Speaking of philosophies and the most famous New York restaurants, let us start with the one that indeed has a philosophy that considers food, life itself…

Per Se: ‘Respect for food is respect for life’ – the words of the genius himself. Thomas Keller a world renowned chef and genius of the culinary arts, the founder of the world famous French Laundry, established Per Se as an urban variant of the Laundry. The Per Se opened in 2004 with a magnificent menu and a versatile aroma of world class wines. The best thing that you might want to try out at the Per Se is the 9 course meal which will give you finest taste and emotion with every new course. The restaurant is a classic example of perfection of taste that Thomas Keller and his staff have achieved. With every spoonful you taste, you will be transported to the French countryside and its soulful food.

The 21 Club: In the vicinity of Broadway and midtown Manhattan, the 21 club is a two restaurant club with the ‘Bar room’ and ‘upstairs at 21′, which are accompanied by two more auxiliaries, ‘Wine Cellar’ and the ‘Cocktail Lounge’. The 21 club has a magnificent time line that dates back to times of Probation when cousins Jack Kriendler and Charlie Berns, opened a speakeasy in order to earn their tuition fees. A versatile and perfected menu with thrilling tastes of wine will make your evening definitely memorable. All the Romeos, note that the upstairs at 21 is a perfect place to propose to your lady love. That very room has a very popular history of proposals that have turned into happy marriages. The wonderful history, mouth watering creative dishes and fine wine is something that will leave you smiling for at least a couple of days (life long if you have just proposed).

Gramercy Tavern: In the post World War I, local taverns slowly disappeared due to the rise of fast food chains. The Gramercy Tavern is a magnificent revival of the concept that boosts a team of chefs that cook from the heart instead of just using the formula and recipe of food. This classical tavern boasts of a menu that has a colonial-American blend of food and a joyous assortment of wines. The antique decorated rooms and an oven that is made from hand cut bricks is that pride of the restaurant. Led by Mike Anthony, the chefs, prepare food that is so delicious that every spoonful is bound to make your heart warm with emotion. If you are a pastry lover, then you will be back almost every day to taste the lovely menu items by Nancy Olson, the pastry chef. Inspiration from the seasons and nature, and a warm taste, makes the Gramercy Tavern one of the most famous restaurants in New York. Read the rest of this entry »

The move will see a sharp drop in use of the treated fats. One serving of chips contains up to eight grams.

Trans fats have been the subject of mounting concern among health experts who warn that the fats could contribute to heart disease by raising blood cholesterol levels. In a process known as hydrogenation the fats are formed by subjecting oils to high temperatures, which stabilises and solidifies them and makes them last longer. They are used in the baking of cakes, doughnuts and bread, and for deep frying.

Health campaigners say the fats have no nutritional value and can raise the risk of heart disease, a condition that kills 18,000 New Yorkers under the age of 65 each year.

The city’s board of health has set a deadline in December for consultation. Restaurants will then have until July to prepare and switch to oils or margarine with less than half a gram per serving. The health board said the move would be “cost neutral” as alternatives could be bought at the same price.

The issue of trans fats is particularly sensitive in New York, which has by far the greatest density of food outlets of any US city, about half of which still use trans fats. New Yorkers tend to eat out or have takeaways more regularly than most Americans. But the city also prides itself as being the nation’s “thought-leader” on health issues: it was the first to ban lead in paint (in 1960), and its lauded smoking ban in restaurants three years ago has been widely copied throughout the US.

The action against trans fats was, however, condemned by the New York State Restaurant Association, which represents 3,500 city restaurants. The group’s vice president, Charles Hunt, said that compared with smoking, which made other people passive victims, this was an issue entirely of personal choice. He said: “You chose what you eat and that only affects you. We don’t think it’s appropriate for a non-elected body such as the health board to make a decision that will have a big effect on restaurants across New York City.”

Denmark is the only country so far to have moved against trans fats. Chicago has floated the idea of restrictions but these would apply only to large food chains with annual sales worth more than $20m. Recently the city authorities indicated they were minded just to opt for voluntary measures.

New York has tried a year-long educational drive to persuade outlets to shift voluntarily from trans fats, but the board of health concluded the campaign had minimal impact. Some big US food chains, including Starbucks and Wendy’s, have indicated they will restrict trans fats.