Farewell Manhattan

Dear Manhattan,

I'm sitting here at the 8th Ave L stop waiting for it to leave for Brooklyn and it dawned on me...This is my last moment with you.  From that day we first flirted in Central Park five years ago to this last walk from Chelsea Market, I've fallen in love with you.  

You've taught me so much in these four years.  How to laugh, cry, love, work and dance a little harder.

• We bingo'd in Meat Packing on Sundays and worked our asses off in Chelsea on Mondays. 
• We blacked out with the bartenders of the LES and flirted with the mixologists of the East Village. 
• We screamed at sports in West Village and stared in shop windows in Soho at things we'd never afford.
• We spent rainy days with art in the UES and lovely brunches in UWS or met in the middle for a Sheeps Meadow respite. 
• We floated on boat bars in FiDi and sipped soup dumplings in Chinatown. 
• We even grabbed our passports and snuck off to warehouse parties in Williamsburg, St Pattys Day in Hoboken and ramen burger dinners in DUMBO.

You accepted me and all my weirdness and made me a New Yorker.

Your hallowed avenues and streets have kicked my ass a couple times but we've always made up and our relationship is the stronger for it.  You've introduced me to new friends who I will hold dear for the rest of my life and helped me realize many unreasonable pacts of reconnection with old ones.  I think all us transients would agree... You're pretty fucking awesome.

We'll be spending some time apart in the near future but I know it won't be forever.  You'll never fully wean me off of you...because you're the only place I've ever called "home."

Please look after my friends. Be their glue while I'm gone.  Make sure they take good care of each other and cherish every minute they have with each other and with you.

I see today that we are crying together. I can feel your teardrops on my umbrella.  But don't worry we will be together again someday. Promise.

Until then.

Weekly NYC Blog Post - 5.16.2013

More restaurants and bars coming your way!  I had a stockpile to get through this week mostly featuring amazing cocktails... theme here?

EAST VILLAGE

Elsa
ANOTHER awesome cocktail bar...and below is a picture of my favorite of the night... The Black Book.  It's jalapeno, bourbon, honey, lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.  It's like Christmas meets alchoholic milkshake.  NOM NOM.  I'll be back for you baby.  Great spot for after dinner drinks.  The bartender was super attentive and friendly as well.  And the spot is intimate yet light.  LOVE IT.

Photo Credit: www.currentground.com

HELLS KITCHEN

Reunion
If you love tatter tots... and  you love nachos.... you will love Reunion.  It's an underground surfer bar that takes all the toppings you would put on nachos and puts them on tots instead.  Magical.  Oh, and their famous Mermaid drink  (pictured below) is a refreshing yet strong take on a mojito and has the perfect amount of crunchy ice and liquid.  Please note one mermaid per drink :-)

The owner, Topher, is way cool and gave me three hours of tutelage on how to craft high-end cocktails.  You can even taste the different bitters they make at the bar.  I'll be back for sure.  Sunday nights are key. 

Photo Credit: Reunion Website

NOHO
 
Le Philosophe
Found this place on Immaculate Infatuation and realized I hadn't had French food in AWHILE.  So I thought I'd try it out.  And since I'm a supporter of the "go big or go home" philosophy I ordered cured foie gras terrine, frog legs and duck a l'orange.  The foie gras was really thick and too sweet and the bread they served with it was too thick as well.  The frog legs, which I've never had before, tasted....that's right.....like chicken.  I thought that the sunchokes, garlic and watercress added a lot of great flavor to the dish though.  I'd have those again.  Lastly the duck a l'orange was delicious.  It came with turnips and pommes mousseline and had just enough sauce to season the duck perfectly.

And of course you can't go to a French restaurant without ordering the profiteroles with caramel ice cream, hazelnuts, and drizzled chocolate sauce.  Cart me out of here people!

Overall a lovely evening although not somewhere I need to go back.  Definitely a nice spot for a second/third date or for the visiting parents.

Photo Credit: Le Philosophe Website

 

 

NOLITA

The Daily
Another Yelp Elite event - this place was really cool atmosphere wise but not sure I was that impressed with the drinks...  Enjoyed myself but probably don't need to go back.  Although hard to say since it was a private event so maybe it's different on a regular night.

