I got a Facebook message today from a friend who is taking his wife to New York in a couple of weeks. He asked me for some of my favorite dining choices and off-the-beaten path things to do. So, Charlotte and I have colaborated and come up with our “thrifty and tasteful” take on New York City.
Most of our choices are family-owned establishments offering personal and caring service and always with a European flair. Many have limited seating (20 tops max) so it would be wise to call ahead for a reservation. We highly recommend all our choices. They are listed in no particular order.
Trattoria Trecolori – 254 W. 42 St. (between Broadway and 8th Ave.) tel. 212-997-4540 – http://www.trattoriatrecolori.com/.
We were introduced to this place by David, one of Charlotte’s co-workers, and a long time resident of New York. One day David took us here for lunch. As we walked in David was greeted by the owner and waiters and treated as a “regular.” We’ve eaten here several times since and although they don’t know us, we get great service and some pretty amazing authentic Italian-American food. We dined at Trecolori just a couple of weeks ago with my sister and her husband and had a great dining experience (as opposed to a meal). I asked the waiter to prepare his choice for my dinner… he brought roasted veal that tasted amazing and melted in my mouth. Be sure to listen to the daily specials and order one if it suits your fancy. I’ve had several varieties of their fresh fish and it has always been great. The pasta and desserts are excellent as well. Entree items range from $12-23. Eclectic collection of wine from $24 a bottle.
Pergola Des Artistes – 252 W. 46 Street (between Broadway and 8th Ave.) – tel. 212-302-7500 – http://pergoladesartistes.com (closed Sunday and Monday).
I’ve walked by this little “hole-in-the-wall” many times and wondered what was behind the small little door. The entrance reminds me of a brothal (not that I’ve ever been in one, mind you) or mafia-run nightclub. But trust me, behind that door is a welcome smile and some down-home country French cuisine. We finally dined here for the first time in early July 2010. New York was under a horrible heat wave, with temps above 100 F, and the cool A/C and homey atmosphere were just what we needed. When we arrived we were greeted by the barman, who we later found out was out waiter and the manager too. The menu was limited with typical provential French, escargot, onion soup, duck, beef burgundy, coq du vin, mussels in white wine, etc. However they do have an extensive list of fresh daily specials as well. On this occasion we chose escargot in a delicious broth of butter and herbs, duck confit with the roasted breast and lamb chops stuffed with porcini mushrooms. Perfect meal, perfect service and authentic cuisine. Entree items range from $12- $20. Good wine from $22 a bottle.
La Petite Auburge 116 Lexington Ave, NY, NY 10016
Tel .212-689-5003 www.lapetiteaubergeny.com
Amazing and another well hidden gem. See my complete blog post about this experience by clicking here.
L’Ecole the Restaurant of The French Culinary Institute – 462 Broadway (just north of Canal St.) – tel. 212-219-3300 http://www.frenchculinary.com/lecole. We discovered L’Ecole in February 2010 and it has instantly become one of our favorites. Considering price, value, authenticity and service it cannot be topped! They have a lunch menu, a dinner menu before 7:00 p.m. and a dinner menu after 7:00 p.m.. We’v dined here at lunch and at the pre-7 p.m. dinner. They do not take reservations between 7 and 8 p.m. Just like in Europe, a table here is your’s until you leave, or they close and run you out. The cooking staff and wait staff are all students at the adjacent French Culinary Institute. The service and food is exceptional, authentically French and affordable. For us, this is often our least expensive meal in New York. Entrees from $9-18. Good wine (they don’t serve any bad stuff) from $22 a bottle.
