E.

Exploring Greenwich Village

(published in Travel and Leisure) As dusk falls over Greenwich Village, I’m at Minetta Tavern, sipping a martini with friends who last drank here 61 years ago. “It’s like night and day,” says Lynn Reiser, a handsome painter, as she assesses the old bar where Wall Street guys now order rye whiskey at 35 bucks a shot. “It’s the people. We were all artists then.” Reiser arrived in the Village in the 1940’s, when young artists and writers started coming for the camaraderie, conversation, …[Read more]
S.

Spoilt for choice

Manhattanite foodie Reggie Nadelson was born and lives in downtown Manhattan, and is always being asked by friends and visitors where they should eat. While the area has been invaded by celebrity chefs, their restaurants are rarely in her recommendations: "I prefer to eat in a place where the chef is actually in the kitchen and not on TV, and where the staff are friendly no matter who you are," she says. "I don't have time to join a six-week waiting list or a table, or the inclination to go to a …[Read more]
D.

Dogs in New York: Cashmere, chauffeurs and television

Victoria Beckham has tweeted a picture of her friend's dog Harry wearing one of her dresses. But few pooches are pampered quite like those in New York, where indulgences can include spas and exotic fruits. "New York is a wonderful place for dogs, so many services: pools, spas, dog runs," says Beatrice Tosti di Valminuta. Kiki, her Chihuahua, sometimes pays a little visit to her Italian restaurant and wine bar in lower Manhattan where everybody knows him. Most of the time, though, Kiki attends doggie …[Read more]
N.

New Yorkers stock up for Passover

Passover, one of the most important occasions in the Jewish calendar, begins on Friday. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. And it's also a very busy time at New York's Jewish delis. (first published by the BBC) I am on the phone to Russ & Daughters - trying to order food for a party - and a quiet, familiar voice says: "Hello, Reggie, this is Sherpa Lox. How can I help?" "Oh, good," I think. Sherpa knows his way …[Read more]