"Ecce magnitudinem illae molae piperi" - J. Caesar
Welcome to Bob Lape's Food Page
Here you will find a virtual plethora of food facts, luscious links and Bob's award winning reviews of your soon-to-be favorite restaurant.
New York's most impressive restaurant-builder in the past decade is not Adam Tihany or David Rockwell, but STEVE HANSON. The savvy Mr. Hanson has provided quality and value-conscious patrons with eight major venues. His two Ruby Foo's Dim Sum & Sushi Palaces are just the latest smash hits. More are in the works. Stay tuned. Meantime, his B.R. Guest Restaurant website offers plenty of good visuals as well as food and beverage tips on each of the busy octet.
Le Cirque 2000
America's most celebrated hospitality ring-masters, Sirio Maccioni and sons Mario, Mauro and Marco, announce a brand new web-site for Le Cirque 2000. We like its excellent pictorial quality and zest, and the item-by-item breakout of the massive wine list. Now you may plan the entire meal via the Internet. Or see about the new man behind the man, executive sous chef Pierre Schaedelin.
See what we mean at
Tavern on the Green
Party planners will love the Tavern on the Green web-site with its views of the various function rooms, and an instant reservations system. The late Warner LeRoy's vast wine list is also available for study. We think that as more individual restaurants air the wine prices, the better it will be for consumers who will notice the big differences.
Daniel Boulud
Daniel Boulud, arguably New York's hottest French taste-maker, has a fine, broad-range web site offering information on his restaurants, recipes, books, parties, caviar and wine.
Check it out at www.danielnyc.com
Fresco by Scotto
If you get past the vegetable crisps drizzled with Gorgonzola, and the papadum-thin pizzas, and grissini with Tuscan bean dip, you will find a wonderful Tuscan dining experience at Fresco by Scotto.
This most hospitable family can bowl you over with attention and Stefano Battistini's inspired food. Read more about them here.
The Arch
An all-time favorite of mine in the bosky burbs is The Arch in Brewster, NY.
One of my rare four-star ratings goes to this gracious restaurant set in a stone house on a wooded hill overlooking route 22. Dee and George Seitz provide the epitome of casually elegant country dining.
Check out their web-site to see what George is cooking, and save room for the best souffles in the region!
Everything for the Kitchen Technician...and we mean everything! Check it out...
One of the most heads-up hospitality teams anywhere is that of Restaurant Associates. Their eye-catching and stomach-filling restaurants and corporate food service operations are always tops. They also do a superb job of function-planning and execution. There's lots of good info at their website.
Epicurious?
Need a recipe idea? Try Epicurious.
This is a Condé Nast site which taps the combined archives of Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazines. There are thousands of dishes, some available by theme, such as Kosher or School Lunch.
The address in cyberspace is
One of the linchpins of my SWAT Team of Tasters, Mr. Vic Alasio of Cliffside Park, New Jersey, has for years gravitated to Gillards of Bath for his teas.
Vic directed my taste buds to the Gillards importer/blenders and they are superb. Preparing their Guv'nors Blend is a daily ritual in the Lape household.
Now they have their own website where you too may check them out and, if you like, order on-line.
They are Gillards of Bath and they are located at...
Drew Nieporent
Drew Nieporent is the Mr. Hospitality of his generation.
His flair at the art of restaurants is matched by the bottomless heart he brings to a myriad of good causes.
Just take a look at the wealth of exciting dining options under his creative umbrella.
The Morfogen Family
The Morfogen family has long been synonymous with the freshest, finest fish.
It's been my pleasure to know them as buyers, advisors, chefs, and all-round good people. So I can point you with trust to the following link when it comes to any seafood needs.
Jim Leff
Life is not simply a bowl of Bathazar, Bernardin or Bouley, but a crazy blend of all kinds of dining (and eating) experiences. That's why I really appreciate Jim Leff's work.
His terrific book THE ECLECTIC GOURMET GUIDE TO GREATER NEW YORK CITY (a Menasha Ridge Publication) is an essential exploratory element to anyone's eating adventures. And Jim has a web-site full of the same no-nonsense necessaries to a well-rounded trencherman.
It is www.chowhound.com and the title says it all.
