The Taste of New York
Robert N. Moussally grew up in Brooklyn and is now Design and Development Executive Chef at our JFK Airport facility. He started his LSG Group career in 2007 and recently celebrated his 10th anniversary. “It has been an amazing decade to say the least,” he says. Today he shows us where to eat in his hometown.
Breakfast: Russ and Daughters
When it comes to the snacking question in New York, the bagel is the quintessential answer. No one is doing it better in my opinion than Russ and Daughters. Even if you went there seven days in a row and ate two times daily you still would not be able to get through all of the bagel choices, spreads and cured-meat combos. The “belly” lox is the best seller here and it is worth the wait you may endure.
179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002, www.russanddaughters.com
Café: Eataly
Get ready, get set, EATALY! Hands down, my favorite place to go for a foodie-style dinner. Sit down or walk the more than 50,000 sq. feet (15,500 meters) with more food stalls and products than you will know what to do with. There are snack counters for everything from Panini, antipasti, Salumi, seafood, pasta to Nutella. Yes, I said Nutella! If you are into this, I say do it. Allow yourself to walk through this amazing space sampling little bites from over a dozen kiosks. Eataly also offers a few sit-down places as well. Recently, I did a truffle tasting menu at MANZO, located in the heart of it all. They have a rather extensive menu and you will not be disappointed.
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010, www.eataly.com
Snacking: L&B Spumoni Gardens
PIZZA! Yet another iconic item that NYC is known for. I grew up in Brooklyn and L&B Spumoni Gardens is still the place to go for the best pizza in the world. Although located in Brooklyn, this is a place not to miss for sure. In business for over 70 years, they are doing it right. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to have a cup of the spumoni as well.
2725 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11223, www.spumonigardens.com
Outdoors: Beaubourg
Beaubourg is a funky-looking bistro with sky-high ceilings, golden banquettes, china-blue chairs and slate floors. It is also located in one of the best outdoor spots in the city, Battery Park.You might want to start with some raw-bar options like oysters or a Petit Plateau with clams, oysters and Whelks while you take in the charmed Hudson River view. The menu is full of some old-school French classics. One is the Frog Legs Fricassee, which became my favorite on my last visit.
225 Liberty St, New York, NY 10080, www.ledistrict.com
Bar: The Brooklyn Bardge
A truly hip waterfront gastropub that features American dishes and cocktails, plus a patio with unreal skyline views of Manhattan. A great feature as well is the kitchen that has been built out of an old shipping container. The beer selection, both on tap and bottles, is a must-check-out.
3 Milton St, Brooklyn, NY 11222, www.thebrooklynbarge.com
Dinner: Mission Chinese Food
It is equipped with a pizza oven, a prime rib cart and has a broad menu. Yes, it still has all the hits (kung pao pastrami and thrice-cooked bacon, for example), but they recently also added a raw bar, two generous family-style set menus and showstoppers like duck baked in clay. And you can still get a lot of food without breaking the bank.
171 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002, www.missionchinesefood.com