Chocolate-covered Matzo
Jacques Torres Chocolate transforms bland unleavened bread into delectable desserts with his dark chocolate-coated matzo, available in April for Passover. Torres uses freshly made matzo from the historic Lower East Side bakery Streit’s and sometimes adorns the crackers with peanut butter, but always with its famous high-end dark chocolate. 285 Amsterdam Ave., 212-787-3256; mrchocolate.com

Latin-Jewish Fusion
Born in Mexico City but a convert to Judaism, chef Julian Medina explores both cultures with his Mexican-Jewish entrées and special Passover menu at Toloache, one of his six New York City restaurants. Medina creates dishes such as brisket tacos, a specialty year-round, as well as a matzo ball soup from the Passover menu featuring Mexican root vegetables like chayote squash and jalapeño. “I wanted to make my family something different for the holidays that brought both cultures, traditions, and flavors together at the table,” Medina says. 251 W. 50th St., 212-581-1818

Flavored Challah
The Upper East Side’s Orwasher’s bakes challah with chutzpah. Owner Keith Cohen created Orwasher’s Christmas challah two years ago with dried cranberries, golden raisins, pistachios, and candied oranges, topped with powdered sugar. Since then, he’s introduced other festive varieties such as a Valentine’s Day chocolate chip challah and St. Patrick’s Day Irish soda challah. This spring the bakery debuts its ciabatta challah, a rustic rendition that merges the recipes of its two best-selling breads. 308 E. 78th St., 212-288-6569

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A 100-year-old white oak bar is one of the highlights of the historic bar

 

Menus have a vintage newspaper feel

 

Original archways were preserved by interior designer Mark Zeff

 

The Pfaffle

 

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In a city full of bars and restaurants, it can be difficult to get the attention of New Yorkers, but The Vault at Pfaff’s has done so with style, history, and exceptional cocktails.

In 1855, Charles Pfaff opened The Vault at Pfaff’s, then known as Pfaff’s Beer Cellar, in a basement space below Bleecker and Broadway. Frequented by Walt Whitman and The Saturday Press publisher Henry Clapp, The Vault was a cocktail den—oft referred to as the “dim cave”—for artists, actors, and writers. 

Today, in the same historic space, The Vault at Pfaff’s has been reborn and restored by interior designer Mark Zeff, who kept some of the original fieldstone and brick archways while integrating new colors, textures, and a bar made of 100-year-old white oak. Bar staff sport uniforms with old-fashioned touches designed by Christian Siriano and menus resemble vintage newspapers.   

Of course, the purpose of settling into one of the plush antique chairs and couches is to enjoy a well-made cocktail, of which there is no shortage. The cocktail menu, like The Vault itself, riffs on the old and new in its ingredients and originality. No less than a dozen choices ($16, each) are offered. One of the most popular is The Big Bird, a blend of Plymouth Gin house-infused with two berries, Marie Brizard Apricot Brandy, and fresh sour mix. The signature Pfapple combines Christian Drouin Calvados, house-infused cinnamon vodka, muddled apple, and fresh nutmeg. 

In addition to its array of cocktails, The Vault has a large selection of wine, beer, and spirits that include local favorites such as Brooklyn Gin and Ommegang beer. There’s also half a dozen options of sparkling wine and Champagne offered both by the bottle and the glass.

To soak up all of that alcohol, The Vault serves small plates, such as a sampling of artisanal cheeses and charcuterie, a maitake mushroom melt, served finger sandwich-style, and skewered filet mignon medallions. For dessert, try the decadent chocolate mousse. As the cocktail menu changes seasonally, so does the small plates menu.

Visit during the nightly cocktail hour (6–9 PM) or on Tuesdays, when spirits company ambassadors stop by to offer complimentary drink samples and small bites. 643 Broadway, under the Corner Shop Café, 212-253-5421

Dill
When Bell Book & Candle’s aeroponic rooftop garden yields a full flourish of herbs, look for the Dill With It cocktail on the menu. The drink blends organic Akvinta vodka infused with fresh dill, muddled with organic strawberries, cucumber, and lemons, homemade vanillaginger syrup, and topped with sparkling brut rosé Cava. 141 W. 10th St., 212-414-2355

Mint
At David Bouley’s Brushstroke, bartender Gen Yamamoto crafts a delicate, sweet-savory tomato cocktail, made with Rain organic vodka, fresh tomato and tomato confiture, and seasonal herbs such as thyme or mint. 30 Hudson St., 212-791-3771

