Tag Archives: Michael White
Lunch: Ai Fiori
A restaurant on the second floor of a Midtown hotel may not sound promising, but Ai Fiori has couple things going for it. Not only is it the latest project by chef Michael White, it’s such a zen, air-conditioned oasis that you will forget you’re on the second floor of a hotel in Midtown.
This is particularly good if you work in Midtown and can take advantage of the discounted Restaurant Week lunch happening there now. Step out of the steamy city, up to the second floor of the Setai and into an elegant, minimalist, flower-bedecked space that recalls the old days of hotel dining, when many of the best restaurants were in hotels. It’s like walking out of the urban jungle and into civilization. (more…)
Posted in food, French, Italian, Midtown East, New York restaurants, restaurants
Tagged crab, lunch, Michael White, New York
Comments Off on Lunch: Ai Fiori
Osteria Morini
When chef Michael White said to the New York Times this past August that “if his surname had been Italian, the city’s food establishment would have rallied around him sooner,” he had a point. Names like “Batali” or “Donatella” inspire hoards to flock to their restaurants for Italian food, whereas “Michael White” sounds like an off-key version of “Marco Pierre White” of English fame.
So if you did actually discover the ethereal, exquisite pasta at Michael White’s Alto, you felt as if you’d been let in on a wonderful secret. The city’s best pasta was not at a rustic rock and roll townhouse downtown but surprisingly in the center of Midtown, with a sleek backdrop of blue-lit walls and wine bottles. Go to any serious restaurant in Italy and you will find that they aspire to the same level of excellence and haute cuisine. When there’s a particularly deft hand like White’s involved in the pasta, you can taste the magic at the first bite. (more…)
Posted in food, Italian, New York restaurants, restaurants, Soho
Tagged bars, Michael White, New York
3 Comments
Alto
CLOSED
Plenty of top New York chefs are adding new restaurants to their portfolios now, but what happens to the existing restaurants that made them famous? That’s what we set out to find out the other night, when Michael White’s Marea was fully booked, but Alto had some tables open.
“Michael White” may not be a name you’d immediately associate with stellar pasta – it seems like there should be a few more vowels in there – but keep in mind this is a man who studied pasta making in Italy for six years. (more…)
NYC Wine & Food Festival: Meatball Madness!
Dozens of NYC’s top chefs gathered on Sunday to turn out their best meatballs for the Meatball Madness event. A $5,000 prize was at stake, with proceeds from the event benefitting the Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength.
Here’s one sample of the deliciousness: Joey Campanaro’s meatball sliders for Little Owl. More meatballs and a video of the winner, after the jump. (more…)
Posted in food
Tagged Andrew Carmellini, beef, culture, food news, Michael White, NYC Wine & Food Festival
Comments Off on NYC Wine & Food Festival: Meatball Madness!