooth, without refined sugars.

Address: 169 Sullivan Street 
Closest subway station: Houston Street 

Categories
Dining Events

Burgers For Father’s Day

Father’s day is this Sunday, and we know it can be tricky to find a gift for your dad. But if there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that dads love a good burger! We’ve rounded up our favorite burgers in Downtown New York, including a vegan one… just in case.

Burger Inc

If your dad loves bacon as much as he loves burgers, this one is for him. The $$$ burger at Burger Inc is served with Angus beef, cheese, house sauce and the biggest slices of applewood smoked bacon. The sweet and smoky bacon and the spicy sauce make this burger unlike any other burger you’ve had before. Your dad will love it.

Address: 353 West 14th Street
Closest subway station: 14 Street / 8 Av

Ruby’s

Australians sure know how to put together a good burger, and Ruby’s burger won’t weigh you down. The Whaleys burger is served on Panini bread with tomato, lettuce, beet, pineapple and a fried egg. The pineapple and beet make the burger refreshing, and the Panini makes a nice change to your typical brioche bun. This one is perfect if you don’t want something too heavy.

Address: 219 Mulberry Street
Closest subway station: Spring St

JG Melon

Sometimes all you want is a good old classic burger without all the crazy toppings and sauces. JG Melon brings it back to basics with simple ingredients: a beef patty, pickles, raw onion, pickles, lettuce and tomato. Bacon and cheese are available to add on, but that’s about it. And sometimes, that’s all you need.

Address: 89 Macdougal Street 
Closest subway station: West 4 St

Virginia’s

Burgers aren’t limited to lunch or dinner, and what better way to start Father’s day with a burger for brunch? Just so you know, the egg on top makes it perfectly acceptable to eat a burger as breakfast food. Virginia’s burger is served with cabot cheddar, a sweet onion marmalade, bacon and egg — and is most definitely worth getting out of bed for.

Address: 647 East 11th Street
Closest subway station: 1 Av

By CHLOE.

If your dad is vegan or vegetarian, by CHLOE. has you covered. The guac burger consists of black beans, quinoa and sweet potato, but it tastes just as good as the real deal. The toppings give the burger a little Mexican twist, including a generous amount of guacamole, crunchy tortilla strips and chipotle aioli. Even meat lovers are known to love this one (don’t worry, we won’t tell).

Address: 185 Bleecker Street
Closest subway station: West 4 St

Categories
Dining

The Anthony

The Anthony is a restaurant and lounge located in the midst of the buzzing Bleecker Street. There’s more to the Anthony than meets the eye, which aims to transport us back to the ambiance of Greenwich Village in the 1950’s. The spot is named after Anthony Lispenard Bleecker, the 18th century entrepreneur who owned many properties throughout the Village. That’s enough history for one day – time to discuss the food.

The menu revolves around comfort pub fare, inspired by cuisine from around the world. You won’t find the usual mac and cheese, burger or fries here – the Anthony gives our favorite dishes a contemporary twist. The Maine Lobster Fondre is an extremely creamy version of lobster mac and cheese, and comes with an entire half-lobster portion. Not impressed yet? Wait until you hear about those crispy Cacio e Pepe fries, topped with shaved pecorino, fresh cracked black pepper and a perfect parmesan pepper aioli — thanks Anthony, now we will never be able to eat regular aioli again.

Other highlights include the Duck & Waffles, and the signature Tony Prime Burger with creamed spinach cheese. And at least there’s a serving of veggies on there (= balance).
No matter how much you eat, there’s always room for dessert — especially if they are made by Michelin-starred pastry chef Ashton Warren. The coconut cake is topped with coconut flakes, balancing the softness of the cake with a crunchy bite. The side of strawberries adds to the sweetness and rounds out the meal perfectly.
After dinner, The Anthony turns into a nightlife scene, making it the perfect spot to go with a group of friends.

Photography by Siobhan Gunner

Categories
Dining Events

Two Thumbs up for the Second Annual Taste of Gramercy

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Truffle Mac and Cheese by The Stand

On Saturday September 13th, the Gramercy Neighborhood Association held its Second Annual Taste of Gramercy Neighborhood event on Irving Place. The event aimed to spread awareness about local businesses and introduce residents of New York City to all the wonderful food options Gramercy has to offer. In addition, the net proceeds were donated to benefit local schools, PS 40 and School of the Future, and the leftover food from the event was donated to the homeless in NYC via the Bowery Mission.

DOWNTOWN representatives headed out to Irving Place to see what Taste of Gramercy was all about and we were delighted with the fabulous array of foods presented. Who would have ever thought that a cheeseburger turned into soup would taste so delicious? Big Daddy’s showed us just how great it could be. Granted anything with a tater tot on top is sure to win some bonus points. The Stand made mac and cheese fancier with truffles so now you can treat yourself to your favorite indulgence with a touch of class. For those of you who are addicted to dumplings like we are, we have found the ultimate flavor. The squash dumpling made with Brown Butter, Truffled Chestnuts and Sage by Ichabod’s was one of our greatest discoveries of the day.

It was a cloudy, gray day in New York City, but that didn’t stop everybody from having a great time. Luckily for all the vendors involved the rain held off until after the event.

Participating restaurants at the event included the 71 Irving Place Coffee & Tea Bar, Barbounia, Bedford Cheese Shop, Big Daddy’s, Breads Bakery, Casa Mono & Bar Jamon, City Crab & Seafood Company, Duke’s, Friend of a Farmer, Go Burger Truck, Ichabod’s, La Follia Osteria, Little Town, Paul & Jimmy’s, Pete’s Tavern, Ponty Bistro, and The Strand.

Check out some of our favorite dishes below and head out and support these great local businesses!

-Lauren Price

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Cheeseburger Soup with Tots by Big Daddy’s

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Great, natural sandwiches by Exki

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Short Rib Sliders by La Follia 

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Sweet and savory by The Stand

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Squash Dumplings: Brown Butter, Truffled Chestnuts and Sage by Ichabod’s

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Smoked Octopus with Watermelon by City Crab

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Savory Sauces by Paul and Jimmy’s

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Luigi Rosabianca of Rosabianca and Associates  Grace A. Capobianco, CEO & Publisher of DOWNTOWN Magazine NYC, Mr. Renato, RE investor, and interior designer Mrs. Gianna Cassano

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 CEO & Publisher of DOWNTOWN Magazine NYC, Grace A. Capobianco, Chef from the Institute of Culinary Cuisine and Editorial Director of DOWNTOWN Magazine NYC, Maya Prejbisz