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Last night’s premiere of Top Chef was quite a ride. First and foremost, I thought it demonstrated that the folks in casting are taking it up a notch stocking this season with some serious characters. They’re also apparently really into faux-hawks. Will they be requiring this ‘do for all contestants next season? Perhaps we can get Christian from Project Runway to be the hairstylist? Note to producers: Mix it up and go with mullets for next season!

Seriously though, I think this cast is going to make for a very exciting and scintillating season. Though I have to say, I was surprised at the number of New York contestants. I suppose it makes sense because we do have the best talent, but...]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2008/03/mohawks_potty_mouths_and_pizzas.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2008/03/mohawks_potty_mouths_and_pizzas.php Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:10:47 -0500 Being a restaurant critic is one of the best jobs in the world, I’ll admit it. I get to spend five to six nights a week eating out in restaurants, and I get paid for it. Not too shabby, right? Sure there’s the issue of not gaining 50 pounds a week that does pose a challenge, especially for someone like me who need only look at a pork chop to have my thighs expand to ham-hock size. It’s a struggle at times, and it does require a religious dedication to the gym, but it’s a fine trade-off.

Lately though I fear that what may be suffering more than my waistline and my cholesterol levels is my hearing. I cannot remember the last time I went out to dinner and could comfortably hear my companions or myself without leaning in, shouting, or straining to hear what they’ve said. And it’s not that the music is too loud, though I guess...]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2008/02/quiet_please.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2008/02/quiet_please.php Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:20:54 -0500

The 14th of February is never just the day after the 13th or the one before the 15th. It’s Valentines Day, and for better or worse, Hallmark and friends have managed to turn Cupid’s day into a nightmare for singles and an overpriced wallet-emptying dining experience for couples. While I’m a fan of restaurants most every night of the week, I’m not really so fond of them on Valentine’s Day. In general, I find most are opportunistically jacking up prices and overloading their menus with “romantic” ingredients, which curiously tend to include the most expensive products available to chefs -- caviar, truffles, and foie gras. Who knew duck liver spelled romance? So, it’s probably no surprise that the best Valentine’s dinner I had was one that did not involve a restaurant. It was the one my boyfriend (now fiancé) made for me last year.

Before I tell you about the meal,...]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2008/02/valentines_day_dining.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2008/02/valentines_day_dining.php Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:11:51 -0500 Hello everyone and Happy New Year! I hope that you’ve all recovered form your hangovers and are well into fulfilling those resolutions. As for me, I don’t do resolutions. I’ve tried in the past and they just don’t stick. Maybe it’s something in my skin? But the New Year does often inspire reflection and contemplation of one’s life and with that does come some desire to set goals for the New Year. Now the term “goal” is one that tends to feel less intimidating to me than RESOLUTION, which has this air of biblical commandment to it that just doesn’t work with my constitution. So, yes, I have set a few goals for myself for 2008 -- some rather frivolous, some not. One of my “goals” for this year is to cook more (I rarely have the chance because of the restaurant reviewing thing), another is to continue to try to help the people of Darfur (I created a charity...]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2008/01/eating_out_in_the_theater_district_1.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2008/01/eating_out_in_the_theater_district_1.php Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:19:01 -0500 The end of the year is traditionally a time for turning back and reflecting, but it’s also a chance to look forward to what will be (and if you’re up for it, throwing in some resolutions for good measure.) In the spirit of restaurants past and those in our future, I’ve compiled two restaurant lists: one that gazes at the rear view mirror of what’s been, and one that stares ahead into the great wide open of what’s to come.

THE BEST NEW (NYC) RESTAURANTS OF 2007
Best New Italian: Centro Vinoteca, 74 Seventh Avenue South, at Barrow Street, 212-367-8040
This stunning contemporary Italian restaurant from Chef Anne Burrell (she was Mario Batali’s sous-chef on Iron Chef) makes the idea of eating at the same restaurant every night quite appealing. Her menu offers a roster of bite-sized cichetti like Parmesan-battered wedges of cauliflower in agliata, juicy little meatballs infused with rosemary, roasted mushrooms caps loaded...]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2007/12/the_best_new_nyc_restaurants_of_2007_and_a_few_im_looking_forward_to_in_08.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2007/12/the_best_new_nyc_restaurants_of_2007_and_a_few_im_looking_forward_to_in_08.php Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:19:58 -0500

With the holiday season in full swing, I’m sure by the time you’re reading this you’ve already been to a few cocktail parties, a couple of festive dinners, and at least one lunch that lasted till evening. (Those are the best.)

