NYC restaurants get financial boost from matchmakers offering face-to-face meetups

NYC restaurants get financial boost from matchmakers offering face-to-face meetups

Lovelorn New Yorkers are ditching popular dating apps for an old-fashioned way of finding a soulmate – at face-to-face meetups in Big Apple hangouts that can use the business. These “in real life” (IRL) experiences are organized by a new group of matchmakers – such as Closer, Parlor Social Club and The Dinner Table Club … Read more

Tennis fans to get early taste of new dining options at US Open as revamped mixed doubles format kicks off tournament

Tennis fans to get early taste of new dining options at US Open as revamped mixed doubles format kicks off tournament

Tennis fans will get an early taste of the US Open with a new format for mixed doubles – giving them a sneak preview at the new dining options that will also debut next month. The upscale and usually pricey scene will add James Beard-nominated rising star Robbie Felice’s pastaRAMEN, a new spin from Simon … Read more

Why top NYC restaurants are bringing in famed chefs from around the world

Why top NYC restaurants are bringing in famed chefs from around the world

Top New York City restaurants are increasingly turning to collaborations with renowned chefs from around the globe to boost business and stand out from high-end rivals, Side Dish has learned. The collabs, while not a new phenomenon, have taken on added importance as President Trump’s tariffs create challenges for chefs to source some of their … Read more

Waldorf Astoria’s new restaurant ‘Lex Yard’ reimagines menu classics as hotel finally reopens

Waldorf Astoria’s new restaurant ‘Lex Yard’ reimagines menu classics as hotel finally reopens

Famed chef Michael Anthony has grand plans to restore the Waldorf Astoria as the epicenter of the Big Apple’s crowded dining scene – and he’s starting by reimagining the famed hotel’s iconic dishes, Side Dish has learned. Anthony, the longtime executive chef at Gramercy Tavern, helms Lex Yard, the 220-seat restaurant that hopes to satiate … Read more

New Seaport hotspot bucks NYC’s members-only trend — but you still have to get past the bouncers

New Seaport hotspot bucks NYC’s  members-only trend — but you still have to get past the bouncers

A new nightclub will buck the members-only trend that has swept New York City by welcoming the masses – at least those who can get behind its black velvet rope, Side Dish can reveal. Nightlife up-and-comers Grupo Gitano will open Club Bohemia later this month at South Street Seaport’s Pier 17 – offering bottle service … Read more

Ukrainian-born ‘DWTS’ alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy brings vodka brand to NYC

Ukrainian-born ‘DWTS’ alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy brings vodka brand to NYC

Tetya Kapa, a Napa Valley vodka from Ukrainian-born “Dancing with the Stars” veteran Maksim Chmerkovskiy, debuts in New York this week at hotspots including Elsie Rooftop, Fresco by Scotto, and Avra.  The vodka is named for Chmerkovskiy’s favorite relative, Kapa. Tetya is Ukrainian for aunt.  “She taught me how to drink and not get drunk … Read more

Famed chef Daniel Boulud expands his empire with new ventures at premiere NYC skyscrapers 

Famed chef Daniel Boulud expands his empire with new ventures at premiere NYC skyscrapers 

Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud is launching new ventures at two of New York City’s most prized skyscrapers – an expansion that dovetails with a push by companies to lure workers back to the office five days a week.  Boulud – whose culinary empire in the Big Apple includes high-end haunts Daniel, Le Pavillon, Joji NY, … Read more

Trump tariffs sour opening of NYC candy store by Zabar scion: ‘I’m eating the cost’

Trump tariffs sour opening of NYC candy store by Zabar scion: ‘I’m eating the cost’

The chaos caused by President Trump’s tariffs have been a bitter pill to swallow for those planning to open a restaurant in the Big Apple – including a sweets shop from the scion of the famed Zabar family. For now the candy prices are stable and comparable to other hotspots as foodie entrepreneurs appear to … Read more

Wegmans serves up its first NYC eatery to lure devoted shoppers

Wegmans serves up its first NYC eatery to lure devoted shoppers

Wegmans is betting that the cult-like devotion of its shoppers will carry over from the supermarket aisles to its first restaurant in the Big Apple. The Rochester, NY-based chain –  which opened in Astor Place in 2023, with lines that began to form at 4 a.m. – will launch a Japanese-themed eatery adjacent to the … Read more

Luxury hotel to open where Montauk motel once stood in latest transformation of rustic haven

Luxury hotel to open where Montauk motel once stood in latest transformation of rustic haven

There’s a new luxury hotel launching this summer on the East End — Offshore Montauk — with a price tag to match. Rising where the former Sands Motel once stood, the chic hotel becomes the latest to replace a budget-friendly Montauk motel, as Side Dish has been chronicling.  Room rates will range from $700 to … Read more

