Weekly NYC Blog Post - 5.7.2012

This week's blog I made it on my first trip to Queens and found a true NYC speakeasy.

EAST VILLAGE

Cienfuegos
Found a new hidden gem!  This tiny restaurant bar looks like an apartment complex from the outside so that you'd almost miss the front door if it weren't for the sign.  The inside is an adorable Cuban restaurant where you sit in over-sized chairs and drink alcoholic punch out of mismatched tea cups.  The food is also pretty good although I only had one plate of empanadas.  This place is dark, cozy and fun although I highly recommend sticking to the weekends.  I went back on a Monday and there was NO ONE there.  Also you have to sit at a table you can't just stand at the bar so you may have to wait a little bit but it's worth it!

 

 

LOWER EAST SIDE

Dark Room
I ended up here late night on a Friday and I'd be lucky if I could find it again.  It's at 165 Ludlow St between Houston and Stanton.  It's pretty much a basement dance party.  Awesome!  The DJ was great and the crowd was good to although definitely the type of place to go only go late night. 

Photo Credit: www.dubstepforum.com 

The Meatball Shop (Stanton St.)
Pretty sure I've written about the Meatball Shop back in the day before I even moved here but I didn't actually get the meatballs!  So I made sure to change that.  The place is crazy busy at the Stanton St location (not sure if it is the same at the others).  However, on a Thursday night we didn't have to wait long since we were cool standing at the tables by the window.  Really not that bad.

 Photo Credit: Meatball Shop Website

The special for the evening was buffalo chicken meatballs with blue cheese and Franks red hot sauce. Basically you can then order them anyway you like them.  So I got the "smash" which is two balls smashed on a toasted brioche bun with your choice of sauce and then you can choose mozzarella or provolone cheese.  It's served with a small side salad.  I went provolone.  It was kind of soupy.

Since we'd already done the special with the smash we went with spicy pork meatballs and Parmesan cream sauce regular style which is four meatballs and a piece of Focaccia bread in the sauce.  These were DELICIOUS.  I think it was mostly the combination because dipping the meatballs in the cheese was like dipping strawberries in chocolate.  YUM!

And of course I had to have dessert seeing as how they are also very well known for their ice sandwiches.  I went with the special cookie flavor, oatmeal almond, on one side and chocolate chip cookie on the other with espresso ice cream smashed in between.  Messy but also amazing.

 

Taverna Di Bacco
My friend's birthday this last weekend was here.  Cute place, although nothing that stands out decor-wise.  I had the special penne which was delicious.  Thought I'd mention it as a great place for Italian food and a great place for a casual birthday.  The staff was awesome and brought her free dessert.

Photo Credit: Yelp.com

NOLITA

Lovely Day
I had never heard of this place and ended up there on a weeknight and it was crazy busy and sooo cute.  It's at 196 Elizabeth St between Prince and Spring St.  I feel in love immediately with the decor which is super homey and kind of kooky.  The wait was crazy but it was slightly chilly outside so we offered to sit outside and were able to sit immediately.

Upstairs - Photo Credit: NYMag.com

Downstairs - Photo Credit: David H. on Yelp.com

I wasn't super hungry so I stuck to appetizers and they were so tasty!  The food is Thai even though the place doesn't look Thai at all.  I ordered the homemade vegetable dumplings which were perfectly cooked and nice and juicy on the inside.

I also ordered the ginger fried chicken with spicy aioli and lime sauce and was pleasantly surprised that it was more chicken than bread!  The spicy aioli was a nice addition too although they were good enough without sauce.  I will definitely be back here!

 

QUEENS

Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden
I'd heard about this place but always thought "when am I ever going to be in Queens?"  That was solved thanks to a ticket to the Mets game at Citifield, also conveniently in Queens.  It was fine but kind of scruffy crowd.  Glad I saw it but probably don't need to go back unless I had a giant birthday crew or something.  Lots of smoking which was also gross.  The food was also only okay.

 

Citifield 
Not sure what else to say then it's a really nice stadium and I'll be back a lot of Sundays this summer for baseball!

 

   

WEST VILLAGE

Anfora
Came here late night after a concert.  Lots of first come first serve seating which is nice but the drinks were unnecessarily expensive in my opinion.  A $24 glass of wine is ridiculous.  I like the atmosphere but not into paying that much for drinks.

