Oyster Blog

The Crosby Street Hotel

Best cups of coffee in New York City

by Andrew Hickey on March 30, 2010

Gimme! Coffee in SoHo

Years ago, New Yorkers had to settle for only decent coffee. It might have bested other cities when it came to pizza and bagels, but when it came to serving up a good cup of joe Seattle and Portland were the clear winners. But over the last few years there has been an espresso explosion; high-quality coffee shops have been opening up throughout the city. These are my favorite: Read More »

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Four “Top Chef” restaurants in New York

by Brendan Spiegel on December 8, 2009

Lemon Fennel Doughnuts at Perilla

Lemon Fennel Doughnuts at Perilla

[Flickr / roboppy]

With the sixth season of Top Chef one episode away from crowning a new champ, we decided to take a look at where New York diners can find meals from the show’s former chef-testants. Of course, the not-so-secret problem behind the show’s premise is that the $100,000 Bravo gives winners to open the restaurant of their dreams is actually a pretty measly amount to anyone who has ever tried to open an eatery in a prime New York location.

Very few Top Chef-ers have actually been able to drop the sous from their title and open their own kitchens, at least not in Manhattan. But there are a few:

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Five of New York’s Newest Hotel Bars

by Selena Ricks on November 7, 2009

Bar Pleiades at the Surrey Hotel

Bar Pleiades at the Surrey Hotel

Swanky hotel bars are having a renaissance on the New York nightlife scene, perhaps due to the success of Gramercy Park Hotel’s Rose Bar as a destination for VIPs, or thanks to the resurgance in speakeasy-style cocktail settings. Here are six of New York’s newest hotel bars where you can get cozy with a sophisticated tipple or two:

Bar Pleiades at the Surrey Hotel: Brand new following a $60 million renovation, this Upper East Side gem features a black and white Coco Chanel-inspired bar adjacent to Daniel Boulud’s Cafe Boulud. Toast a “Beijing Mule” (roasted Asian pear-infused vodka, yuzu juice, saffron-infused simple syrup, and house-made ginger beer, $15) in a white-quilted private booth. 20 E. 76th St. Read More »

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