NYC restaurant owners fear looming tariffs on European booze: ‘It will put us out of business’

NYC restaurant owners fear  looming tariffs on European booze: ‘It will put us out of business’

NYC restaurant owners fear the looming tariffs on European wines and spirits will slam their bottom line – with some popular haunts concerned the levies could force them out of business, Side Dish has learned. President Trump has threatened to impose a 200% duty on booze from the European Union after the EU vowed to … Read more

Exclusive | Luxury retailer Printemps opens in Financial District with fine fashion — and  fine cuisine from NYC-born top chef — in boost to hard-hit area

Exclusive | Luxury retailer Printemps opens in Financial District with fine fashion — and  fine cuisine from NYC-born top chef — in boost to hard-hit area

The highly-anticipated opening of famed French luxury retailer Printemps in the Financial District will not only offer the latest haute couture – but also haute cuisine from a Queens-born top chef. Gregory Gourdet returns to New York after spending the past 17 years on the West Coast, winning three James Beard awards for French-inspired fare … Read more

New culinary delights take Aspen by storm: ‘Now there’s some diversity’

New culinary delights take Aspen by storm: ‘Now there’s some diversity’

There is new culinary talent in Aspen away from the slopes this season — and they’re serving up fare that isn’t the pasta or sushi usually found on menus in the luxury haven. Cederic Vongerichten, son of Michelin-starred top chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and his spouse, Ochi, launched Wayan Aspen this month. The Aspen outpost — which had … Read more

Miami luxury condos turn to branding deals with top chefs to attract buyers

Miami luxury condos turn to branding deals with top chefs to attract buyers

Miami developers have expanded the branding of their luxury condos from high-end cars and famous designers to include world-class chefs, and even posh wellness centers, to lure buyers, Side Dish has learned The city’s booming skyline, which features residential towers named for Porsche and Bentley as well as Armani/Casa, will soon be joined by a … Read more

Top Thanksgiving sides revealed for each state — Connecticut and Massachusetts, you should be ashamed

Top Thanksgiving sides revealed for each state — Connecticut and Massachusetts, you should be ashamed

Talk about a side hustle. Turkey may be the main attraction at the Thanksgiving table, but side dishes are typically what have people going back for seconds. However, not everyone opts for the same add-ons — and where you live might determine which is your favorite. A new report by Online-Casinos.com has revealed each state’s … Read more

This beloved Thanksgiving food staple is banned in other countries because of 2 ingredients linked to cancer

This beloved Thanksgiving food staple is banned in other countries because of 2 ingredients linked to cancer

A popular Thanksgiving side dish that’s served in millions of homes every year is banned across Europe — and not because Europeans are just so jealous of our tasty holiday spread. Stove Top Stuffing, the instant boxed mix that’s cemented itself as a must-have accompaniment for turkey, contains two ingredients that are off limits in … Read more

Famed restaurant at newly-reopened NYC Four Seasons remains a Garden of eatin’

Famed restaurant at newly-reopened NYC Four Seasons remains a Garden of eatin’

The famed Garden restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel looks like it was stuck in a time warp as the iconic property finally reopened its doors Friday after being shuttered for four years. The exact same 20-foot-tall acacia trees still soared majestically among the identical 86 seats that made the Garden a favorite destination for … Read more

NYC’s media mogul hangout Michael’s toasts 35th anniversary: ‘It’s all about evolution’

NYC’s media mogul hangout Michael’s toasts 35th anniversary: ‘It’s all about evolution’

My first lunch at Michael’s was in 1995. Playboy magazine had flown me in from Moscow where I had snagged an exclusive interview with the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who was then running for president of Russia.  It felt like everybody who was anybody was in the room, which glowed with its minimalist design, spectacular flower … Read more

Exclusive | Gosman’s Dock — family-owned mainstay in Montauk for 81 years — sold to deep-pocketed investors

Exclusive | Gosman’s Dock — family-owned mainstay in Montauk for 81 years — sold to deep-pocketed investors

One of Montauk’s last affordable seafood bastions has been scooped up by yet another set of deep-pocketed investors – but these father-and-son buyers are vowing to keep it budget friendly, Side Dish has learned. Gosman’s Dock, named after the family that has run the Montauk mainstay for eight decades, was sold to Stephen Deckoff and … Read more

NYC restaurants ditch pricey chef’s tasting menus as inflation-hammered diners seek cheaper options

NYC restaurants ditch pricey chef’s tasting menus as inflation-hammered diners seek cheaper options

Inflation-battered diners are putting aside less time and money for extravagant chefs’ tasting menus – leading many Big Apple restaurants to ditch the pricey concept in favor of a la carte options that can be shared, Side Dish has learned. Industry insiders say new restaurants are not launching tasting menus, and many who do have … Read more