Latest news with #restaurant
Forbes
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Leonetta Adds Mediterranean Cuisine To Manhattan's 'Curry Hill'
Mezes and flatbreads are an array of first courses at Leonetta. Among food lovers, Manhattan's Murray Hill neighborhood, on the east side in the thirties, is affectionately known as Curry Hill owing to its large number of Indian restaurants. Leonetta, opened last autumn, adds a welcome departure with a menu from the Eastern Mediterranean. It's a very handsome restaurant––what the British would call smart posh––with a glittering bar and roomy central booths, bentwood chairs, wood floors, fringed jellyfish hanging lamps, and good lighting throughout, with plenty of greenery and a window wall on the street, with an adjacent smaller room and a more intimate downstairs space called Leo's Famous. Handsome and well-lighted, Leonetta draws a largely female crowd. For whatever reason, the clientele is, each night, composed of seventy percent women, including at the long bar, and they dress up and keep the atmosphere vivacious. Sadly they must shout to be heard over thundering music speakers with thudding bass lines layered over indefinable canned music. For the millionth time, nobody goes to a good restaurant to hear loud music, and it baffles me that restaurateurs think it provides an appealing 'vibe.' Chef Cotton's ;are menu is suffused with spices from all over the Mediterranean. Chef Ed Cotton, a Massachusetts native, worked in Boston with Todd English and followed with stints with Daniel Boulud, Laurent Tourondel and David Burke, whose influence for fired, gutsy textures and flavors is clear at Leonetta. The menu ranges from mezes to pizzas and pitas, salads, seafood and meats, all from the food cultures of the Mediterranean, beginning with a lush baba ghanoush of nicely charred eggplant with an intense confit of tomato and pickled onions. Black garlic hummus picks up flavors from toasted spices and tender marinated chickpeas. A delicious choice to be shared is the chopped tuna puttanesca with entwined flavors and textures of tomato, olive, capers anchovy, and sesame grissini. Shawarma is a hefty pork shank with crisp skin to be stuffed into pita bread. The pita breads at Leonetta are terrific––puffy, warm and yeasty, with a toasty sear on the outside, which can be had with Greek spanakopita filling, while the rosemary focaccia bread comes with olives, whipped ricotta and za'atar. There are five pastas that are lusty indeed, like the frilly black truffle mafaldine with wild mushrooms, mascarpone and Parmigiano. Even better is the rick shrimp Israeli cous cous scented with saffron and studded with zucchini, tomato and lemon. The most interesting of the seafood dishes is the swordfish steak with chermoula,gingered cauliflower pilaf, eggplant yogurt and charred lemon. The lamb mixed grill, at $55, is a bargain, since you get a generous platter of loin, Merguez sausage tomato and spinach orzo, kalamata olives and chickpeas. A fudge chocolate dessert with ice cream. The not-to-be-missed dish, to share, is the pork shawarma, consisting of a massive bone-in shank cooked till tender so that the bone slides right out. With its crispy skin and well-seasoned meat, it is meant to be stuffed into those fine pitas, with tangy turmeric pickles and dressed with a white and red sauce. Among the side dishes, the aromatic basmati rice involves sweet Medjool dates and black mission figs, and you should definitely order a plate of the fat, za'atar-laced steak fries with bits of feta and hot harissa ketchup. For dessert there's a commendable tiramisù; rich chocolate pudding with an orange-saffron marmalade and Chantilly cream; and a pleasing semolina cake flavored with olive oil and served with fior di latte gelato and a pine nut-rosemary crumble. There is, of course, an array of signature cocktails and a pretty good wine list with reasonably priced wines well under $100 and several wines by the glass. Our waiter, whose name was Joel, was exceptionally affable and helpful throughout service, and as the room started to empty around nine o'clock, that throbbing vibe did too. I do wish they'd change the outmoded policy of only seating a party when all members have arrived, which, depending on New York traffic, could be a long wait at the hostess station or the bar. Leonetta seems wholly fitting within its neighborhood, for its food shares the same focus on spices and seasonings, charring and cooling yogurt as do its Indian neighbors. It's already caught on with the young professionals and the many nearby hospital staffers from NYU Langone, Lenox Hill and Mount Sinai who can come for a meal of small bites, pizzas, pastas or a full-scale dinner in a splendid surroundings. LEONETTA 181 Lexington Avenue 646-448-4288 Open for lunch Mon.-Fri.; brunch Sat. & Sun.; dinner nightly.
