Sunday Brunch at the Church Lounge in the Tribeca Grand Hotel

Are you looking for a Sunday Brunch spot that will allow you to eat at your leisurely "pre-kid" pace? It looks like one of our reader-contributors has just the place for you!

We had the most amazing brunch Sunday at the Church Lounge in the Tribeca Grand Hotel. This must be the best kept secret in Tribeca. The kids ate very quickly and then disappeared for about 2 hours. There is a movie screening room and every Sunday they show two movies, one at 12 and the next at 2. Which left the adults to truly savor the amazing Brunch buffet. It is a buffet style brunch but it is not just your average omelets and bagels. There were, of course, omelets and bagels but so much more. The amount of food and the eclectic mix was great. There were oysters, shrimp, prosciutto, mozzarella, fruits, made to order waffles, eggs, sausage, and the list goes on. I am sure I left half of the stuff out but I went up three times. Oh and a dessert table. There were donuts and tarts and things but I went for seconds on the red velvet cupcakes with my cappucino.

Kick Off for the 15th Annual Taste of Tribeca

Last week, quite a few Tribeca restauranteurs and chefs representing Blaue Gans, Corton, Mai House, Tribeca Grill, Nobu, Cercle Rouge, Zucker's, and Yaffa's, met to discuss planning for the 15th Annual Taste of Tribeca. This year's culinary festival will be held Saturday May 16, 2009.

Photos ©2009 Robert A. Ripps.

Recipes from Amanda Freitag

Amanda Freitag, chef at The Harrison, treats viewers of CBS's The Early Show to recipes for a recession-friendly three course dinner. Can I tease you by mentioning lamb ragu and rigatoni? Beet salad? There's more... read here.

More Macao Trading Company

Isn't it a delight when you find just the right restaurant for the moment? Here's a happy tale from one of our readers:

"We had a relative in from out of town and my husband was looking for a cool place to eat. I sent him off to Macao Trading Company, knowing it came with a Chanterelle pedigree. It's hard to find, but look for it at 311 Church Street next to Dennis Foy. He came back raving: "Fabulous! Best new restaurant" He even brought back some Portuguese-style mushroom croquettes as a reward for my staying home to help the kids with their homework. He loved the scallop pot-stickers and the lounge with the young eclectic crowd. He saw some large prawns go by his table so I think we'll be heading back to try those. The menu is divided into Chinese and Portuguese sides. Sounds like a great addition to the Tribeca restaurant list."

Rosanjin

Rosanjin is an oasis of calm in NYC. While they're best known for "Keiseki" meals (a multi-course style of dining made famous in Kyoto, which requires advance reservations), they also urge customers to drop in for al a carte meals. The menu is still authentic and beautifully presented, but they even welcome children with a special meal. Selections include: savory Japanese puddings, traditional sashimi and Wagyu beef.

Pepolino

On a snowy winter night, I maneuvered 6 friends into dinner at Pepolino. It's been a long-standing favorite of mine and I was thrilled to see the spinach souffle back on the menu. Think the word "luscious" can't apply to spinach? Think again. The dish of tomato confit that's served alongside bread is addicting. My friend from L.A. was thrilled with his Octopus and black-olive dish, but I'm loyal to the braised leek spaghetti (another under appreciated vegetable that's transformed here), served perfectly al dente. But there's one thing you simply must have: the sublime cheesecake. Cheesecake is even the wrong word for it--more like a ricotta tart--so delicate and ethereal. Ed Levine acknowledged them in his NY Times cheesecake roundup a couple of years back. All their desserts are terrific (was that why I invited 6 friends...so I could share several items at once?!).

Inauguration Day at Chanterelle

In addition to the Sunday Jazz series (see two posts down) at Chanterelle, they are also featuring a special Inauguration Day Luncheon menu for $44 (in honor of our soon-to-be 44th Prez). Classic American favorites as interpreted by Chef Waltuck will make their appearance on the menu. Think: Chicken Pot Pie and Lobster BLTs. This is some consolation now that it appears my invitation to DC must have gone missing in the mail!

Restaurant Week Now 12 Days Long!

What was once a single week has now expanded to two and arrives just in time to lift the January blahs and relieve the economic doldrums. Over 250 NYC restaurants feature special menus with special pricing. A three course pre-fixe lunch is just $24.07, while the dinner menu is just $35.00. Availability is Monday through Friday Jan. 18-23 and again Jan. 25-30. A few places like Capsuto Freres, Nobu Next Door, Thalassa and Tribeca Grill have expanded the deal to Sundays as well. Centrico, City Hall, Mai House, Megu, Thalassa, The Palm, Tribeca Grill, Capsouto Freres, F.Illi Ponte, Nobu and Nobu Next Door are Taste of Tribeca favorites that are also participating in Restaurant Week. This is your chance to eat at some of New York's best restaurants at Applebee's prices. You can preview some of the special menus at NYCgo.com Reservations strongly advised.

Jazz and Wine at Chanterelle

If music be the food of love, play on!

Chanterelle's Sunday Salon is a year-long series dedicated to sharing the passions and interests of the Chanterelle family. Sunday, January 18, 2009 marks the beginning of this year's series with a collaboration between Chanterelle and The Jazz Gallery called The American Spirit: Jazz and Wine in Tune. Soulful jazz performances by Grammy-award winning artist Roy Hargrove and others will be paired with American wines chosen by Chanterelle's Master Sommelier Roger Dagorn and hors d'oeuvres from celebrated Chef David Waltuck.

Each Sunday promises to be an inspiration. For more information, visit The Sunday Salon page at Chanterellenyc.com.

Sausages at Blaue Gans

Sausages. Yum.

Lately, I've been reading books in which the characters eat sausages. Sausages are not the sum total of these fine tales, but the images are stuck in my brain- sizzling sausages, the slight resistance they give to the fork or teeth just before the sausage itself gives in and blossoms into pure, meaty flavor. I want sausages.

Word on the street is the sausages at Blaue Gans are fantastic. You can read one account of a Blaue Gans sausage experience at Health Food Makes Me Sick.

Macao Trading Co.

New Year's Eve is behind us, but that does not mean that opportunities to celebrate are finished for the year! Luckily, the "bar chefs" at the new Macao Trading Co. are here to inspire fun with a little cocktail they call the Dr. Funk. This festive concoction features rum and homemade grenadine. Want the recipe? Check out this post on The Village Voice.