Rosemary
Greensquare Tavern mixologist Tyler Newhouse aims to capture sunshine in a glass with his Greensquare Iced Tea, a refreshing mix of Fair vodka, Yellow Chartreuse, freshly brewed jasmine tea, agave nectar, grapefruit, and lemon juices, plus a “hearty dose” of fresh rosemary and thyme. Served in a mason jar, “It’s quite a sight to behold,” Newhouse says, “and with several fresh and organic components, it has a nice healthy feel as well.” 5 W. 21st St., 212-929-2468

Sage
At Rouge Tomate, herbs vary depending on what’s available. These days mixologist Pascaline Lepeltier is working with sage and blood oranges for a vodka drink, as well as infusions with hibiscus tea. Lepeltier prefers to muddle fresh herbs and then add vodka, rather than infuse the herbs into the spirit. “We want the full nutritional value of the ingredient,” she says. 10 E. 60th St., 646-237-8977

PHOTOGRAPHY BY THINKSTOCK.COM

A meal at David Bouley’s Chef’s Pass, the newest private dining area at Bouley Restaurant, takes diners beyond the kitchen—far beyond. Here, guests interact with growers, farmers, cheese agers, and winemakers from around the world through Skype while indulging in their products. These proud artisans not only converse with guests about culture, health, history, technique, and product, but also share their own environments by virtually taking patrons along to forage for mushrooms in the woods or explore their cheese cave in France. “They are going to tell you a lot of things, and then the next thing you know, you are finding yourself asking questions that you didn’t think you would ask,” Bouley says. “It has a lot of momentum.”

During the meal, diners speak with three to seven craftsmen renowned in their fields. Engaged in conversation, guests often end up staying far longer than anticipated, including one group who “traveled” to five different countries over the course of their six-hour stay at Chef’s Pass. Another of Bouley’s guests dubbed the room a “culinary casino” due to the ease with which you could lose track of time there.

While the artisans lead the conversations, Bouley and his team bring out simple ingredients for diners to taste and smell, sometimes straight from the garden, in addition to accompaniments for guests to sample before they are plated alongside their counterparts. The small room, made for eight, takes its name from the “chef’s pass” area of the kitchen, where foods are plated and passed to the servers—perhaps the most fast-paced area of the kitchen.

Bouley fervently hopes visitors to Chef’s Pass will use the experience to make more informed culinary decisions and get the most out of their food choices; he even sends them off with a goody bag of culinary products. “It is not a cooking class, and it is not a chef’s room where you are watching the madness of the kitchen,” he says. “It’s a porthole into the world of artisanal passion.” 163 Duane St., 212-964-2525

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLE BARTELME

The Be.Love Burrito at Divine Dish

Recently-opened Stanton Street Yoga has added a café, Divine Dish, serving ayurvedic cuisine—meaning vegetarian and organic food based on the principles of Indian alternative medicine. The menu offers breakfast and lunch options, including cardamom pancakes with fruit coulis, masala fries with chipotle veganaise, market-fresh salads, and more. Upstairs you'll find yoga and massage, and chef Lisa Rubenstein plans to host cooking classes in the future. Namaste. 196A Stanton St.

Napoleon dynamite: Valbella’s signature dessert

The blowtorch never fails to get a “Whoa!” from the crowd, says Raphael Dequeker (RIGHT), the Brittany-bred pastry chef at Valbella, which offers guests the unique opportunity to play pâtissier.

The make-your-own confection concept evolved from the great interest in Dequeker’s work at the company’s original outpost in Greenwich. Soon after the Alain Ducasse-trained chef joined the Valbella team, customers flocked to the restaurant—and to the back of the kitchen to watch him work his art. When restaurant owners Valerie Malfetano and partner David Ghatanfard opened their first Manhattan location, they built their pastry star a stage so that the show could go on for private parties and invited guests.

Inside the reservation-only pastry room, which has space for approximately 10 guests, Dequeker willingly arms patrons with blowtorches, ready-for-action pastry piping bags, and other culinary armament to craft their own sweet treats. To keep the dessert session from turning into an hours-long ordeal, the pastry team will have wrestled the flaky Napoleon dough into manageability, helped froth the filler cream, and glazed the almonds in syrup before patrons step into the kitchen, so that the act of final creation is an easy, aesthetic joy.