WEST VILLAGE

Westway
I've  heard stories of this infamous club and finally made my way there as stop four on a ridiculous spring night.  If you go LATE like 2am then you can usually get in without a problem.  I think we had more guys than girls but then again my friend came who goes there all the time so maybe they recognized him?  This place is trashy cool.  There were two female rappers performing on the catwalk stage that runs down the middle of the club.  The scent of marijuana hung in the air and a man with a tray offered up little plastic spheres of pills.  It was like walking into another world.  Truly an experience.  Hit this one up.

The Vault at Pfaff's
Stopped here for a quick drink with some girl friends before a concert on Thursday.  It's fancy with rich wood and plush cushions.  That's about all I have to say that's good about it.  The service was pretty terrible considering we were three of the six people in the bar and I ordered the bruschetta from the menu only to get two completely different bruschettas.  No idea what was even on them.  They were good but sort of strange not to give me the right order.  I dunno.  It was fine.  Don't need to go back.

Photo Credit: Vault Website

The Market Table
To welcome our new coworker I was tasked with finding a fun, yet not too expensive, restaurant near work.  I'd heard about Market Place and thought that the fresh fare and large bay windows would make a perfect work lunch.  I was not disappointed.  We ordered the quinoa hushpuppies with capers and lemon which were fantastic (you dip them in a chili sauce that's unbelievable), the beet salad with goat cheese, horseradish creme, soft herbs and hazelnuts which was also flavorful and fresh and the black angus strip steak sandwich with fontina, ciabatta, spinach, salad, and horseradish.  The sandwich was fine... it was too much bread so I mostly just ate the steak off it.  I would totally come back here and highly recommend it.  I feel like this would be a great brunch spot too.

 Photo Credit: The Market Place Website

 

 

Greenwich Project
For those who have been to Mulberry Project meet the newest of the "projects."  It reminds me of a mixology bar that Audrey Hepburn would've "breakfasted" at with it's clean lines, white table tops, and dapper staff.  I recommend the bar for its GREAT cocktails and fun bartenders.  It's the type of place you just assume the food is good too.  We lounged here for an hour or so on a Saturday afternoon and it was just perfect.  I will definitely be back.  Ask for Kevin.

 Photo Credit: Greenwich Project Facebook

WILLIAMSBURG

The Shanty
Another adventure out into Brooklyn landed me at a bar called The Shanty.  This place is the opposite of shanty... it's a smaller venue made of wood and iron that shrugs up against a distillery that keeps the gin and rye whiskey flowing.  They serve small snacks that were strangely delicious??  It was just crostini with honey goat cheese and spicy jerky but for some reason I gobbled both.  So good!  And the cocktails... where do I start?  I HATE gin and yet the resident mixologist was magic... everything I tasted was excellent.  If you are in need of a shanty to weather a storm or just want to get drunk in great company with great drinks and eats head here.  I'll be back.

Photo Credit: The Shanty Website

NYC Weekly Blog - 2.28.2013

I swear the last seven days have been some of the best food I've had in NYC.  I feel like I hit some kind of jackpot!

BROOKLYN
I'm lumping Brooklyn together because on Sunday I spent the full day making my way over to Brooklyn and wandering throughout its neighborhoods.

It all started with a walk down the East River.  It was a fairly nice day out for February in New York.  Just crisp enough to keep you cool while briskly walking.  So nice in fact that we reached the Brooklyn Bridge and decided to walk over it into Brooklyn.  The weather wasn't quite nice enough to capture the view of Manhattan in it's glory but here is a little taste!

By the time we made it up Bedford to the "Williamsburg" area we were famished.  I had my heart set on Fette Sau but we passed Extra Fancy along the way and my "Maine" friend couldn't stop herself from checking out this place known for their seafood.

Photo Credit: timeout.com

Since we already had our hearts set on Fette Say for dinner we decided to turn our night into a food crawl of Williamsburg and just stuck with appetizers and cider.  The Extra Fancy Deviled Eggs with pickled onions and fingerling chips were large and tasty.  The kale salad with artichoke was a lot of kale and not much artichoke... or dressing... or toppings for that matter.  Didn't really taste like anything.  We sat at the bar and the bartender wandered past us multiple times until I finally was like "Hi can we order??"  And then he calmly took our order like nothing was out of place.  Weird.  The cider was SO good.  I would come back just for that.  And the restaurant itself is really cozy especially on a cold day.
 

