The Black Dress Traveler

Morocco in El Barrio: The Kiosk Restaurant in Spanish Harlem

The magic of Marrakech and the charm of Casablanca is just a subway ride away in East Harlem. One of my favorite places in the growing El Barrio culinary scene is The Kiosk, a charming eatery that serves Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine.
The colorful decor and sweeping wall murals are the perfect backdrop for Chef/Owner Mounir Najd's flavorful and fresh cuisine. Drop in for breakfast, weekend brunch, happy hour drinks, lunch, or late night hookah service. The Kiosk also has live jazz on Thursday nights.

I'm still having a great time working my way through the menu at The Kiosk but I am crazy about the perfectly seasoned Moroccan eggs (baked eggs with merguez sausage, onions, tomatoes, herbs & spices served in a clay tagine). And, the sweet little shots of Moroccan tea are absolutely addictive!

The Kiosk is located at 80 East 116th Street. www.mnkiosk.com

What the?: New York NOT On List of World's Best Cities To Eat Well

Forbes Magazine recently published a list of the World's Best Cities To Eat Well and my hometown of New York City was not included. How can this be? Not only does New York City have some of the finest gourmet restaurants in the world but authentic cuisines from every corner of the globe can be easily found in the Big Apple. London was also notably missing from this culinary countdown. The article says, "Unfortunately, for these inarguably delicious cities, the local cuisine just isn't as dynamic as in other parts of the world." Well, I never!  

According to Forbes, "the list is derived from the 2009 Anholt-GfK Roper City Brands Index, released in June. It surveyed 10,000 people from 20 countries--each chosen for geographic and economic diversity--in April of this year. It asked them to rank 50 cities on such varied subjects as climate, physical attractiveness, restaurants and nightlife. Cities were judged on lifestyle, buzz, multiculturalism and attractiveness."

Of their selections that I have visited, Barcelona is my favorite thus far. I will have to make a point of visiting the other places to see if they really outshine New York City. Ok, I'll get over my hurt feelings and share their list with you. Tell me what you think. What cities would you add to this list?

1. Paris
2. Rome
3. Tokyo
4. Mexico City
5. Barcelona
6. Madrid
7. Hong Kong
8. Beijing
9. Milan
10. Shanghai

Bring Your Own Wine When You Dine: New Website Lists BYO Restaurants

One of the most expensive parts of a restaurant meal can be ordering that fantastic bottle of wine, so I am a big fan of eateries where you can bring your own bottle (byob). GoBYO.com is a great new website where you can search for restaurants in 10 U.S cities that permit patrons to bring their own vino. Featured cities include New York, Atlanta, Boston, San Francisco, and Chicago. 

I searched GoBYO.com and was pleasantly surprised to discover the number of well-known restaurants in my town, the Big Apple, that have BYO policies. The site also tells you each restaurant's corkage fee (the fee the restaurant charges you to open and serve your bottle of wine) - if any. GoBY0.com also has wine ratings, wine merchants, and state BYO regulations. Restaurants can get listed on GoBYO.com at no charge.

One of my favorite things to do when I travel is visiting local wine shops, so I can't wait to use GoBYO.com to help me find the perfect bottle of wine to eat with my dinner at an out-of-town restaurant.

For more information, visit www.gobyo.com.

Tastebud Travels: My Perfect Provencal Lunch at Allegretti

I've never been to Provence but my taste buds are convinced that we traveled to the South of France after my perfect lunch at Allegretti. Located at 46 West 22nd Street in NYC's Chelsea neighborhood, Chef Alain Allegretti's namesake restaurant showcases the vibrant and fresh flavors of his native Provence. The flavors are big but not convoluted and I am not embarrassed to say that I cleaned my plate on every course. Perfectly seasoned and elegantly presented, each dish was richly flavored without being too heavy and overwhelming my palate. Drop by for a drink and an upscale nibble at the inviting bar or allow Chef Allegretti to whisk you away on a complete culinary journey to Provence in the main dining room.  In addition to the a la carte menu, Allegretti is currently offering prix fixe menus at lunch ($28. Monday-Friday) and dinner ($42. Monday - Saturday.) Here are a few photos from my lunch. Alas, I did not save room for dessert but I plan on remedying that situation in the near future. Bon appetit!

Sardines 'In Saor'

tian of roasted tomato, avocado, fingerling potato, hearts of palm, tomato coulis

Provencale Fish Soup

garlic crouton, gruyere cheese, classic rouille

 

 

This is how the soup looks after you spread the rouille and gruyere on the croutons and let them abosrb all of the spicy goodness of the broth.

 

Nicoise Ravioli

stuffed with braised oxtail and swiss chard, parmesan, orange beef jus