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Adelaide woman's crazy find at bottom of hotpot
A young woman has scored herself a free meal after a shock find at the bottom of her takeaway bowl. Adelaide woman Shraddha said she ordered a hotpot from a takeaway shop last week. She ate most of the meal at the restaurant but took some home for later. It was then she noticed something strange. 'I was picking at the bottom, and the container was feeling a little bit weird,' she said in a TikTok video. 'So, I kept digging and at the bottom of the container was a working phone.' Working might be a bit of a stretch, understandably a temperature warning could be seen on the phone as she dragged it out of the soup. 'I rang the place, and I was like 'hey I found a phone in my hotpot' and they were like 'oh yeah we did have a phone missing from one of our chefs',' she continued. 'They were apologising, and I was like 'no worries I'll bring it back''. The woman chose not to name the restaurant, saying 'everyone makes mistakes'. She added: 'What had happened was apparently the chef put the phone down in the takeaway container and because it was black it blended in with the container. 'I paid $35 for the hotpot originally and they gave me $50 back and the chef was like 'oh let me know when you're here next time and I'll give you a free hotpot''. Earlier in the video Shraddha said she originally planned to save the meal for another day. Thankfully for her, she was hungry when she got home, and the meal was still warm. If she had popped it in the microwave the next day, it could have been a different story. Some TikTok users said the restaurant got off lightly. 'You should have asked for a lifetime of free hotpot,' wrote one. 'Thank God you didn't have to heat it up,' said another.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
5 Things Parents Do at Restaurants That Most Annoy Servers
A restaurant server is sharing the worst ways parents misbehave at restaurants. 'The phrase, 'The customer is always right' is dying out,' Alana Fineman, a comedian and server in Southern California who posts restaurant skits on TikTok, tells Dining out with young kids is draining, between picky eaters, spilled food, whining and restless wanderers. Fortunately, kid-friendly restaurants are equipped with coloring activities, playful decorations and the swift delivery of kids' meals to quell complaints. Sometimes, it's parents — not their children — who misbehave. 'Servers don't want to shame families or discourage them from going out to eat,' says Fineman. 'Parents are usually ... trying their best.' Here are five mistakes families most often make at restaurants, according to this server. Kids make messes and that's part of the experience, according to Fineman. 'It's one thing when a baby throws food from his high chair — it's another when kids rip open sugar packets and dump them on the floor or finger-paint with ketchup on the walls,' says Fineman. 'That usually means that a parent is not paying attention or allowing it to happen,' she adds. Big messes are typically cleaned by bussers, whom Fineman calls one of the 'hardest-working' employees in her field. 'If someone vomits, it's the busser who cleans it up,' she explains. 'Kids shouldn't run through a restaurant — it's not a McDonald's PlayPlace,' says Fineman. Most restaurants lack appropriate spaces for children to cut loose, says Fineman. A high-speed collision with a server can cause broken glass, fallen food, delayed orders and injuries. 'If you're carrying a tray of five martinis or plates of boiling-hot food and a child runs in front of you, you can drop it on the floor or onto a person,' she says. Fineman recalls a hazardous incident at her restaurant. 'Kids in a party of 10 were running around,' she says. 'They climbed over a fence and onto the street, where they threw rocks onto the dining patio.' While no one was struck, the children were lectured by an employee, who Fineman says, 'Did the parenting.' 'Kids get to a certain age when they can order their own food and the parents will say, 'Tell the lady what you want,'' says Fineman. She finds most of this banter 'funny and endearing,' but if the child won't speak up, the server now has a parenting problem. Fineman says gentle prompts from a parent is usually encouraging enough, however, 'Every so often, a parent says, 'We're not moving on until you learn to order.'' 'I can't always be a part of it when I'm really busy,' says Fineman. Picky eaters are usually not a problem for servers — unless parents have big expectations. Fineman says some parents get 'irate' with restricted menus or if chefs cannot produce a specific meal, due to limited ingredients. 'If it's a slow day, they might be able to ... but not every time,' says Fineman. 