 

Feeling a little less "starvy" we made it to Fette Sau where we were lucky enough to jump in line right before a huge crush of people arrived.  Usually the wait here is outrageous and they don't take reservations so we totally lucked out!  We took full advantage of the menu ordering the brisket, pork ribs, pickles and coleslaw.  I also had to order a Cheerwine since this southern cult drink is hard to find in the Northeast. The overall review is that the BBQ was incredible, the BBQ sauce was even better (I slathered my beef in it) and the pickles/coleslaw were okay.  Oh and the Cheerwine was just as refreshing and sweet as always!

We thought the gorging would end at Fette Sau but we made friends with the guys at our table.  They asked if I was from Salisbury, South Carolina, because I was drinking Cheerwine (that's where they were from and super impressed I'd even heard of it).  This evolved into a long conversation about food resulting in them inviting us to try the best fried chicken in Brooklyn.

Five minutes later we were down the street at Commodore eating what I would agree was some pretty amazing fried chicken - heavy on chicken, medium on the fry, for some perfect crunch.  And the itty bitty toasty biscuits with honey butter really do melt in your mouth!  It took forever for them to serve it to us... and then offered us some nachos we didn't order ...but the food more than made up for the disorganized, albeit friendly service.

Photo Credit: nycgo.com

So that ends my little food trip through Brooklyn.  It has convinced me of only one thing.  I need to go back next Sunday.  On to more amazing food on the other side of the bridge back in Manhattan.


CHELSEA

Willow Road
It's a little embarrassing that this place is literally across the street from work and I have never heard of it.  And even more embarrassing that it is TOTALLY my type of place!  It's a cozy little gastropub RIGHT next to Del Posto.  I started my evening with the Cinnamon Gimlet cocktail which lands in my top three cocktails of all time.  The limey-ness of the gimlet paired with the fire of the cinnamon did some crazy sh*t to my mouth.. and I liked it.

Dinner was a smorgasbord of flavors and plates from a jar o pickled vegetables to braised artichoke with fregola sarda and fava beans to wild black bass "en papillote" with leeks and minnesota wild rice.  And topped with a fried homemade "Snickers" bar with ice cream.

The veggies were, well, pickled.  The artichoke fregola sarda (a Sardinian pasta that looks like a larger version of couscous but tastes more toasted) was SO good.  The artichoke was soft but not mushy and the fregola sarda was so much fun to eat!  We were sharing our plates but I'm pretty sure I took far more than my share of this one!  The black bass was also good although not as memorable as the artichoke.

The fried "snickers" was also unique in that it is not really a Snickers bar, it's a homemade candy bar made with the same ingredients as a Snickers.  Then when it is deep fried it gets super melty and nutty on the inside while still staying crunchy on the outside.  Pair that hot with a little ice cream and you have a winner!  To top it off the ambiance of the restaurant is so nice as was our waiter.  I have already told three people about this place and plan on going back many times over!

Photo Credit: Willow Road Website

 

 

 

EAST VILLAGE

Horus Cafe
I'm huge into hookah and live near Ave A so I often switch between Horus and Kakuza.  Kakuza is my favorite in terms of the service, the atmosphere and the quality of the hookah but I really like the port they serve at Horus (and the hummus).  So I struggle some times with what is more important and then that's where I go.  But yeah, if you are a weirdo like me and like port with your hookah try this place out!

Photo Credit: Horus Cafe Website

Mehanata
I've never met the owner of this place but I imagine that he and I would make great friends.  After a quick tour of this place I came to the conclusion that he must have made a checklist of all the things he would love to have in a bar (stripper poles, hookah, swing sets, ice box vodka bar, Bulgarian dance music) then opened one and put them all in it.  Even though they don't make ANY thematic sense together.  AND I LOVE IT.  I was here for maybe an hour on Saturday and I have already insisted that my friends and I all go back this Saturday.  So many activities, all fun.  My only comment is come after 1:30am because that's when the real party starts.  See ya there!!

 Photo Credit: guestofaguest.com

WEST VILLAGE

Empellon Taqueria
I've already written a full report of this place before but just wanted to mention it's still great.  This time I had the queso fundido with shishito peppers, the shortrib pastrami tacos with pickled cabbage and mustard seed salsa and the octopus with parsnip and salsa papanteca.  The queso was drippy, peppery yumminess and the tacos were the perfect combo of salty pastrami, hot mustard and pickledness but the octopus was frankly kind of weird.  It tasted like rubber in salsa.   Not my favorite and I've been big into octopus lately.  Anyways still a top spot.