 Photo Credit: Anfora Facebook Page 

Corsino
This place is YUMMY!  The restaurant itself is pretty standard in terms of decor but the food is delicious.

 Photo Credit: Corsino Website

The ricotta and orange honey crostini was a small portion for two people to split (only one piece) and could've used a little more honey but the bread was perfectly crisp!  Very good.

Nothing like brussels sprouts with chili, bread crumbs and lemon to perfect a meal!  Also good.

And the pork ragu pasta was perfect - lots of meat, well seasoned with noodles that tasted like they'd just been made within the hour.

Little Branch
This place is SO cool.  You've seen all the posts about "speakeasy" places in NYC but they all seem so fake.  This place is located at 22 7th Ave between Carmine and Leroy and feels like a true 1920s speakeasy.  The drinks were delicious and come with ice cubes that are custom tailored to the glass the drink is served in.  Cool!  The bartenders were really nice and patient with helping create a drink from scratch - not pretentious at all.  It didn't take too long to get a table and each table is secluded so you can have some privacy.  Lastly, the bar is underground so you can feel the place shake when the subway goes by which makes it feel ancient.  LOVED this place.  Only annoyance was waiting outside in a line to get in on a Wednesday.  A little ridiculous but once you get inside and see how small it is it makes more sense.  There was even a live band!  Definitely going back.

Photo Credit: Jaye V. on Yelp.com

NYC Weekly Blog Post - 4.18.2012

Hey Kids,

Man life gets away from you in NYC!  I've been buying too many bridesmaids dresses for summer weddings and it has eaten away my foodie budget so you are getting multiple weeks worth together this time but I have added in some of my new favorite lunch spots in Midtown for those of you who eat up there!  This post will run the gamut from ice cream shops to Middle Eastern food.

CHELSEA

Artichoke Pizza
Yup this finally happened late night.  All I have to say is PASS.  It's a trendy NYC thing so I had to at least post about it but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth that I'm even dirtying my blog talking about it.  

Crispo
So I can't even remember who this got on the list.  My roommate and I went to Sleep No More and needed a place near the hotel.  This place was incredible.  It was small, intimate and buzzing with people.  I highly recommend getting a reservation in advance!

Photo Credit: www.immaculateinfatuation.com

We ordered a bunch of appetizers but I will definitely be back because the pastas surrounding us looked amazing.  Here's what we had.

The caramelized brussel sprouts with toasted almonds were perfectly cooked in maple sauce that made it just sweet enough without being overkill.  Some of the best brussel sprouts in Manhattan and I eat them everywhere.

 

The next dish were artichoke hearts with some type of cheese.  Regardless this was my least favorite thing we ordered so who cares honestly.  The artichokes were too raw and the cheese didn't have any flavor.  Lastly the yellow aioli sauce didn't taste like much.

The next dish was a platter of prosciutto, soppressata, parmigiano, provolone and caponata.  The prosciutto was great, the cheeses were fine and the soppressata wasn't very flavorful for some reason which was weird?

The burrata with diced tomato was delicious.  I feel like it is such a simple dish and yet so easy to mess up.  This was delicious and I definitely combined it with some of the prosciutto to take it to another level!

Lastly we had an fennel/endive salad with blood orange and olives with a spicy citrus vinaigrette dressing that was light, tasty and had a little kick to it.  I really enjoyed it and I hate salad.

Tippler
Located underneath Chelsea Market this is one hidden gem of a bar.  They make crazy cocktails that taste delicious and have an awesome beer and wine selection.  And to top it all off they have a couple menu items to snack on including salted soft pretzels with an assortment of artisanal mustards which is delicious (not too salty and very soft) and these "crostini" that are toasted and spread with mashed up deviled eggs and crispy prosciutto.  The "crostini" was SO good although I wish it came with more prosciutto!

An advanced warning on this place; it gets pretty crowded late night so if you want to snag seats for you and your friends you best get there early for happy hour!


MIDTOWN

Pret a Manger
I promised I'd let you know which places I've been hitting up for lunch in Midtown.  Pret a Manger (there are a bunch of them) carry sandwiches, salads, soups and more but I went with the Pret Cobb and Greens Salad with grilled chicken, blue cheese, cranberries, walnuts, apples, cherry tomatoes and mesclun greens with balsamic vinaigrette.  It was absolutely delicious for being a "packaged" salad.  They also had fizzy lemonade in a bottle which is a favorite of mine!