Cafe Un Deux Tois – 123 W. 44th Street (between 6th and Broadway)
Tel. 212-354-4148 – http://cafeundeuxtrois.biz/
Elegant upscale French dining with typical Parisian charm (said with tongue in cheek). David – I’ve spent a a few hours at the bar here with drinks and appitizers waiting on Charlotte while she shops. Good economical experience, all thing considered. Charlotte will have to tell you about the dining. Charlotte – I had lunch here at a retirement party. I don’t remember the exact menu but I do remember that I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Da Gennaro Ristorante – 129 Mulburry Street (Little Italy) -
tel. 212-431-3934 Authentic Italian-American cuisine located in the heart of Little Italy. Everything here is authentic and typical, except for the waiters- they are from Spain or Mexico but do a good job of fooling you that they are true Italians. If you are in the area, go here for the food and you won’t be disappointed. Although, I would not make a special trip from the theatre district or uptown. It is always packed and the food is good. Entrees from $15.
Carmine’s NYC Legendary Family Style Italian Restaurant – 2450 Broadway (Upper Westside) – tel. 212-362-2300 – http://www.carminesnyc.com/index.php
Carmine’s is consistant and always a winner when it comes to authentic Italian-America food. It is served family-style and in huge portions. If there are only two of you dining consider sharing the antipasti, pasta and entree. We normally come here with a group of people, order three or four courses, try to eat it all and don’t succeed. Consider getting a doggy bag and giving it to a needy person along the street between the restaurant and the subway. But seriously, the food, ambiance and dining experience is amazing. You won’t go home disappointed or hungry. Entrees from $12.
Morton’s Steakhouse – 551 Fifth Ave. – Tel. 212-972-3315 – http://www.mortons.com/newyork/
Yes, it is a chain but for us, there is no better steak in New York City (we are suckers for Chicago-style meat). Entrees from $22 up.
Last month I was on a train in Italy when I received an incoming call from an “unknow number.” Upon seeing that, I cringed and my stomach sank. You see, I’d had that same “call” on two other occasions while traveling in Europe. It was from my web hosting company back in the USA notifying my account (meaning my website and my blog) had been suspended.
I have used the same web hosting company for over ten years, however in recent years things have made a drastic turn for the worse. It is long story and I’ll not bother you with the details, let’s just say I learned my lesson the hard way.
The odd thing is that I always got the “unknown caller” when I was not in a position to do anything about it, usually I was in Europe. The person I talked never varied, it was alway the same voice, although he never used the same name twice. The story varied at each call beginning with ”my website had overrun its space on the server and I need to pay more money to get unlimited space.” The next time the same guy (using a different name) said several of my domain names had expired and as a last ditch effort I would have to pay lots of money to reinstate them. The next call I got was because my webspace was using too much bandwidth and I should pay more money to get unlimited bandwidth. The final call came, as I mention, while on the train last month. This time my “problem” was that someone “hacked” my webspace and it was “gone.” They had a backup, but I would have to purchase new webspace and pay for someone to restore my data at a huge cost.
That was the last straw! I just let everything sit in limbo for a couple of weeks until I could get back home. Luckily, I had a full backup of my website and a backup of my blog from late-March 2010. So, over the last few weeks I’ve restored my BLOG and totally reworked my website. Hours and hours of my time, but with a reliable and well researched web hosting company, I feel a lot better.
The moral here is NEVER trust anyone without checking them out. When I got to digging into that web host provider, I found scores of complaints and very similar stories to mine. Apparently, he/they have fooled a lot of people. If you are insterested check it out on the web:
The crooks are : Global Internet Services (GISOL) http://gisol.com
My research revealed fraud at many different levels:
Last month, I posted a YouTube video showing how easy it is to break into a locked suitcase. Several of you responded with horror stories about stolen items in your locked luggage. Your best bet is to never check you luggage, carry it on with you. If you let it out of your sight there is no telling what happens to it.
Charlotte and I spent Valentine’s Day in New York City. Valentine’s dinner found us at Morton’s Steakhouse for a pretty prodictable dinner with a good filet and an amazing souffle to top it off. However, I decided to venture out and try some new places for our remaining days in the city.
