Quality Branded is behind some of the buzziest spots in town: the eye-catching (and self-billed unhinged) Italian eatery, Bad Roman, Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli’s perpetually busy Italian restaurants, Don Angie and San Sabino, and the landmark for all things steak, Smith & Wollensky. Their latest recently opened its doors in Columbus Circle, this time, flying through the cuisines of Southeast Asia.

RECOMMENDED: The latest restaurant from this “Top Chef” winner is now open in Flatiron

Located on the same floor as the sister restaurant, Bad Roman, Twin Tails is now open in The Shops at Columbus Circle. Designed by AvroKo—the design group behind Michelin-starred SingleThread in Napa and New York’s Zou Zou’s, another Quality Branded restaurant—the 140-seat eatery takes us back to the heyday of dining in NYC in the 1980s. We are talking marbled floors, yellow upholstered banquettes and mirror-paneled walls, once used to check your shoulder pads, now used to snap a few pics.

Developed by chef/partner Craig Koketsu, the restaurant leans on the flavors found in Thailand and Vietnam, with layovers in Cambodia and Laos along the way. Raw offerings start with Yellowtail Tuna with a watermelon nuoc cham or fish sauce and Kusshi Oysters topped with a spiced calamansi shaved ice. Trading out tossed tableside Caesars, waiters instead prepare the Papaya & Kumquat Salad. Grinding garlic and chili in a mortar and pestle, the salad invites an Instagram moment, eye-watering be damned. But if salad doesn’t exactly excite you, the King Crab and Uni Buns definitely will.

Several mains are dedicated to the sea, including the Grilled Branzino spooned with a Mekong salsa verde and the Crispy Garlic Shrimp that nods to the famed Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas. Looking to share a few dishes? The Cho Long Duck comes with steamed crepes and all the accouterments, like red curry, tamarind jam and nam jim, so you can dress it up as you like.

As for the bar, that goes to beverage director Bryan Schneider. Shaking up saffron-infused gibsons at Chez Zou to Campari shots in toy cars at Bad Roman, Schneider approached the cocktail menu here with an international eye, picking up various flavors and combos across the region. Teeter up to the marble-heavy bar for Salted Lychee Martinis or a few Bangkok Screwdrivers, made with vodka, calamansi, galangal, Thai basil and chili. Desserts travel around here as well, including an Ube Creme Caramel and a Rainbow Sherbet Cake with guava, pineapple chili and graham-cashew crunchies. And if you need a pick me up after a full meal, the Thai Iced Coffee Affogato with caramel and roasted peanuts is sure to do the trick.

* This article was originally published here

Grand Central is getting festive with the return of its beloved Holiday Fair, opening for the season on Monday, November 11th.

This exciting tradition will uplift 36 local vendors and small businesses for an unmissable holiday shopping destination for the season.

The entire Holiday Fair will run for six weeks only (November 11th – December 24th), seven days a week, so you’ll have just until Christmas Eve to get something for everyone on your list.

New to the fair this year will be a highly-anticipated Uncommon Goods holiday pop-up located on the bridge next to the main concourse. Also new to the Holiday Fair will be an exclusive Grand Central  merchandise collection. Shoppers will be able to peruse various Grand Central terminal-branded Yeti tumblers, Baggu totes, luggage tags, playing cards and more.

“Grand Central is already a world-class travel and dining destination, but with the Holiday Fair, New Yorkers and visitors alike can celebrate the season with homegrown vendors selling merchandise that is as unique as Grand Central itself,” said Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi. “It’s a joy to see these storied halls come to life with holiday cheer.”

Of course, Holiday Fair classics like the NY Transit Museum train show will once again spring to life. Admire an adorable replica of Grand Central as a collection of the museum’s model trains will chug through the miniature city en route to the North Pole. Note that the train show will not run for the same duration of the Holiday Fair, but between Thursday, November 14th through February 2025.

Other Grand Central Holiday Fair favorites like the Thanksgiving Market will grant New Yorkers a chance to pick-up delicious seasonal items to bring to their Thanksgiving dinner. The Thanksgiving market will only be open on Wednesday, November 27th in the Biltmore Room from 10 am – 6 pm.

You can learn even more details about the Grand Central Holiday Fair online.

The Grand Central Terminal Holiday Fair is just one of the many magical places to go holiday shopping in NYC, because you can’t forget about other fan favorites like Bryant Park’s Winter Village and Union Square’s Holiday Market.

Grand Central Terminal

November 11th – December 24th, 2024

The post Grand Central’s Fantastical Holiday Fair Announces Its 2024 Return Date appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

After a scorching hot summer, one of the hottest ones of our lifetime at that, it took quite some time for it to actually feel like fall. And though we did get some respite from the heat a few times so far, it looks like NYC’s temperatures are going to climb right back up this week.

According to AccuWeather meteorologists, NYC will experience near record-breaking high temperatures this Thursday–and yes, Thursday is Halloween, so we’re sure all the kids are looking forward to warm trick-or-treating weather, especially when nearly 100 NYC streets are going car-free for the holiday!

AccuWeather meteorologists are predicting Thursday to be “mostly sunny, breezy and warm” with a high of 79º, only two degrees lower than the record high of 81º set 78 years ago in 1946. RealFeel temps, however, will feel slightly cooler at 77º.

The Weather Channel is confirming this as well, though they’re predicting a high of 78º rather than 79º.

To put things into perspective, the average NYC temperature high on Halloween is 59º, though last year temperatures only reached as high as 51º. NYC has, however, been facing near-record heat with the driest fall in over 100 years, and September was hotter than usual, so this Halloween’s forecast doesn’t exactly surprise us. There is a 40% chance of rain Halloween night, though, so the city’s dry spell may finally be broken!

As for the next big holiday, this is what the forecast is looking like for Thanksgiving.

The post This Halloween May Be The Warmest One Since 1946 appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here