Steve Mirsky: Steve is a freelance writer specializing in culinary, destination, and outdoor adventure content. In addition to his own food and travel blog at www.gastrotraveling.com, he has recently completed two hiking guidebooks published by Pequot Press.

Top 5 Best Kept Outdoor Adventure Secrets in NYC

The first thing NYC visitors flock to are the legendary cultural attractions. While Broadway and Museum Mile certainly can’t be missed, you may be surprised to learn that this city has plenty of outdoor adventures just waiting to be discovered. And with spring in the air, now is the perfect...

March 9th, 2010 | New York | Read More

Discovering Lower Manhattan’s African Burial Ground

Think slavery only took place on cotton plantations in the Deep South? Think again! Slavery, introduced by the Dutch in the early 1600s, was alive and well in NYC. African Burial Ground National Monument Africans were imported only as slaves, but some became half-free before New Amsterdam was captured...

March 7th, 2010 | New York | Read More

Murray’s Cheese Cave Tours

When you really stop and think about it, many cheeses are actually aged to the point where they’re moldy in the darkness often for months at a time. Then we eat them and expound on their wonderful flavors paired with some of the finest wines often with price tags easily over $100 a bottle. Murray's...

March 5th, 2010 | New York | Read More

Marie Belle’s Sinful Chocolate at Limelight Marketplace

Out of the over 60 boutique retailers set to open in The Limelight Marketplace, I’m most excited about luxury chocolatier Marie Belle New York. Boasting international recognition for their complete line of decadent artisanal chocolates, Marie Belle joins a unique group of tempting vendors in “The...

March 3rd, 2010 | New York | Read More

The Many Lives of Castle Clinton

It may look like an untouched and highly preserved archaeological site, but Castle Clinton is really a poster child for historic adaptive reuse in NYC. Castle Clinton: Still Guarding the Tip of Manhattan Walk down to the southern tip of Battery Park next to the Staten Island Ferry terminal and you’ll...

March 1st, 2010 | New York | Read More

A Different World Atop the Library Hotel

Everything about the Library Hotel supports the ambiance of a literary fantasy land complete with over 6,000 onsite books organized by Dewey Decimal Number. But you my friend, will be heading up to Bookmarks Rooftop Lounge & Terrace, nestled on the 14th floor which accommodates both the sublime...

February 25th, 2010 | New York | Read More

Times Square Walking Tour

Remember when Times Square was far from a tourist destination…a place you’d never want to take the kids…with peep shows, grime, and scores of men down on their luck hitting a paper bag encrusted bottle? No? Well then, do yourself a favor and take the free Times Square Exposé Free Walking...

February 25th, 2010 | New York | Read More

Abraco: NYC’s Distinctive Coffee House

Picking out the best coffee shop is a highly subjective pursuit. You may like your cafe mocha bold with more java than sweet chocolate poking through. Preferences range from a light roast to a bold Sumatran espresso. But beneath that, the ingredients and barista determine the true flavor. As...

February 22nd, 2010 | New York | Read More

NYC’s Most Unique Walking Tours

When you’re new to town and just have a couple days, picking from a panoply of must-see sights can be daunting. Sometimes your best approach is letting somebody else lead the way, giving an insider’s view on what this city has to offer. So lace up your shoes and get ready to walk because...

February 20th, 2010 | New York | Read More

Cafetasia’s Thai Fusion Bonanza

Feel like reliving your college years sans the bland lifeless cafeteria food? Then pay a visit to Cafetasia, a place where NYU students escape their mundane on-campus food offerings without spending too much of their drinking funds. With an ambiance combining the camaraderie of a university dining...

February 19th, 2010 | New York | Read More

Soho House

Soho House New York not only boasts sprawling bedrooms ranging from 350 to 950 sq ft at highly competitive rates, but offers nightly movies exclusively for guests in a private screening room, hearty breakfasts each morning in the dining area, and decadent perks at onsite Cowshed Spa. Playhouse 750 Square...

February 15th, 2010 | New York | Read More

Rouge Tomate Offers Sweet Love Saturdays

Relax..just because Valentine’s Day is right around the corner doesn’t mean that you’re losing out on a chance to treat that special someone. Michelin star rated Rouge Tomate has a promotion from now until February 27th. Called Sweet Love Saturdays, Rouge has partnered with Divine Chocolate,...

February 12th, 2010 | New York | Read More

A Salt and Battery

A Salt and Battery brings you as close to “across the pond” as you’re going to get here in the West Village without taking a flight to London. Many flock here for the golden crisp battered fish and chips properly wrapped in British newspaper. Just don’t call the chips French fries...

February 10th, 2010 | New York | Read More

NYC Restaurant Week

You’re in luck…Restaurant Week here in NYC has been extended through February 28th! Sure it’s kind of deceiving because this event always seems to extend beyond an actual week but it’s definitely a foodie bonanza well worth checking out for sampling specialities from over 190 restaurants. ...

February 8th, 2010 | New York | Read More

Kingdom of Navarra Comes to NYC

Navarra… sun-drenched fertile valleys, cool uplands, and comfortable year round temps make this region in Northern Spain perfect not only for culture hounds but also top quality produce and tasty wines. Bordered by France, Castilla, Aragon, and the Basque Country, its off the beaten path location...

February 6th, 2010 | New York | Read More

The Kitano’s February Is For Lovers Package’

Brought to you by NYC’s only fully Japanese owned hotel, the Kitano’s “February is for Lovers” package rises above the sea of Valentine’s packages offered at other hotels. And this one is good throughout the entire month of February! Cold Weather Seasonal Kaiseki Package includes: Accommodations...

February 4th, 2010 | New York | Read More

Mobay Restaurant

MoBay Uptown is a home cooking fusion of Cajun, Caribbean, Asian and Southern influenced cuisine at 17 West 125th Street in a cozy brownstone in Harlem. Prices are higher than usual for this type of food, but then again it’s far from being a paper plate takeout joint. Decked out with cozy booths,...

February 2nd, 2010 | New York | Read More

Pod Hotel

If you plan on staying the night in Manhattan, it’s nearly impossible to do it without spending less than $200 per night. Bargains can be found but you’ll either have to cut back on the already closet-like living space, or stay in an outer borough neighborhood. With this reality in mind, The...

January 31st, 2010 | New York | Read More

Grandaisy Bakery

Even before stepping through the door of Grandaisy Bakery on 73 Sullivan St., it helps to know that head baker, Cristóbal Julio Guarchaj, as a boy in Guatemala watched how his father, a baker, milled wheat using using large rotating stones powered by wind and water to pulverize the grain into flour....

January 28th, 2010 | New York | Read More

A World of Caribbean Flavor in Brooklyn’s Flatbush

Exploring the West Indian restaurants and markets along Nostrand and Flatbush Avenues is like taking a mini vacation to the Caribbean without having to venture further than Brooklyn. This is a world of rotis, pones, macaroni pie, cou-cou, and mounds of tropical produce. Caribbean Produce Inside Flatbush...

January 26th, 2010 | New York | Read More