As a Colorado native, I really miss out on tacos here in New York.  Though the ones found in this Mexican heavy neighborhood certainly can contend with my beloved home state’s spicy, savory treats.  Bring me tacos or bring me death!  Ha.  But really, with all the new taco places opening up (I told you months ago that tacos would be the new bahn mi, which were the new cupcake), I am shocked more of them can’t get it right.  I won’t divulge my secret top taco spots yet…but in time you will know them too.

Antipasti at Angelina Pizza Bar

Don’t let the name fool you—Angelina Pizza Bar offers more then just pizza. This family-friendly restaurant near West 105th Street not only has extensive Italian fare and a decent wine list but Chef Giancarlo Delanzo cooks his crazy creations in a brick oven with a rotating floor. As pies like the Bella Angelina (with zucchini flowers, smoked salmon and goat cheese, $18 or $24) or the Bianco Forte (with garlic, ricotta, mozzarella, spicy sausage and hot peppers, $16 or $22) circle the fire, Delanzo dishes up small bowls with various meats, cheese and vegetables. Within minutes, the pizzas have cooked and the chef has completed an antipasti plate ($6 to $14). A bright-eyed waiter picks it up and the process starts again. (READ THE REST AT THE WEST SIDE SPIRIT)

SUMMER IS ALL about heat, short skirts and excuses to sit outside all day drinking cold beer. Step into Studio Square, a mix between a classic German biergarten and a large cafeteria, and you’ll find a good way to combine all three excuses and plenty of reasons to make the journey to Queens. (READ THE REST AT NEW YORK PRESS)

Sausages and beer at Studio Square

July is almost over and we just realized that not only is it Good Beer Month, it’s also National Ice Cream Month (established in 1984 by the Gipper!). We’ve already held forth on all the great beer Brooklyn has to offer and now we’re giving ice cream the same treatment. Sure, everyone has their special favorite flavor (black raspberry with chocolate sprinkles, please), here are some places where you can try something fresh and surprising. (READ THE REST AT BROOKLYN BASED)

Ice cream from the Greene Ice Cream

WHEN I WORKED as a barista, every summer people would whine about the price of iced coffee.
“Why does it cost so much? There’s less here than in hot coffee!” they would cry. I smiled, nodded and took their money. I didn’t know why it was more expensive either, but an extra quarter hardly seemed worth all the fuss. And, unlike hot coffee, making the iced variety at home calls for preparation that most people just aren’t willing to put in. At hotspots around town this summer, however, iced-coffee prices can be a whopping $3 more than a comparable cup of the hot stuff. (READ THE REST AT NEW YORK PRESS)

	Click on image above for timeline of wine making in New York and below for photos of New York wine label

Many people are surprised to find that wine is made in New York. When I tell people about it their first reaction tends to be “where do they grow it?” and “is it any good?”

The wine business is a tricky one. According to the Federal Tax and Trade Bureau statistics, New York is the second in the amount of gallons produced. But it has the third largest acres of vineyards and runs number four in the amount of wineries.

Wine makers in New York are eager to show the rest of the country that while California is number one in all those categories, New York makes a fine bottle as well.

One-reason grapes grow so well here is due to the nutrients soaked in through the glaciers that once covered the land. New York State is made up of eight main wine growing regions, Long Island, The Hamptons, North Fork, Hudson River, Finger Lakes, Seneca Lake, Cayuga Lake, and Lake Erie.

While many of the wineries in these areas don’t ship far, they sell most of their wine to restaurants upstate. Not many restaurants and wine shops specialize in New York wines in the City. Stain Bar, in Williamsburg, sells only New York wines. So does Bridge Vineyards, also in Williamsburg.

More and more, New York wines are making the scene.

Click on the image below to see a video of the vineyard in Queens and a New York wine tasting in Brooklyn