Meryl Pearlstein

The Best Mexican Food in New York

True fans of Mexican cuisine want to know who makes the best tamales in town. Who has their own tortilleria, making the flour and corn staples right before your very eyes?
Whose hot sauce provides the most flavor? Who has the best selection of tequila? Who makes their margaritas fresh?
Presented in alphabetical order, here are the Best Mexican restaurants in New York.

Cosme Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: Chef Enrique Olvera, of Mexico City restaurant Pujol, brings his Mexican cuisine to discerning Manhattan diners in the buzzy yet romantic Cosme. (The name was inspired by the Mercado de San Cosme, a famous food market in Mexico City.) The dimly lit dining room has been decorated very simply, aside from some greenery.
Food & Drinks: Sip a mezcal-laced cocktail while perusing the menu, which may seem compact in terms of choices, but each dish is fi...

Contrary to what you might think, you don’t have to mortgage your home to enjoy a trip to New York City. In fact, there are so many things to do that won’t cost you anything, there’s no reason to stay home. We invite you to explore the wonders of the city, “for free.”

It’s All About the Views
Views of the city are free for the taking. Two of the best no-charge sightseeing experiences leave from downtown Manhattan and show off New York Harbor, Manhattan and Brooklyn, and neighboring Randall’s,...

If you're looking for the ultimate eating experience, booking the chef's table at a restaurant promises excitement and a multitude of surprise tastes.

Whether you're seated at a small table right in the heat of an open kitchen or nestled in a plush banquette watching all the action from a comfortable distance, a meal at one of GAYOT's Best Chef's Tables in Chicago, presented in alphabetical order, is sure to be a night you won't soon forget.

I had never stayed in an overwater villa before. I had only admired them from a distance when I visited Tahiti on a cruise.

But finally, staying at Sun Siyam resorts in the South Malé Atoll in the Maldives provided me with the visceral experience of waking up to an endless view of blue above, below, and extending to the horizon. It was as if I had entered an underwater world without a snorkel.

Tired from my 20-hour trip but stimulated, I couldn’t resist the glistening ocean. I donned my swims...

Fine wines are one thing. But enjoying them in a beautiful setting is another. That makes a visit to Long Island Wine Country an ideal way to enjoy the sippable bounty that comes from the area in New York. Writer Meryl Pearlstein is back with a guide for RealFoodTraveler.com readers for where to experience some of the best.

Exploring Long Island Wine Country

A beautiful day on Long Island’s East End is as lovely as they come. Open fields, grand estates, and some of the world’s top-rated beach...

You’ve probably heard of the Hamptons, the destination favored by celebrities, influencers and vacationers simply wanting to chill on the beach. The Hamptons sit at the end of the island in an area known as the East End, providing an oceanside escape rich in farms, estates and history.
With a mix of communities like boho Ditch Plains and Montauk at the furthermost tip of the island to chic East ...

You don’t need a passport to feel like you’ve gone to Europe when visiting these 12 US cities.

A perfect commemoration of MAMA MIA’s return to Broadway after opening 25 years ago, Ellen’s Stardust Dinner has scheduled a series of festive “MAMMA MIA! brunches. The brunches will feature Ellen’s famous singing servers, the Stardusters, for a non-stop, energetic musical brunch in the downstairs theater at the Iridium. MAMMA MIA! will play next door at the Winter Garden Theatre beginning August 2 for six weeks only.
Here we go again! MAMMA MIA!, the ABBA musical megahit and ninth-longest ru...

New York City has some of the most exciting culinary experiences to be had, from classic fine dining to trendy and new. As a restaurant reviewer and NYC resident, I schedule my social life around finding top places to discover. Here is a baker’s dozen of my favorite dining spots.

If Fine Dining Is Your Passion

Le Bernardin

Le Bernardin is the kind of restaurant that inspires romantic proposals. Turning the concept of seafood dining on its head, Eric Ripert and Maguy Le Coze’s revered formal r...

Vancouver is a hot spot for foodies. Offering cuisine distinct from Canada’s eastern Toronto and Quebec menus, restaurants in Vancouver benefit from their location on the Pacific coast and relative proximity to Asia.

While seafood reigns supreme at the numerous aquatic-themed eateries here, the Asian influence is equally strong, with often edgy Japanese and Chinese restaurants. Second only to Tokyo for its raw fish, Vancouver is not surprisingly known among foodie cognoscenti as the “sushi ca...

A slideshow of what's new and worth seeing on Broadway. The 2025 Broadway season is filled with favorites, old and new. Long runs from the past show up in dazzling new renditions.

Mom has fed you so many times, so this Mother's Day, treat her to a special brunch on Sunday, May 11, 2025. Browse our list of the Best Mother's Day Brunch Restaurants in NYC / Manhattan and Brooklyn, presented in alphabetical order.

History meets hip in the City of Brotherly Love
by Meryl Pearlstein

If you haven’t yet ventured to the East Coast because you thought the cities were too big, too crowded, or lacked enough green space to keep you happy, you should consider a visit to the City of Brotherly Love. With a wealth of historical, cultural and culinary attractions, America’s “first planned city” is also the park-filled birthplace of the United States, where the Founding...

If you’ve been to Las Vegas and covered the requisite activities like walking the Strip, ogling the Bellagio fountains and trying your hand at slots, it’s time to take another look, this time in New York style. Here are some of the ways you can stay on a Big Apple track.

STAY
As a city person, you’ll want the shiniest and brightest resort in Las Vegas. Fontainebleau Las Vegas opened in December to well-deserved fanfare. With 36 dining options, mul...