The Smith
You have to go here because my friend works here and the food is really good.  The atmosphere is bright, cheery and in nice weather they open up the side of the restaurant so you can sit in the sun and people-watch.  A great lazy Sunday option.  Lastly, make sure you look in the peephole in the women's bathroom - there is old school porn playing.  Hilarious and super random.
 

We had the burrata with roasted tomato, basil, and sourdough panzanella which was incredible.  The tomatoes were perfectly ripe!


The artichoke flatbread with ricotta, olive and roasted sweet onion was also good although not the
most amazing I've ever had.


The mac n cheese also was good although not the best ever.  Very cheesy.


The steak salad with arugula, endive, red onion, goat cheese, tomato, and balsamic dressing was delicious.  It tasted very fresh, it came with a lot of steak which was appreciated since this place is pricey and the dressing didn't overwhelm the salad as is often the case.  It was also a huge portion so I took it home and it was still delicious the next day (another rarity for a salad).

Last but not least, the Smith specializes in an array of ice cream sundaes.  I went with the rocket ice cream sundae with espresso ice cream, ground espresso beans, espresso syrup, and chocolate sauce which was very good but the surprise winner was the sundae my friend ordered which was blueberry sorbet ice cream sundae with lemon custard, and fresh blueberries.  That one was a refreshing homerun!


 

WichCraft

This is another Midtown lunch time favorite.  I've had both the free range roasted chicken with braised kale, pickled vegetables and spicy aioli on ciabatta and the slow-roasted Berkshire pork with Dijon mustard and bread and butter pickles on ciabatta.  I'd say the pork sandwich is my favorite as all the flavors are well-balanced.  The chicken one comes with a little too much mustard which is overpowering but it's still a great sandwich.  And the bread is super fresh!

Photo Credit: WichCraft Website (Pork sandwich)

 

Chicken Sandwich

LITTLE ITALY

Randolphs Beer

This new hotspot was one my friends were dying to try to we went late night for a ladies date.  It's dark and woody.  My only issue is the seating is all by reservation so there isn't a lot of room to stand if you are a big group unless you can snag the standing-room table near the front of the bar.  The beer list was epic though - I highly recommend the Six Point toasted lager.  I'd probably hit this place up for a first date or a catch-up with one friend since there isn't a lot of room.

NOLITA

Sweet and Vicious

I can't remember if I've already blogged on this one yet or not.  To put it simply it is one of my favorite places to end up at the end of the night when all you want to do is sit outside on the patio and drink tequilas.

Photo Credit: Sweet and Vicious Website

FLATIRON

Wined Up
My first time being here and it's a nice option if you are near Broadway and 20th Street.  It's a good first date place since it is intimate but not too much so.  I would say it is pretty expensive considering it's a wine bar and the food is only okay.  I had the prosciutto di parma flatbread with arugula, red onion and olive oil.  I probably wouldn't go back unless I was in the area again.

EAST VILLAGE

13th Step
So I came here before I moved to New York with some friends and found myself in the midst of a heated beer pong battle which I of course won (with little help from my teammate I might add).  So for Sunday Funday we found ourselves in the East Village and felt like being fratty so we headed back.  It was FOUR DOLLAR pitchers???  Amazing!  We had a great time and yet again ended up in another beer pong battle which I again won.  Very fun.  Will definitely be back again.

 Photo Credit: 13th Step Website

Sunburnt Cow
In one of my previous blogs I mentioned that I'd been to Bondi Road which is owned by the same group as the Sunburnt Cow.  I went to Bondi for my Sunday birthday brunch because Sunburnt Cow was already booked but I've been DYING to go here.  Turns out it's like a bar made for me - hot Australian waiters, mimosas made with sake, and a crazy fun atmosphere for brunch.  Huge fan.  Only fail is that it is cash only.

Photo Credit: Google Images

LOWER EAST SIDE

Bar Chevere (formerly Peri Wine Bar)

Such is the state of New York that places come and go over night.  I had Peri Wine Bar on my list of good places to go and had every intention of going there this last Wednesday night for drinks.  I passed the address three times before I realized it'd been replaced by Bar Chevere.  I was meeting a friend so we decided hey let's try it out!  