 

 

Weekly NYC Blog Post - 10.12.2012

Exploring the extreme West and extreme East of the city and Brooklyn this week!

CHELSEA
 
Gallow Green
For those of you who have been to Sleep No More they recently opened a rooftop restaurant and bar that is SUPER cool.  It looks like a secret garden hidden on a rooftop overlooking the stars.  VERY romantic and yet still fun for large groups especially if you order a punchbowl!  I feel like you could throw your wedding here and not buy a single decoration.  One of the secrets of the place is there are actually six bathrooms you just have to go to the other side of the bathroom area to find the other three.  Also if you ask nicely they will give you really warm, comfy blankets since it can get a little chilly.

They have live music that fits right in with the 1920s theme and even actors wandering around the restaurant to speak to you, never dropping character.  I've been there twice in the last two weeks and I LOVE it.  I've eaten almost everything on the menu but my top favorites are the "Blonde in Peril" cocktail, the grilled corn crostini, pulled brisket toast, the cheese platter, and the scotch quail eggs.  Oh and the Claret Cup punch - that's a must.

Photo Credit: TimeOut New York

 

EAST VILLAGE

Coopers
I think I mentioned Coopers the other day as a great bar to hang out and drink while watching sports. I think I also mentioned that the food looked questionable.  I lied.  I had the pancakes for brunch the other day and both they and the potato fries that come with them are outstanding.  Soft and melty...mmm.

Empellon Cocina

For those of you who follow the blog you know how much I loved Empellon Taqueria in the West Village so I had to check out the sister restaurant in the East.  We tried both the Tamal Colado with Chicken, Achiote and Epazote and the Wheat Tamal with Shredded Pork, Chorizo and Red Chile.  The Tamal Colado was spicy and good but the shredded pork one was amazing.  The pork was mouthwatering...

 

Next up was the Squid with Black Mole, Potatoes and Sour Orange Mayonnaise.  I don't order squid all that often because it's not a favorite but for squid this was REALLY good.  The mole sauce really added to the meat and the mayonnaise was more decoration then part of the dish so it didn't overwhelm anything.  The potatoes were oval and were cooked just enough to have a tiny bit of crunch to them.  

Lastly, the Pork Belly with Popcorn Pozole was delicious and came with piping hot tortillas and hot sauce.  Beware the hot sauce as it is no joke though!  

Overall it was a very nice experience and our waitress was sweet and very well informed.  She provided great recommendations on both cocktails (which were excellent) and the food (she recommended the squid).  I think it's a little too bunched in terms of seating to be a perfect date spot because you feel a little exposed but would make a great place for anything from family dinner to group birthday.  I would strong recommend even if I don't necessarily need to come back.

Mayahuel
After dinner at Empellon Cocina up the street, my friend said that he had heard of this cool underground-esk tequila bar that doesn't have a sign.  We wandered down 6th street on the lookout and came upon Mayahuel.  He had not idea if it was the same underground tequila bar but hey WHO CARES?  It had the most extensive drink menu I've ever seen and one of the coolest interiors.  I LOVE this place.  I will come back here nine million times so I can try each of the delicious nine million drinks.  WINNER.

 Photo Credit: Mayahuel Facebook

 

Terroir
I believe the original wine bar is located in TriBeCa but they now have a location in the East Village.  It's small, dark and expensive (kind of reminds me of Anfora in the West Village).  I liked it a lot - had port and wine.  Very good for a date although maybe a little small for a group.  I shall return.

Photo Credit: Kelly B from Yelp.com

Yerba Buena
I've heard SUCH good things about this place.  My close friend comes here so often that they have a custom named drink called the Josefina that she helped to create.  When I ordered it and said my friend had recommended it the bartender knew exactly who I was talking about!  That was kind of awesome.  And so was the drink.  We spent about two hours here trying a bunch of different cocktails - all of which were really tasty....and really alcoholic.  Beware those with empty stomaches!  I will 100% be back here to eat too.  The food looks incredible.  Oh and they played Gustavo Lima so additional points for that.

Photo Credit: Yerba Buena Website

LOWER EAST SIDE

Grey Lady
So this place had a bit of a line when we rolled up around 12pm but who can blame them after seeing the massive amount of fun you have on the dance floor here.  The front room was packed with people so we escaped to the back bar which was pleasantly clear of people.  Granted we had about 20 people with us so we made our own party but still.  The 80s music was absolutely epic and we danced the night away.  We liked it so much we are coming back for the next birthday (I'm serious it's already on the books)!