La Petite Auberge is definitely out of the way and off the beaten path. I discovered this little French gem while waiting on Charlotte to complete her shopping adventures. Having nothing to do but while away my time I began looking for a traditional French restaurant with moderate prices.
Arriving at the restaurant after our walk in the sleet and snow we were welcomed by a warm host who was expecting us and had our table ready. The restaurant probably seats about sixty people at fifteen white tableclothed tables. The walls were constructed of amber-stained pine planks and lent an air of old-worldness to the the place. We elected to get the prix fixe menu at a very reasonable cost of about $25 per person.
The waiter and his assistant were attentive all evening and were most helpful in moving the dinner along at our pace… not too fast. The menu was traditional French… escargot, soup, salad, beef burgundy, duck, rabbit, lamb and the like. After studying the menu we both decided to get escargot for our starter and the confit of duck for our main course. In retrospect we should have ordered two different menus, but not tonight. We also ordered a bottle of Pommard to wash it all down with.
The meal was exceptional. The escargot, served our of it shells, was garlicky and buttered just right. The duck was as good as any I’ve had in Paris. We each got a thigh, leg, breast and wing. Way too much meat, but I was not complaining. The thigh/leg combo was cooked just right with the tender meat falling off the bone. The breast was fried in the same manner and was a little over-down and dry for my liking, but still tasty. The main course was serves with french cut green beans and a wild rice mix. There was desert as well, but I could not eat but a few bits of my chocolate mousse due to being full already.
La Petite Auburge receives my highest recommendation for a traditional and rustic French dinner. If you are looking for a little bit of rural France in the big city, don’t miss out on the opportunity to dine here!
I am a tour organizer who travels to Rome at least a couple of times a year, but yet it seems to be my most challenging city when it comes to finding a hotel room. I know of several nice four-star hotels out on Via Aurelia that are just up the typical American tourist’s alley (air conditioned rooms, safe environment, pool, grand lobby, hotel bar and restaurant), but they are far away from the historic Roman city. I’ve also stayed at many hotels in central Rome and felt uneasy because of the locale, the shifty hotel staff, poor management and lack of cleanliness. But now, I have found a small hotel that I can recommend with confidence and pride.
I came across the WELROME Hotel as I was exploring the “hotel neighborhood” around Rome’s Teremini train station. Previously, I had three unacceptable hotel experiences in the area and was determined to find a suitable small hotel for a little group I was taking around Italy. I resorted to the internet on my iPhone and found the highly recommended WELROME Hotel just steps away from my location.
WELROME has seven rooms that are well-kept and clean. There is plenty of hot water and the air conditioning will freeze your toes! There is no bar, restaurant or grand lobby; the rooms only provide a clean, safe and quiet place to sleep in busy Rome. However, this is a very unsual combination that I have yet to match in central Rome, at least in my price range. You see, when I travel, I like to attempt to live like the locals. No, not like the winos around the train station, but like a normal Roman scratching out a living in central Rome. I think I found this at WELROME Hotel.
Owners Mary and Carlo are the most amazing hosts I’ve ever encountered. They provide comprehensive customer service and leave nothing to chance when it comes to your stay in Rome. Last summer, during my first visit to WELROME Hotel, I was overwhelmed with Mary’s desire to please my group and me. She was so thorough with room instructions and services. She went out of her way to accomodate us and make our stay pleasant and comfortable.
This is not a 4/5 star hotel, but it is centrally located near the Teremini train station and has the best customer service I ever encountered. If you are looking for a safe hotel in Rome’s historic center try WELROME!
We arrived in ZURICH, SWITZERLAND by way of an overnight flight from Atlanta and were greeted with sub-freezing temperatures and a snow-covered landscape. In less than an hour, we had our rental car and were cruising along the highway to Schwangau, Germany. We encountered heavy snow and slow traffic the entire way. The last 100 kilometers took us along some beautiful rural countryside all covered with a blanket of white. The road was covered with snow as well and made driving rather tedious.
