reviews

Looking for a hot new restaurant to go to for a birthday dinner, or a swanky downtown joint to grab dinner and drinks with friends? Search my reviews below, or email me if you can't find what you're looking for. Wanna get the low-down on the newest restaurants going up? Get the strong buzz. (Please note: You can freely link to my restaurant reviews, but republishing any part of them without written permission is expressly prohibited. For information and syndication details please email syndication@thestrongbuzz.com).

“Hedeh”
Onto the shadowy darkness of Great Jones Street, Hedeh casts a cool light from its wide, lofty bar, beckoning you inside to a large lounge area decorated with slotted wooden shelves stocked with sake bottles. Here, coc ...
>>read more
Posted: October 24, 2004

“Little Giant”
Little Giant, owned by first time (and beautiful) restaurateurs Tasha Garcia (Gourmet, Norman’s), and Julie Taras (Blue Hill) is a sweet little nook of a restaurant on the corner of Orchard and Broome, with a ...
>>read more
Posted: October 24, 2004

“Cafe Gray”
It started off as just another Saturday night at the Mall. I pushed through the revolving doors, and rode the sky-high escalator to the 3rd floor, and in an instant, I was back in high school, shopping at Roosevelt Field with my girlfriends and g ...
>>read more
Posted: October 10, 2004

“Mercadito”
I stopped by at Mercadito last week, and had a lovely meal with a serenade by the bartender, a very sexy guy from Cuba, who was playing the bongos in between pouring drinks. He’s got rhythm and a great smile. The place is owned by Darin Rub ...
>>read more
Posted: October 1, 2004

“Blue Mill Tavern-- Closed”
Blue Mill Tavern opened a few weeks ago in the space that was Grange Hall, the charming retro spot nestled among the twisty tree-lined cobblestone streets of the West Village (50 Commerce Street, at Barrow Street, 212-352-0009). I hear the rent is a ...
>>read more
Posted: September 19, 2004

“Lure Fishbar”
Josh Pickard (Joe’s Pub, Time Café, Lever House) and John (Lever House, City Magazine) McDonald’s latest restaurant (and runway for stunning men and women who all appear to have been freshly styled for some sort of fashion shoot ...
>>read more
Posted: September 18, 2004

“Pace-- Closed”
Jimmy Bradley and Danny Abrams build restaurants that are sort of like Banana Republic. The prices are reasonable, the look is cool (but not too trendy), their places are comfortable, and the style is right for any occasion. Laid back and effortlessl ...
>>read more
Posted: September 13, 2004

“Cru”
I love meals that start with little snacks—amuse bouche, canapés, hors d’ouerves—whatever you call them—you get the idea. I call them little snacks, and to me, they are just pure silliness and joy—lots of lively contrasting flavors, tucked into ...
>>read more
Posted: August 19, 2004

“Tia Pol”
Casa Mono is probably my favorite Spanish spot in New York City. In my book, Andy Nusser, the chef and a partner, can do no wrong. The service is flawless, the food is always a thrill, and the place just works, really, really w ...
>>read more
Posted: August 14, 2004

“Kalustyan's Cafe”
The dim and dusty stretch of Lexington Avenue just north of 23rd Street is chock full of friendly, cabbie-crowded Indian dive joints. But it was—until now— missing a more welcoming place for the neighborhood and beyond to come and eat aut ...
>>read more
Posted: August 1, 2004