Photo Credit: Grey Lady Facebook

Uncle Charlies LES
Before Grey Lady we started out here (the original plan was to go to Hotel Chantelle across the street).  This place feels really divey to me (the picture here seems classier than I remember...) however I still loved it.  The line for the bathroom is long, the beer is crappy and cheap and the dance floor is filled with slightly creepy people but for some reason it felt strangely homey.  I can't explain it at all!  I should've felt the opposite!  Will probably have to come back to rectify this weird feeling.

Photo Credit: Uncle Charlie Website

NOHO

The Smile
First off, thanks to this restaurant, I have now decided that Bond St. is my favorite street in New York.  It has the craziest looking buildings!  I was already in a good mood walking to this restaurant and then as soon as I walk in the look and feel of the place matched it's street home perfectly.  Unfortunately the service was pretty terrible... the waitress brought one drink at a time until we suggested she use a tray and then another waiter up-ended my espresso all over my section of the table (lucky I'm a fast mover or my sizzling legs would have been crying for a lawsuit).

The biscuits here helped my mood as did the steak and eggs and the peaches with ricotta cheese.  I have never ordered steak and eggs for breakfast/brunch because I've always thought that sounds gross, like something you would order at Denny's.  Turns out this place does it perfectly.  YUM.  And the peaches and ricotta were also delicious although very sweet and a large portion so I recommend sharing.  If I was in the area I would come back here just because of the ambiance and the good food but probably wouldn't go out of my way.

 

WILLIAMSBURG

Brooklyn Star
I've sworn to myself for months now that I would start checking out Brooklyn and I can finally say I dedicated a full weekend to it!  First stop was Brooklyn Star for some DELICIOUS southern food.  We started it off with fried pig tails (yup just what you thought I said) which really looked and tasted like porky buffalo wings.  I was glad I tried them although not good enough for me to order again.  A little too tough.

Next up was the Fried Green Tomatoes with Duck Confit, Frisee, Radish, Pickled Mustard Seeds and Smoked Molasses Vinaigrette which was the best dish of the meal.  God it was good. It was crunchy and meaty and tomato-y and oh yeah, good.

We finished it off with the Molasses Brined Pork Chop with Braised Collards and Smoked Onion Rings.  It was super soft and not chewy at all due to being brined and the onion rings were crunchy yet sweet.  

Also as the resident NYC biscuit snob I must say I have found a tie with Zoe's biscuits.  These were DAMN good.  The cornbread in a skillet was also melty and incredible although we got it with bacon and jalapenos added which I didn't like as much.  I think I'd prefer plain.

Overall this place was delicious and had the best sides of any restaurant I've been too so far.  It kind of reminded me of a Brooklyn version of the Redhead.  The service was impeccable as were the spicy margaritas.  It's fairly large and wasn't a long wait even at primetime on a Saturday so it could make a good date spot or large birthday party.

Lovin' Cup
After Brooklyn Star, we headed to Lovin' Cup which had been recommended by someone as a good lowkey hangout (we weren't in the mood to party).  The house draft was actually really good (a blonde of some sort).  It was super easy to get a table, not too loud so that you could chat easily amongst your group and our waitress was very friendly and attentive.  And we were there during prime Saturday night hours!  I would totally come back here although not until I've checked out some other places.

Surf Bar
We wandered here for a hot second after Lovin' Cup and it was okay.  I wouldn't need to go back - the margarita I had wasn't particularly memorable...

Two Door
The last of the Williamsburg haunts I hit this weekend.  This place has a great vibe (I even got artsy with Camera+ because the atmosphere was so cool).  The food was also delicious. 

I started off with the Homemade Pigs in a Blanket with mini beef and chicken sausages in puff pastry crescent rolls with brown mustard and spicy ketchup.  I am a huge fan of PNAB anyway but these were SO tasty.  All six were gone in about six seconds.

For my main course I went with the Short Rib Sliders with crisp onion straws & sweet slaw on brioche buttons.  These were also really good and so were the sweet potato fries that came with.  I feel like sliders tend to be too bready so I actually ate the second one without the bun which just amped up the flavor that much more.  Would definitely come back here.