The afternoon was dreary and grey with the snow incessantly falling, but for us Floridians, it was a wonderful experience. Charlotte and I froze as we climbed up to Castle Schwangau, having had to wait thirty minutes before our entrance time. However, the chill was worth it because of the ambiance and vistas. The whole place is just like a “winter wonderland.”
I was happy to visit with my friend, Hermann Weidenger, at his hotel in Ruette, Austria. After a long day of driving and touring the king’s castles, it was good to see a welcoming smile and familiar face.
Hotel Ernberg-Zum Dorfwirt, is located less than twenty minutes from the castle area in Reutte, Austria. All the rooms are decorated in the traditional Tyrolian style with lots of wood paneling and comfy beds covered with warm duvets. There is not a bad room in the hotel, so visit here with confidence.
Hermann’s hotel restaurant is very popular, so you would do well to get a reservation as soon as you arrive in town. Luckily, we obtained a reservation at 6 p.m. on a Saturday night, during the height of the Christmas season. The meal was wonderful! The only negative was the smoke due to Austria not banning smoking inside.
It seemed that beef was the speciality of the evening, so both Charlotte and I ordered it. I had a filet and Charlotte had a T-bone. Both came with vegetables, french fries and plenty of special homemade pepper sauce. The entire dining experience was great, but jet-lag began to catch up with us half-way through dinner. We skipped desert and were sound asleep in bed before eight o’clock!
Charlotte and I are flying today to Zurich, Switzerland hoping to experience Christmas cheer in the foothills of the Alps. According to the forecast, it is going to be cold with snow. We can’t wait! For us Floridians, any chance to get into the chilly weather and snow is an adventure. Our itinerary is somewhat flexible, especially since I do not have a group to lead around, but here is a rough outline:
First, we will drive to Schwangau, Germany and visit King Ludwig II’s boyhood home (castle) know as Hohenschwangau. We will stay overnight with my hotelier friend Hermann Weidinger in Reutte, Austria. Then we will travel through Germany’s Black Forest and set up in Freiburg, Germany for four nights. I call this region the “Smokey Mountains” of Germany. There are a lot of Christmas markets to experience and maybe we’ll do some hiking too. Finally we will return to Zurich, explore the old town, and be home by Christmas.
I’ve been dining at Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa, Florida, since 1984. On that first visit, it was Roger, a friend and gracious host, who walked my “good buddies” and me through the experience of fine dining. The service, food, wine and desert were amazing. I’ve gone to Bern’s at least once a year since that first visit.
Dining at Bern’s is a experience, one which you must make the main event of the evening. I plan for at least four hours to savor the food and ambiance. Mike was our waiter way back in 1984, and to this day I still request that he be my waiter. He won’t steer you wrong. Mike is very knowledgeable on their wine selections, as well as abreast in making menu suggestions. I’ve tried many cuts of their dry-aged steaks and have come to settle on their chateaubriand most often. Order it medium-rare and it will melt in your mouth! The steak comes with all of the fixings: soup, salad, a potato, fresh veggies and their amazing sauteed carrots all at one fixed price (about $40 per person). The price can rise steeply depending on your taste for beverages other than water, tea, soda and coffee.
Don’t forget to tour the kitchen and wine cellar after your dinner. Then, waddle your way up to the desert room and indulge on a huge selection of sweets, coffee, desert wines and digestifs.
Over the years I have taken many people to Bern’s to dine with me. The table has turned since 1984, for I am now the “wise old man” showing my friends the ins and outs of fine dining at Bern’s. Thanks Roger and Mike for making dining an experience!
This morning, I heard a NPR story featuring three restaurants in Paris. Paris is loaded with restaurants but these places seem to be a good find. All three featured restaurants are owned by the same chef and are located just a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower. Next time you are in Paris, check them out and let me know what you think. Here’s the NPR link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114250336