We ordered the meatball casserole and an appetizer which was really the equivalent of cheesesticks.  The meatball casserole was really just meatballs in sauce so not sure where the "casserole" part comes in but they were pretty good.  I don't really like cheesesticks. All-in-all we had a great time and the owner is really nice and the atmosphere is great (small, brick walls, not pretentious) but I probably don't need to go back.

 

Gallery Bar
This is one of the wackiest bars I've been to in Manhattan.  I was a huge fan of the decor but not really the people.  It felt a little to snobby/trendy for me.  I call this the "bad hipster vibe" as opposed to like the Manhattan Inn in Brooklyn which has a "good hipster vibe."  Regardless the art here is awesome.  It was literally porn - cool.  Probably wouldn't go back unless I was with a large group of people I liked but it could be a great place for a hipster birthday.  The picture below is from a wedding site - not sure that I'd have my wedding here but to each his own.

 Photo Credit: IntimateWeddings.com

 

Masala Wala
Okay I will admit that all the food here looks identical so I posted pictures but couldn't begin to tell you what some of them are.  It wouldn't matter because the staff is very helpful and pretty much tells you what to order.  And they did a great job since all the things I had were delicious.  It was a nice departure from Italian food for once! I don't know that I need to go back but it was a nice experience nonetheless.


Below is the Mumbai Samosa stuffed with potatoes, peas and chicken.

Zoe
Hello new favorite brunch place (sorry Alias).  I get VERY excited by dishes that involve biscuits and this place has a fried chicken biscuit with orange rosemary marmalade that made my head explode.  It was a huge portion and I COULD NOT stop eating it.  Literally one of the best things I have ever tasted.  Their Bloody Mary was also very spicy and delicious as was the applewood smoked bacon side.  On the other hand the service is TERRIBLE.  But to be honest the food is so good I didn't even care and would definitely go back.  Just a warning though to those of you who can't stand MIA waitresses.

 

 Photo Credit: Zoe F. on Yelp.com

WEST VILLAGE

Bell Book and Candle
This place came highly recommended by a friend so I went there for brunch this past weekend.  I had the BBC burrito with scrambled eggs with chorizo, drunken beans, jack cheese and salsa verde wrapped in a tortilla.  It was okay.  And then my stomach hurt really bad for the next few hours.  However, the atmosphere was AWESOME.  There was a little live band playing the banjo, the restaurant is very homey and it has a half open kitchen which makes for some entertainment.  I would probably give it another chance since I think I may have just ordered wrong?

 

 Photo Credit: BBC Website

Empellon Taqueria
Okay my parents are coming in two weeks and I've had WD-50 reservations on the books for that weekend for over two months.  So since I have to patiently wait to go there I decided to compromise with myself and go to Empellon which is owned by the same people.

The restaurant is very fun (again highly recommend reservations) and a great place to catch up with a friend. 

Photo Credit: Empellon Taqueria Website

You must order one of the queso fundido!  We went with the red and green chorizo with melted chihuahua cheese and warm tortillas.  It was so good.  I preferred the red side because I'm a huge fan of cinnamon but I'll let you make your own decision.

 

The meatballs with Tinga Poblana were also good but I didn't really think they needed to be nestled in the fried bread.  I just took them out and ate them plain.

The skirt steak tacos with Mojo de Ajo (toasted garlic, orange juice and cumin) was good but maybe a little too sweet for me.

The chicken tacos with black kale and salsa verde (tomatillo, cilantro and serrano) were AMAZING.  The flavors of all the stuff inside was delicious as was the salsa verde.  I was licking my fingers!! 

 

For dessert we went with the passion fruit tart with meringue, Mezcal and mint which I wasn't a huge fan of....

GROM
So I was told by a true Roman Italian that this was the best gelato in all of New York.  I felt that was a bold claim and needed to be tested.  So I went and ordered the two scoop dish - Bacio with Venezuelan "Ocumare" chocolate and Caramello al Sale with caramel and Himalayan pink salt.

First off, Italians definitely know their gelato because this stuff was spectacular.  It was so creamy you could've spread it on bread with a knife.  The Bacio was good but the Caramello was amazing.  I will definitely be back to this place.  BELLA!