Nadia Ghattas

Ever since trying Moti Mahal Delux, I have been itching to try another spot where Gaurav Anand presides over the kitchen fires.

A small and unpretentious spot on the Upper East Side, Moti Mahal Delux serves Indian dishes with dazzling colors that showcase the Mughlai culinary heritage of the imperial kitchens of yore.

The cozy spot, straddling the border between the Lower East Side and Chinatown, features an eight-seat bar, as well as a dining room in the back, with intimate booths, over which hang glass lights. The back wall showcases local artists’ works.

A sense of nostalgia engulfed me as I looked inside Blenheim. Inviting and warm, it gives a feeling of being on a farm with good old friends while a hearty meal is being prepared with ingredients just handpicked from the land.

Among the multitude of upscale fast food eateries in New York city, EXKi can be easy to miss. But once you enter, you will feel the green ethos at this convivial spot. It’s a place with “people and nature in mind,” according to its blog. The Green Restaurant Association, which conducts environmental assessments, has given it a two-star rating.

It all started with an orange cat, possibly a stray. The feline weaved through Bobby Flay’s feet as he waited for the real estate broker to show him the 100-year-old NoHo building that would eventually house Gato.

At first glance, Awadh does not reveal itself entirely. It is a small and chic bilevel cozy place with a small bar by the entrance, with a cascading bubble glass chandelier descending from the ceiling by entrance. The light is subdued, created by the gold pendant lights reflecting against the dark wood paneling and plush banquettes.

When I first heard about Bustan (“garden” in Aramaic, Arabic, and Hebrew), I thought it was a new addition to Al Bustan, the Lebanese restaurant. No, I was told, it is not; and also, that they use a “tabun” oven (used in Middle Eastern baking).