The Adaptable Pancake
With Hanukkah starting this year at sundown on Christmas Day and Kwanzaa the very next day, there might be reason to come up with a base dish that could be customized for all three holidays and their food-focused celebrations. Let that dish be an old reliable: the versatile, beloved potato pancake – with a twist or three, of course.
Summit House
Forever a rising star, chef AJ Capella does right by a landmark that’s needed, wanted and used by its community. His food is articulate, his techniques polished, his imagination boundless. While all’s very well at this tony, clubby meeting place now, think of the possibilities if diners could join him on even more explorations.
et al fine food
Down the street from Seastreak’s terminal in this Bayshore borough is a stylish home for contemporary classics served in a setting expanded from its original quarters a hop-skip away. Mostly reliable and always amiable, it’s a locals’ retreat.
Pumpkin Soup, Pumped Up
While pie is a fine finale for a non-decorative cultivated winter squash, a warming bowl that stems from its puree has possibilities for embellishments just about as wide-ranging as a prankish, carved jack-o-lantern.
Jalsa Indian Kitchen
Modernized takes on favorites from regions throughout India do the motherland proud. They also make for eating that ranges from thrilling to comforting, just like a trek along a proper Spice Trail should.
Carrots, Roasted and Brined
It’s usually one or the other. But with certain sturdy root vegetables, you can do both to great make-ahead advantage. At this time of year, prepping it forward is the way to go.
Al Badawi
In a swanky, greenery-filled space with a dining bar as well as a dining area flanked by murals and lit by woven lanterns, foods fueled by ingredients made familiar by Ottolenghi share the spotlight with classics from the ages-old crossroads of Asia and Africa that is the Eastern Mediterranean.
When the Spices Are Right
A new round of favorites finds spicing in top form in classics ranging from a Vietnamese soup to a quintessential Middle Eastern spread, from South American ceviche to a South Asian masala sporting eggs. Even the kind of chicken that belongs in many pots gets into the act.
Inspo Sandwich
Not much for silly strains of fusion? Get that. Totally. But sometimes a convergence of two food loves can make for a winsome and satisfying something-or-other that might not have a name, but definitely has a place on a dine card.
Finger-lickin’ Good
An open house is a good way to corral a crowd of family and friends at holiday time, feeding them family-style the friendliest of foods. Want to make it easy? Give a hand to letting put-together finger foods do the heavy-lifting.
Machu Picchu Peruvian
Warm-hearted classics from Peru are precisely imagined at a modest eatery just south of the emerging Ducktown arts and culture district. It’s led by a coterie of women who share the desire to nourish in every way. The food? Esplendido.
Pho Anh Dao
The namesake pho is the thing here at this 25-year-old landmark in a municipality with a host of standout Asian eateries. This one leads the pack for its renditions of the restorative Vietnamese soup.