Foodie Travel Archives - The Culture Mom

18Oct

My New Culinary Find: LEYLA on the Upper West Side

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I was so happy to discover a wildly new delicious Upper West Side restaurant that serves Turkish cuisine last week called LEYLA. My guest and I were intrigued by each and every dish and were really impressed by the level of detail in taste, originality, and authenticity, as well. We are both in love with Mediterranean food, so LEYLA spoke to both of us on a very deep and genuine level. The restaurant itself is small and intimate, with a definite sense of Turkish influence in style and design with beautiful textiles. It's colorful, comfortable, and Read More

12Aug

Lunch at Toriko in Greenwich Village, a Culinary Find

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Yesterday my son went into NYC to for lunch at Toriko NY, a restaurant that has recently launched new lunch menu items. It was an opportunity for us to head to Greenwich Village on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and I used my time well, heading to the Guggenheim after lunch for a dose of modern art. Toriko is known as one of the top Japanese yakitori and wine concepts from Tokyo Restaurants Factory, helmed by Chef de Cuisine Manabu Asanuma previously of MIFUNE New York. As Japanese food lovers, we welcomed the opportunity to try Read More

29Jun

A Greek Taste of Astoria at Amylos Taverna

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NYC continues to excite my culinary senses. Last week I ventured out to Astoria for a Greek meal at Amylos Taverna. Other than a passion for Greek food and knowledge that the best Greek in NYC is found in this particular part of Queens, I knew very little and had low expectations. And, yes, the experience threw me quite a bit, in a good way. Owned and operated by the Arvanitis family (known for their involvement in the film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" - the patriarch, John Arvanitis, also owns Omonia Cafe, which he opened in 1974. As a result, the Read More

05Jun

An Italian Family Feast at NYC’s Senso Unico

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A few weeks ago, my family made the trip to Sunnyside, Queens for a night out on the town. Sunnyside isn’t an entirely new experience for us as we are huge fans of a Thai restaurant located here called Sri Pra Pra. Still, seeing that we live in Westchester, exploring the boroughs is always fun and a real treat. We love to eat and experience new places, particularly family-friendly ones, so when an invite came to experience Senso Unico, an Italian Osteria, I jumped. Owned by chef/Owner Vincenzo Garofalo and wife Laura, natives of Avellino, Italy, Senso Read More

22Jun

Restaurant Review: Kurry Qulture in Astoria, Queens, a Kid-Friendly Culinary Adventure

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When I think of eating out in Astoria, I think mainly of Greek food. My family loves taking trips to Telly Taverna for huge portions of spicy feta, salmon steak and moussaka. It's one of our favorite places in the city for food, and certainly one of the most accessible. It's easy to park and makes for a great evening out, strolling the streets and avenues, with every ethnicity represented by its restaurants and shops. So, when I was invited to dine at a fairly new to the scene (since 2015) Indian restaurant called Kurry Qulture, I jumped at the Read More

08Jun

An Extraordinary Culinary Experience at the Upper West Side’s Machiavelli

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Last night I had the opportunity to experience a meal at Machiavelli, located on the Upper West Side on the corner of 85th Street. This restaurant is the passion product of restauranteur Nathalie de la Fontaine, who spent nearly 20 years as the owner of the West Village’s La Focaccia prior to opening this establishment, which is about five or six years old. To say that Machiavelli is one of the Upper West Side's best kept secrets is an understatement. I was moved by the restaurant's ambiance, its passion for the arts (there are fine paintings on the Read More

08May

Raleigh, North Carolina: An Unexpected Family-Friendly Getaway

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This past weekend I spent a few busy days in Raleigh, North Carolina. Having grown up in Georgia, I'm not a stranger to the Southern state, but I'd yet to really explore it as a parent and I was very impressed with what I found. Firstly, Raleigh is a very short flight from New York City. It took less than 90 minutes in the air. One minute, I was in a windy, rainy, cold NYC, the next in a green, flowery Southern city. The airport is relatively small and easy to get through, and it offers over 400 flights daily so you can get to Raleigh from virtually Read More

10Sep

Hotel Review: Copenhagen’s Hotel D’Angleterre

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Hotel D'Angleterre is the ultimate hotel for families to stay while visiting Copenhagen. It's a five-star hotel, and it truly deserves each and every one. On our recent visit, all four of us were visiting a new city and were full of wonder and excitement, not knowing what this part of the trip had in store for us. When our taxi pulled up to the hotel, we were all immediately in awe of its exterior. The hotel was constructed as a neoclassic palace, and it has maintained its 1870s historical aspects and is truly stunning from both the outside and the Read More

31Jul

Indulging the Kids on Broadway with Sugartooth Tours

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I've been living in the NYC metro area for a long time now, but I've never fully experienced the sweeter side of the city. So when my kids and I were invited to join Sugartooth Tours on their newest tour, Bright Lights & Broadway Bites, I was intrigued. Broadway + desserts + a guide who's an actual Broadway performer = right up my alley. If you read my blog regularly, you probably know I'm theater obessessed and I love taking my kids all over NYC, so this tour was an excuse to indulge my Broadway fixation and their sweets obsession. When I told my Read More

26Jun

A Family Trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania

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For years my daughter has been asking to go to Hershey, Pennsylvania. She had a feeling it was going to be a place out of heaven, with its Hershey theme park and chocolate-related activities. So, mindful of the fact that she's 12 and has six summers left before turning 18 and venturing into the world, we spent last weekend in what's billed as "the sweetest place on earth," where Milton S. Hershey opened and ran his manufacturing factory. What we found was a weekend full of chocolate - and non-chocolate - with pure, unadulterated fun at the theme park, Read More