“When we bring the desserts to the table,” says Dequeker, “I say, ‘Thank you very much. If you have any complaints, speak to this person,’ and point to someone who helped.”

With Prime Ko, Prime Grill, and Solo under its belt, Prime Hospitality Group has New York’s kosher dining scene covered. Its newest Upper East Side venture, Prime Butcher Baker (BB Prime), attempts to tackle an untapped aspect of kosher cuisine: high-end one-stop markets. Specializing in dry-aged meats and parve baked goods, BB Prime also offers ready-made foods of both Sephardic and Ashkenazi flavors, prepared in the shop by one of five chefs. After closing time, foodies may reserve the 12-seat chef’s table ($3,000) to enjoy chef-prepared kosher foods and an unlimited supply of wine. 1572 Second Ave., 212-616-1502

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Tipsy Parson

 

Peels' Build-a-Biscuit

 

The Redhead

 

107 West

 

Momofuku Noodle Bar's Fried Chicken

 

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1. Tipsy Parson: Chelsea's outpost serves up old school southern cocktails, among other delicacies. 156 9th Avenue, 212-620-4545

2. Peels: Its southern-inspired menu has made it one of New Yorkers' favorite places for brunch and for a stylish dinner. 325 Bowery, 646-602-7015

3. The Redhead: This East Village restaurant is famous for its fried chicken and shrimp and grits. 349 E. 13th Street, 212-533-6212

4. 107 West: With two locations in Manhattan, 107 West brings traditional southern food all over the city. 2787 Broadway, 212-864-1555; 811 West 187th Street, 212-923-3311

5. Momofuku Noodle Bar: Chef and owner David Chang tackles the ultimate southern dish: fried chicken. 171 1st Avenue, 212-777-7773

PHOTOGRAPH BY NINA HAZEN (MOMOFUKU)

Empanadillas de dulce de leche at Ventanas

Industrial elegance is on display in spades at Ventanas, a tasty tapas restaurant located just a short walk from The High Line. The space itself fits right in with the neighborhood’s nocturnal vibe—exposed beams catch the reflection of the flickering candles responsible for most of the room’s light. Traditional and humble small plates convey a sort of Spain-by-way-of-Morocco concept.

While the presentation may be no-frills, the flavors stand up and get your attention, as does the live music that plays five nights a week. Sweet plantains rolled around Serrano ham and manchego cheese are a welcome wedding of salt and sweet and the impeccably cooked costilla de res (beef short rib) flavors ring true even as the beef nearly falls apart on the plate. For dessert, you’ll want to sample the empanadillas de dulce de leche, tiny empanadas filled with sweet cream.  

Be sure to try a drink or two from the extensive cocktail menu. The mango ginger mojito (MGM) is as refreshing as it is tropical. In place of the traditional old fashioned, Ventanas does a High Line fashion with rye whiskey, tamarind purée, muddled oranges and a delightfully dangerous (read: flaming) spoon of absinthe.  

While your eyes may be darting around the busy and exciting world of Ventanas, the rest of you will be more than satisfied with one plate at a time. Ventanas, 100 Tenth Ave., 212-366-1640

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Fried chicken with salad and a buttermilk biscuit

 

Black-eyed peas

 

Bobwhite Lunch & Supper Counter

 

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Bobwhite Lunch & Supper Counter is a breadbox-size restaurant with a tiny menu and a big heart. Owner Keedick Coulter and chef Amanda Beame opened the Alphabet City spot quietly this January with one goal: serve simple, sustainable fried chicken and fixings like mom used to make, only slightly better. Beame, a Miami-native who last cooked at Blue Smoke, brines the organic FreeBird chickens in sweet tea overnight and then batters them with a simple mix of milk, flour, salt and pepper—no bells, no whistles, no secret spice. The resulting chicken is juicy beyond belief, with a crisp, perfectly seasoned skin. “If you choose to add a little honey or hot sauce, that’s your prerogative,” said Coulter. (Try the cayenne honey.) Order your chicken with sides, such as tomato pudding—a wintry mix of stewed tomatoes and bread that recalls caponata—macaroni and cheese, black eyed peas, cheese grits or a more figure-friendly salad with light vinaigrette and cheery watermelon radishes. Beame’s red velvet cheesecake with graham cracker crust is a must for dessert. 94 Avenue C, 212-228-2972