Chow Down in Lower Manhattan, there is an immense range of delicious spots to frequent. According to Explorer In Chief Josh Katz, there are five restaurants where you go as soon as humanly possible.
Caravan Uyghur Cuisine
Manhattan’s only Uighur restaurant is located in the heart of Lower Manhattan. Their noodle dishes (above) strike the perfect balance between exotic spice profiles and hearty comfort food. (200 Water Street)
Temple Court
Tom Colicchio’s excellent farm-to-table, American-style restaurant is set within the beautiful atrium and cozy corners of The Beekman Hotel. (5 Beekman Street)
Tom Colicchio Photo by Philippe Reynaud
Temple Court IG
Bao Bao + Suspenders
Bao Bao makes delicious, authentic Chinese food out of an endearingly small restaurant with limited seating. Their pho is fantastic. Immediately next door you’ll find Suspenders, a beloved local watering hole that’s been open for 33 years. For a wonderful experience, take advantage of either spot’s outdoor seating and combine the two. Just ask nicely first! (106 Greenwich Street)
CUT by Wolfgang Puck
Their menu is creative, the presentation is artful, and the meals are scrumptious. While most steakhouses seem stuck in the 19th century, CUT has designed both their menu and interiors with a modern twist, tastefully balanced with a respectful nod to tradition. (99 Church Street)
Makina Cafe
Makina Cafe serves up incredible Ethiopian cuisine from their food truck in Governors Island. While I love the family-style spreads of typical Ethiopian fair, this place has perfected the personal injera plates full of delectable sides like miser (red lentils), Gomen (collard greens), and Tikel Gomen (cabbage with carrots and potatoes). This place is an unbeatable start to a delightful day. (Governors Island)
Celebrate Valentine’s Day in style with a variety of special offers from Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. Designed to suit those with the most discerning taste, a mid-week staycation will have couples falling in love all over again with Lower Manhattan as the backdrop.
Take the Elevator Home
Looking for the perfect mid-week getaway on Valentine’s Day? Look no further than a delectable five course prix-fixe dinner at CUT by Wolfgang Puck, an overnight stay at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, and a Soak Service for two.
CUT offers a stunning five-course prix-fixe menu with choices that range from a Japanese hamachi cone to grilled prime dry aged New York sirloin. Also available are various options for two including pan roasted Maine lobster, USDA prime porterhouse and Creekstone Farms tomahawk chop. After dinner, take the elevator home to a personal oasis upstairs.
Before or after the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner, indulge in a Soak Service – the latest offering from The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. Curated by Spa Director Tara Cruz, the Soak Service Menu features a variety of offerings that have all been designed to restore, soothe or detox depending on the need. Every single guest can indulge in a Soak Service throughout their stay as every single room and suite in the Hotel features a deep soaking tub. The Valentine’s Day Package includes a Rose Revival for Two, which features pure Himalayan salts to naturally lift spirits while tuberose and lemongrass ignite the feeling of positivity and love. Seasonal citrus and floral notes are elegantly paired with sparkling rose and decadent homemade treats to satisfy even the most elevated palate.
Following dinner and the Soak Service, settle in for the perfect night’s sleep in the most luxurious Four Seasons beds with views over Manhattan, perfect for the mid-week city staycation and even if you have to get back to the office in the morning.
Rates start from $599, including an overnight stay in a Superior King Room, dinner for two in CUT by Wolfgang Puck, and the Rose Revival for Two Soak Service. To book this special package, call 646 880 1924 and quote “V-Day Package.” Package is only available on Thursday, February 14, 2019.
The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown
This Valentine’s Day, treat a loved one to an unforgettable experience at The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. Book any of these treatments in The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown during the month of February and receive a complimentary glass of champagne at CUT to complete the experience. For reservations, contact The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown on 646 880 2990.
Choose from the following offerings available for the entire month of February:
Love Adorned – A Couples Massage
A warm rose quartz massage and custom essential oils are perfectly paired to ignite the feeling of positivity and love. Choose from a 50 or 80 minute treatment.
Royal Ritual
Fit for any king and queen, the five and a half hour treatment includes the following:
50 minute re-mineralising crystalising detox body treatment
80 minute four-handed serenity massage with warm rose quartz
80 minute green caviar facial
Wanderlust manicure and pedicure
Nurvaana Couples Reading
A duo session provides insight on how to build an even stronger future together. Each customized session includes side-by-side acupuncture, chakra cleansing using essential oils, and an open discussion and clairvoyant reading. The experience will elevate communication techniques and appreciation for each other.
Chakra Crystal Clearing for Two
Experience an energy balancing Chakra Crystal energy clearing session to harmonise the body and mind and create a deeper connectivity between partners.
THE CRISTALLINE Crystal for Kids Workshop
A Valentine’s Day themed Crystal Class for Kids is where little ones can learn about the energetic power of crystals and the perfect stones to radiate love and abundance year round. The workshop will take place on Saturday, February 9, 2019 from 10:00 to 10:45 am. Email spa.nydowntown@fourseasons.com for reservations.
Located in Tribeca at the corner of Church Street and ParkPlace, 30 Park Place recently unveiled its beautiful amenity spaces. Standing at 926 feet, Downtown Manhattan’s tallest condominium tower features nearly 40,000 square feet of amenities, as well as a full suite of hotel services, all managed by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
The entire 38th floor is devoted to dedicated private residential amenities, including a fitness center with yoga studio, vaulted conservatory with a baby grand piano, screening room, children’s play room designed by the Roto Group, dining room with separate catering kitchen and access to the hotel restaurant, and two gracious double height loggias that provide sweeping city views. Additional amenities include a sunlit 75-foot swimming pool, The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown inclusive of steam rooms and treatment rooms, ballroom facilities, meeting rooms, additional storage units and a parking garage. Residents will also enjoy exclusive access to the Four Seasons Director of Residences and dedicated residential concierge, as well as 24-hour doorman, bellman and service staff focused on providing the bespoke services for which the brand is known. Tailored à la carte services are available to residents including in-residence dining and catering, housekeeping, grocery and flower provisions, car service and personal, child and pet care.
The Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown occupies the first 24 floors of the tower, known for its five-star services, experiences, and amenities. The Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown is home to CUT by Wolfgang Puck, the celebrity chef and restaurateur’s first and only New York restaurant.
With Black Friday around the corner, we are edging towards the time of year when gift-giving hits its peak. For those that refuse to give a gift card and instead prefer to give something personalized, there is no shortage of gift options out there for the 2016 holiday season. Here are six high-end yet affordable gift suggestions for the foodie in your life:
FAWEN makes soups that are vegan, organic, and gluten-free. The soups — currently offered in three flavors: Beet & Cabbage, Broccoli & Cauliflower, and Sweet Potato & Red Lentil — are ready-to-drink, perfect for both a mid-day snack and a mid-exercise consumption. The couple behind the brand, Fabio Fossati and Amanda Bowen, are New York-based.
Every year, pumpkin-flavored items seem to be hitting shelves earlier and earlier. The Pumpkin Beer Making Kit from the Brooklyn Brew Shop contains everything that one would need to brew their own craft-quality pumpkin beer. In turn, one can have pumpkin almost any time of year. As an added, beer-making can be a wonderful, rewarding process. For those looking more ahead to Christmas, the Brooklyn Brew Shop also produces a Peppermint Porter mixing kit.
The Hamptons are generally associated with the summer, but the Hamptons Salt Company provides year-round excellence with its salts and spices. Infused flavors to its products include Black Truffle, Garlic, Ghost Pepper, Smoked Hickory, Rosemary, Garlic, Smoked Mesquite and Espresso. Founder Peter Pierce splits time between Manhattan and Southampton Village.
Don’t let the name of the brand fool you: Snake River Farms produces some of the most tender, quality-oriented meats that you will ever encounter. Chefs like Thomas Keller, Wolfgang Puck, Gabriel Rucker and Michael Mina are fans, hence why Snake River Farms’ beef can be found at Per Se, Bouchon, Delmonico’s, Aureole and Charlie Palmer Steak.
Snake River Farms offers gift collections of all price points — Hugh Acheson’s Curated Steak Box consists of two 8 oz. American Wagyu filet mignon, two 6 oz. American Wagyu ribeye filet, one Lodge skillet, one Mercer saucing spoon, one Bragard kitchen towel, and Jacobsen’s Flake Finishing Salt and Hugh Acheson’s Steak Cooking Guide — and I am ready for my next set.
Just in time for holiday gifting, Fleishers Craft Butchery has introduced a brand-new jerky subscription program. This is not the typical beef jerky that you will find at a big store, rather these are flavors like Pastrami, Maple Pepper and Triple Chili. The beef is 100% grass-fed, free of gluten and unnecessary additives. Fleishers also sells Roasting Kits and Jerky Crafting Kits, in case that you yourself want to try making some jerky.
After you have experienced the soup, beer, salt and meat mentioned above, you are probably craving something on the sweeter side. Mrs. Fields is a legendary cookie company founded nearly 40 years ago. The brand offers a variety of holiday-themed towers, tins and baskets, featuring not only chocolate chip cookies, but also brownies, popcorn, pretzels and bark. Countless options are available, and on Cyber Monday, online shoppers can save 25% at www.mrsfields.com when using the coupon code “FIELDS25.”
Earlier this week, New York developer Larry Silverstein announced the commencement of closings at the Robert A.M. Stern-designed 30 Park Place Four Seasons Private Residences New York Downtown. The 926-foot tower, which stands as the tallest condominium to grace the Downtown Manhattan skyline, will also welcome its first residents to the building.
“We are delighted to welcome our new residents to 30 Park Place,” said Larry Silverstein, Chairman of Silverstein Properties. “With its new shops and restaurants, great schools and green spaces, downtown has become the most desired and fastest-growing residential neighborhood in Manhattan.”
The completion of 30 Park Place Four Seasons Private Residences New York Downtown is a major celebratory milestone for Lower Manhattan. With more than 75 percent of the 157 residences already sold, 30 Park Place is beginning to market the Penthouse Residences, which includes a collection of 11 half-and full-floor homes at the top of the building, all with outdoor space. Two model residences by internationally-renowned interior designers will be launched in the Fall to celebrate the dramatic views from these elegant homes.
“With most of our residences under contract we are thrilled to begin closings and deliver to our buyers a residential lifestyle experience like no other,” said Rob Vecsler, President, Residential Development for Silverstein Properties. “With the residences starting on the 40th floor, 30 Park Place offers spectacular views, gracious layouts, a full suite of amenities, CUT restaurant, and the white-glove service of Four Seasons Hotels and Resort — all within one of the most exciting neighborhoods in New York.”
Adding to the excitement will be the opening of the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, which sits below the private residences at 30 Park Place. Occupying the first 24 floors of the tower is an exclusive collection of 185 guest rooms and suites designed by Yabu Pushelberg. The hotel has begun accepting reservations for its first guests in the fall. Known for its five-star services, experiences, and amenities, The Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown will also be home to CUT by Wolfgang Puck, the celebrity chef and restaurateur’s first and only New York restaurant.
