Weekly NYC Blog Post - 3.5.2012

It's was my birthday weekend so I hit up some of the places I was most excited about trying.

EAST VILLAGE

Nai Tapas (174 1st Avenue)
This was the Friday night hotspot with very authentic Spanish tapas. Unfortunately the service was terrible and even though we had a reservation it took them forever to get us seated, get our drinks and even get our food. They were also out of a bunch of stuff which is a little more forgiving since we were there at like 10pm at night. Once the food finally came out it was pretty good though. We had stuffed red peppers, spicy potatoes, meatballs, etc. I thought the peppers and the meatballs were the best but overall I've had better tapas. It wasn't too expensive which made it worthwhile and was close to the karaoke bar we were going to so overall not a waste but I don't need to go back.


Sing Sing (the other one)
Boy does it take a lot to get me to write a terrible review of something but the Sing Sing Karaoke bar on Ave A is one of the worst run places I have ever been. We asked for a room and the lady was SO rude to us we finally just asked her to leave. After that we had a great time until it came time to pay when yet again they caused a bunch of problems. Let me just say that I will NEVER go back here or recommend it to anyone. It's a shame because I like the other location and will probably boycott that one too just because I hate the management so much.


LOWER EAST SIDE

Bondi Road
Bondi Road is owned by a larger group called MooLife Group that also owns the Sunburnt Cow in the East Village and a few other locations throughout the city. I desperately wanted to do my birthday brunch at Sunburnt Cow but the only reservation was for 3pm because it is notorious for being the best all-you-can-drink Sunday brunch in the city. So, we opted for Bondi Road so that we could do 1:30pm. We arrived on time and still waited 30 minutes for our table which annoyed me a little but after that we had a great time.

I ordered the burger which was far better than I was anticipating. Also the Moomosas have sake in them making them extra dangerous. The brunch includes a plate and then unlimited drinks. You can switch between beer, moomosas, bloody marys, etc. The atmosphere wasn't quite as "crazy" as I was looking for but still good. Our waitress was very attentive, Australia, and fun. They even gave me a birthday treat at the end. Overall I'm headed to the Sunburnt Cow next time and probably won't be back here now that I've been but I would still highly recommend it!


Hotel Chantelle
For those of you who routinely follow the blog you know that this is one of my favorite places in the city other than Bounce. I literally love everything about it. The owner is a really cool guy who makes sure you have everything you need, they aren't super annoying or pretentious about letting people in and the music/venue is amazing. This was my first time up on the rooftop bar which is enclosed during winter and open during summer. The owner let me select my own table and comped me a free bottle of vodka (this is where I had my birthday party if you haven't caught on). Yet again I had an awesome time there and will continue to return to this place and very much recommend it to you!


Sorella
A friend of mine selected this place for my birthday dinner on Saturday night and it easily ranked among the best meals I've had in the city thus far. The place is small but still made a big effort to accommodate eleven people and the food was just amazing. We ordered a ton of food and shared and literally everything I tried was incredible. Some of the few I really enjoyed were the Tuscan kale and squash salad (bobolink cheddar, marcona almonds and balsamic), the broccoli fritto (pickled hot pepper aioli, grana padano and basil), the Tajarin (lamb ragu, black pepper ricotta, pistachios and mint), crostini with salami and goat cheese and the brussel sprouts with bacon and apple. You literally can't go wrong here. I will DEFINITELY be back.


Spitzers
So this place is down the street from Bondi Road and apparently has an amazing brunch. We hit it up after brunch so we just had drinks but I liked the laidback atmosphere, the giant shared wooden tables and the extensive beer list. Nothing super special about it but I would definitely come back if I was in the neighborhood again. Only downside is that they have an actual rule against balloons in the bar so I literally had to "check" my birthday balloon at the front desk. Hilarious.

