The Empire State Building is known for many things, but possibly most for its starring role in numerous versions of the film King Kong. The giant ape is an inspiration for the banana split served at the tower’s State Bar & Grill, which is cheffed up a bit with lightly torched bananas, and for extra drama it’s assembled at tableside.
Elsewhere in New York City, in Queens, at Levante LIC, executive chef Simone Venturini prepares seabass with a lighter interpretation of normally heady caponata so it doesn’t overpower the delicate fish.
A heartier chunk of seafood, swordfish, is on the menu at Richard Blais’s new restaurant in Key West, Fla., where it’s dressed in dehydrated lime and garlic.
In San Antonio, at Zocca Cuisine D’Italia, chef Roy Mays takes chicken liver, which in Texas is most often battered and fried, and simmers it with sherry, makes it into a smooth purée and pipes it on bruschetta.
And in Houston, at the new Hongdae 33, co-owner Grace Xia makes a bubbly, sweet, soju-based cocktail that goes with Korean food.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