'There needs to be a contingency plan for what your child can eat.' Fineman proposes that parents plan for kids with dietary preferences by reading the digital menu before coming in. Fineman points to a 'fascinating phenomenon' wherein parents don't necessarily mention when children are included in a reservation. Maybe they hope to sidestep the automatic gratuities that some restaurants apply to larger parties, says Fineman, but most don't realize that children count as guests, even when they require high chairs, which take the same space as a chair. The miscommunication is more of a problem on busier days, when families may have to wait longer for a sizable table. 'There can be an unfortunate domino effect in the restaurant industry,' says Fineman, adding, 'Miscalculating three people can affect the next 45 minutes.' Fineman says parents can rectify this by notifying the restaurant when their party size changes, even by one child. This article was originally published on
CTV News
17 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Little Italy restaurant owner's dreams of a terrasse take surprising turn
Primo & Secundo restaurant in Little Italy may soon have a terrasse after years of efforts by the owner to get one. (Matt Grillo/CTV News) A restaurant owner in Montreal's Little Italy wanted to open a terrasse and after years of trying to get approval, he is finally seeing progress. Primo & Secundo owner Roberto Stabile eventually contacted CTV News due to his frustration at not being able to have his dream of a terrasse for the summer. 'June, July, August we taper off,' he said. 'Sales are down, [and] that's just because people enjoy eating on terrasses and we don't have one.' After CTV News contacted the City of Montreal on Thursday, there was progress. 'Our people are there. They are taking measurements, looking at the technical issues. We are looking forward to close the alley,' said Rosemont--La Petite-Patrie borough mayor Francois Limoges. Stabile's restaurant is located next to an alley and adjacent to a fire station, and the borough needs approval from the fire department before closing the alley. However, the news sounds promising. 'We believe in restaurants, nice streets, terrasses,' said Limoges. 'We're making everything to make people happy, and that's what we're doing today.' With approval, Stabile would finally be able to set up a terrasse right next to his restaurant. And in a neighbourhood where many restaurants already have one, it can make a big difference. 'For us it can mean going under water or keeping your head above water,' said Stabile.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Roaches coming out of the walls helped get a Coral Gables restaurant closed
The number of live roaches at a longtime Coral Gables restaurant this week exceeded the establishment's 30 years of existence as well as the limits of the state inspector. Havana Harry's says it serves 'Cuban American fusion' fare and boasts that the 2024 Michelin guide included it among the Best Cuban Restaurants in Miami. There will be no boasting, however, about Monday's inspection fail that closed the restaurant at the corner of LeJeune Road and Vilabella Avenue. A customer complaint brought an inspector to 4612 LeJeune Rd., where 13 total violations, two of which were High Priority, were found. The restaurant reopened after passing re-inspection on Tuesday. (The inspection, like those of any restaurant, can be found on the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation website, but under 'Havanna Harry S.') READ MORE: Walmart and Kroger chicken meals recalled after listeria outbreak deaths As for the aforementioned live roach count, it was at least 38. The two largest roach counts on the inspection weren't exact: over 15 roaches coming from inside a broken wall post in the middle of the kitchen, next to a breakfast/sandwich making area; and over 10 live roaches on a wall and electrical area behind reach-in cooler and freezers. Elsewhere, seven roaches were seen 'coming from behind a metal wall at the cookline next to the gas stove.' Another three roaches were 'coming from the wall where the electric box outlet is connect at the to-go order prep area.' As for dead roaches, there were three, one on an electric line behind the ice machine, where a live roach also strolled. The cookline exit door to the outside had a gap, perhaps hindering Havana Harry's ability to keep out vermin. At the sandwich prep area, 'a box of uncut lettuce was stored on the shelf' without being covered. So, open to any kind of contamination. The cookline floors were 'soiled with an accumulation of debris.' The cookline hood filters were described as 'soiled with grease buildup.' The storage shelf at a prep cooler across from the cookline was 'soiled with old grease and food residue.' 'Clean drinking glasses were stored next to the handwash sink' meaning they were clean dishes 'exposed to splash' contamination.