Weekly NYC Blog Post - 2.6.2012

CHELSEA

Pierre Loti
So I'm tempted to not even write about this place because I think it might become my special local spot and I don't want all of you to go rushing over there...but this place is awesome. Super small, dark, great first date place. The food is Mediterranean/middle eastern and very good and the bartender, Mustafa, is a doll. We had the hummus and beef dumplings which was plenty of food for two. Definitely coming back here!

Photo Credit: Red Lion Website

GRAMERCY

Kibo
So for those of you who don't follow this blog often...I am allergic to shellfish. Thus, when I go out with big groups of people to sushi/Japanese restaurants I tend to order my own stuff separate. That being said the yellowtail and spicy tuna handrolls here are delicious as is the wine by the glass. Everything else looked amazing and my friends said it was tasty so I will have to let you know next time I go - which I will be doing. The interior is very hip, although the service is a little slow. It was a 2.5 hour dinner mostly because I felt like the staff took so long to bring drinks and food. For us it didn't matter because the conversation was good but I wouldn't go here if you are in a hurry.

Photo Credit: Kibo Website

GREENWICH

Red Lion
Ah, it's that time of year - rugby season. And what better place to watch it than the Red Lion on Bleecker where the Scottish men are hot, the food is English, and the television screens are everywhere. Be prepared for a plethora of accents and crowds during sporting events and a chill, hang out atmosphere at night. The owner, Joe, is almost always there adding a "Cheers-esk" flavor to the place. Definitely a good time.

Photo Credit: Red Lion Website

LES

Hotel Chantelle
This non-hotel restaurant bar is going to give Bounce a run for its money as my new favorite party hangout. Much more hipster, artsy than Bounce so you won't run into the same type of clientele but the music is amazing. The mixed drinks are pretty horrible (definitely well vodka) but they do their job. The place consists of a rooftop bar/restaurant which I haven't been up to yet, the main floor which is a pretty standard bar, and then the basement which is just a massive dance party. Already planning on making this Laura Birthday 2012.

Photo Credit: Hotel Chantelle Website

Rayuela
Woohoo! I made it to a second Restaurant Week place. I'm on a roll! Always love saving money and still eating well. I'd heard great things about this place and was very excited to finally go. The restaurant itself may be THE coolest-looking place I've seen outside of Vegas. There is a frickin' TREE growing in the middle of it! I felt like I was eating in a tree house bungalow deep in a forest.

Photo Credit: Rayuela Website

For dinner, we did the Restaurant Week menu. Appetizers included:

CARAMIñOLA
(vegetarian)
creamy yuca balls stuffed with tetilla & manchego cheese,
served with poblano pepper black bean sauce, frisee salad and crème fraiche

These were good but too bland for me.


PANCETA EN SOPA
crispy pork belly in a curry lentil soup, with fried quail egg,
and green apple-smoked bacon salad

This was my order and I was definitely the winner. The pork was cooked perfectly but I wish there was more of it! I'm not a huge lentil fan which overpowered the dish a little.


ALBONDIGAS
lamb meatball drizzled with a mahon cheese-sesame fondue,
sprinkled with Serrano ham powder and crispy mint leaves

These were tasty but second to Pipa's albondigas in my opinion.


My entree was the Entrecot Callao which was grilled ribeye marinated in panca-pisco, green pea puree, cherry tomato chimichurri with crispy applewood tocineta. It was perfectly cooked and the egg on top was a great touch!


Dessert was lackluster, again because I'm a dessert snob. The Tres de Chocolate was chocolate cake, white chocolate ice cream, chocolate and toffee sauces. The cake was dry, the ice cream was delicious and creamy but there wasn't enough of it and I didn't even taste the toffee. It takes a lot for me not to finish a dessert and I didn't finish this one. Enough said.


I know I sound super harsh regarding this meal but that's just because I'm picky especially in NYC where there are so many amazing restaurants that I can find anything wrong with. The service here was also a little absent. However, I would still say it falls under a good restaurant to eat and you should go just for the ambiance. The booths are also very private so another good place for a first or fortieth date or a birthday party because they are bigger.