Commerce is the latest restaurant to occupy the historic location at 50 Commerce Street in the West Village. Tucked in the nook of the winding road, the restaurant is unassuming, and hence was an ideal location for a speakeasy during the Depression. Previous to Commerce, Grange Hall occupied this special space.

Chef and co-owner Harold Moore’s talent is evident in everything that comes out of the kitchen. I first had the pleasure of meeting Chef Moore at March, where he was chef de cuisine. Now a couple of years later, he’s running his own kitchen and restaurant and...

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Pilsner Urquell
$9 per six-pack
At your local deli or supermarket

Pilsner is not champagne.

You’re thinking, “Silly, I know that.” Well, that’s what I kept thinking, too, when I attended a Pilsner Urquell food pairing tasting. But over and over I saw similarities between the two beverages. And not just the bubbles.

Here’s why:

1. Buttery Taste: Pilsner Urquell has layers of complex taste, and although it’s very different in taste profile from champagne (esp. with the beer’s signature spice and the bitter finish from Saaz hops), it has a butterscotch profile that many Chardonnay-based...

Aburiya Kinnosuke has a variety of daily Japanese lunch specials that include The Limited (named because there are only 10 available daily), Today’s Fish Dish, Today’s Meat Dish, and the Two Chef’s Specials Served Over Rice. The Limited is the best deal at $13. Two weeks ago, it was eel over rice, pickles, an appetizer, and soup. On a recent visit, the Limited Special was Japanese hamburger with shimeji and shiitake mushrooms simmered in broth, homemade tofu, pickles, soup and rice. That day the jelly — a Japanese dessert like Jell-O that accompanies every special — was Calipico,...

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Zibetto Espresso Bar
102 Fulton St
@ Williams St

Midtown location:
1385 6th Ave
@ 56th St

Last Sunday, on my way back uptown from South Street Seaport, Zibetto Espresso Bar caught my attention. Post lunch, I was ready to have an iced coffee. I usually concoct my own version by ordering a single espresso, then ask for water and ice. Perusing the menu, however, I was curious about the Shekkerto ($4), which the barista explained was a cold, but not ice cold, double espresso. The double shot is shaken in a shaker with iced cubes but not...

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Alongside yogurt and ramen, pizza has lately gotten a hip makeover in the City. I just checked out two new pizza joints, Kesté and Co., wanting to understand how pizza has evolved and what the new places are offering.

Kesté Pizza & Vino, the new Neapolitan-style pizzeria on Bleecker Street, boasts a specialized oven crafted by artisans from Naples, authentic ingredients and strict adherence to Neapolitan pizza making. All of this reminds me of the similar hype when Una Pizza Napoletana opened. What I love about both of these Neapolitan joints is the fresh, saucy fragrance of...

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Sherry-Lehmann Wine and Spirits
505 Park Ave
@ 59th St
212-838-7500

This past March at the three-star establishment PIC in Valence in the Rhône Valley, I was in charge of ordering the wines for our party. On a whim, I did something I’ve always wanted to do: order all Rhône whites to go with our food. I knew that if the guys did the ordering, this would be less likely to happen. In the Rhône with a fabulous list of local wines, how could I miss out on a chance to sample some...

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Cinema Village
22 E 12th St
5th Ave & University Pl
212-924-3363

A documentary on the co-founder of New York magazine and one of the most influential graphic designers of our times, Milton Glaser, is long overdue. Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight (2008), couldn’t be a more aptly chosen title. The articulate Glaser, most famously known for his creation of the I Heart NY design, chats us through his career with ease, humor, humility and a sense of intimacy.

One of the funniest and most memorable scenes in the film is Glaser, joined by a friend,...

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I was recently introduced to Takesushi by a Japanese acquaintance and fellow food lover. He credits the quality of their sushi to the owner’s connections in the fish industry; not only do they get the freshest fish but also some of the clams that you don’t find at other restaurants.

Since I have a hard time going a week without sushi, I ventured to Takesushi for lunch and was struck to see so many Japanese ladies lunching there — both the ladies-who-lunch type and the Midtown workers — a very good sign, as Japanese ladies know where to lunch!

I...

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Manley’s Wine & Spirits, Inc.
35 Eighth Ave
(Horatio & Jane Sts)
212-242-3712

The first time I had a white port was when I lived in Paris many moons ago. It was served to me as an aperitif. I appreciated the crisp, dry profile of the white port and would always order it as an apéro when I spotted it on Manhattan wine lists.

It had been ages since I’d had a white port until I recently sat in, with Johnny and Caroline Graham, owners of Churchill’s port, on a port-pairing dinner — a first for...

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Summer’s on its way, which means it’s gelato season at last! To help cool off in the summer heat, Borne Confections’ line of seasonal sorbettos and gelatos, Taste Gelato Artigianale, is in full bloom. I had the pleasure of catching the last scoops of persimmon sorbetto, which is what got me hooked. Other summer flavors to look out for are blackberry, blueberry/pomegranate, red currant, plum, papaya sorbetto and ginger/lemon gelato. Or try one of their staple gelatos such as straciatella, amerena (cherry) and ameretto. They’re quite a treat to have on the handmade egg-free waffle cone.

Don’t miss the...

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