Last post, I took you through some of my beloved classic spots for ringing in the holidays, this time, I want to share some of my new favorite New York City restaurants that I think should make your list if whether you live in the Big Apple or are planning a visit in the near future.

Tailor
Sam Mason, the chef and owner of this super-stylish new cocktail lounge and restaurant on the edge of Soho, has never played it safe. If Top Chef had been on the air four years ago, I could see him quite easily schooling many a contender. Considered one of the most envelope-pushing (and sexy)...]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2007/12/three_hot_new_restaurants_for_the_holidays.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2007/12/three_hot_new_restaurants_for_the_holidays.php Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:01:10 -0500 It’s getting to feel a lot like the holiday season here in New York City. The streets are lit up and twinkling with snowflakes and stars, the tree is all dressed up at Rockefeller Center, pines-to-go are bundled on sidewalks waiting to be taken home and treated to (most probably) an unfortunate overdose of tinsel, and shop windows are decked out with Christmas cheer (read: Shop Here Now!) For all the commercialization of the holiday season, I really love this time of year in New York. I think there’s something so magical about the first snowfall, when the city is covered in a hush of soft white dew. It makes me feel like a kid again. And for all the small talk and name-dropping that accompanies them, I really love the holiday cocktail parties. How great is it to have an excuse to buy a fabulous new dress, and to get together with friends and eat, drink, and celebrate? It’s...]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2007/12/bravo_its_the_holidays.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2007/12/bravo_its_the_holidays.php Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:20:53 -0500 Hello everyone! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and that you are enjoying your leftovers. As for me, I should be on some sort of juice fast. It’s almost a week later and I am still full, which is mostly because I spent the whole week in New Orleans with my fiancé's family. (My boyfriend actually proposed a few days before Thanksgiving, which gave us carte blanche to eat and drink our way through the town ... like we needed an excuse.) In between champagne toasts, we did an impressive amount of three things: eating, watching football, and taking naps. While I can’t say I am able to fit into my jeans anymore, I can say that I had some truly memorable fine dining (and messy chow down) experiences. So if you’re planning a trip or looking for a good food city to visit, I’ve given you a brief run through of some of my favorite spots to hit...]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2007/11/the_big_easy_new_orleans_is_back_and_better_than_ever.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2007/11/the_big_easy_new_orleans_is_back_and_better_than_ever.php Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:35:05 -0500 I eat dinner out about five to six times a week. I know, it’s a bit much. But it’s a living. Anyway, the thing about eating out so much (aside from constantly being in need of a five-mile run) is that I do get a bird’s eye view of what’s happening in kitchens around New York City. Many nights that view is quite crowded. I often sit down to dinner and find myself completely overwhelmed by tricked out menus the size of catalogues that often include everything from ceviche to sushi to grilled pizzas, cheese plates, and steak frites. I sit there and wonder, What is this restaurant about anyway? What’s the message? What’s the vision? And often, I have no idea. There’s no focus, and the menu feels clumsy and disjointed, and that’s a problem.

In some ways I don’t blame restaurants like these. Restaurateurs have taken a cue from the way we live and turned their eateries...]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2007/11/keep_it_simple.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2007/11/keep_it_simple.php Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:30:51 -0500 When you think about the environment, my guess is that two things immediately come to mind: Al Gore and Global Warming (not necessarily in that order). Since his Academy-award winning documentary was released last year, communities around the nation have rallied to make changes to help reduce the carbon footprint and do something to reverse the immense damage we’ve already done to our big blue planet.

Leading the way in this movement or eco-change is perhaps an unlikely group -- the New York City restaurant community. Our chefs and restaurateurs are turning An Inconvenient Truth into a mantra for a new way of operating. And in honor of Bravo’s Green Week, I looked into all the ways -- from using vegetable oil to fuel delivery trucks, to building with wheat walls and recycled wood -- they’re helping give our environment a second chance.

Let’s start with oil -- as in vegetable oil....]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2007/11/being_green_ecofriendly_restaurants_on_the_rise.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andreastrong/2007/11/being_green_ecofriendly_restaurants_on_the_rise.php Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:18:30 -0500