I know that when most people visit Manhattan, they go to Broadway shows, visit museums, and take in the sights such as The Empire State Building and Ellis Island. Well, I visit NYC rather frequently, and since I hate musicals and have already done my share of sightseeing, my trips to the Big Apple are all about the food (although I usually do throw in a museum tour here and there - I'm not that bourgeois!) So, here's the skinny, or more appropriately, the fat, on where I dined in NYC on my most recent trip. Basically, I ate my way from the Upper West Side to the Lower East Side.
Otto – A popular restaurant in the West Village owned by celebrity chef Mario Batali. On a Thursday night, the place was jammed with plenty of Manhattan’s hip and trendy inhabitants. My friend and I had a drink at the bar while we waited on our table (reservations highly recommended!). The place was noisy with chatter and loud music blaring, but we were able to get seats at the bar, so that was good. Once seated, my friend ordered pizza, and I went for a pasta dish. I wish I’d ordered the pizza. It was wafer thin and packed with flavor, while the pasta wasn’t anything special. For dessert we had gelato, which was rather ridiculous since it was about 30 degrees outside. We were both chilled to our bones afterward and had to partake in some coffee liqueurs at a joint nearby.
Café La Lanterna – This has to be one of my favorite spots for drinks. After indulging in gelato at Otto, we ran (literally, we were freezing our asses off!) over to La Lanterna to imbibe in a tasty nightcap. La Lanterna is a cozy little place lighted by roaring fires in its two fireplaces, flickering lanterns on its brick walls, and votive candles on its tabletops. With live jazz streaming in from the room next door, my friend and I grabbed a table on the lower level right next to the fire. We ordered a couple of spiked coffees and gabbed the night away while our waitress, Gigi, frequently popped by to attend to us.
Diner – Okay, I don’t actually know the name of this particular diner I ate at one afternoon. I was in midtown to see the windows at Macy’s, and not having had breakfast, just needed a quick bite. I saw the word “diner” and took a chance. Stepping into this place was like being transported to Las Vegas in the 1950s. For one, it was quite huge – rather unusual for New York City. Secondly, it was adorned with orange vinyl booths, funky “sputnik” looking lighting fixtures, and waitresses wearing uniforms that had to be inspired by the seventies TV show,
Alice. My waitress was in her 60s with bright red hair and matching lipstick. I expected to be greeted with a rich “New Yawk” accent, but instead was rather surprised to hear her voice dripping with a thick Russian brogue. I ordered hot chocolate (delicious) and buttermilk pancakes (you can never go wrong with flapjacks!).
Village Natural – this little “healthy” restaurant is tucked in a lower level on Greenwich Ave. in the Village (naturally!). Although I am a vegetarian, there is something not-so-appealing about eating “healthy” food – especially in Manhattan. But I found an item on the menu that looked a little less healthy than all else, the Mexican Tostada, and it was all right. Living in Los Angeles, I have access to some of the best Mexican food in the US. This particular tostada wasn’t nearly on par with anything you’d find in LA, healthy or not. Skip the tostada.
The Brandy Library – I and two friends came here on a Friday night for drinks before dinner. Hidden on a quiet street (at night anyway) in Tribeca, this bar is warm and cozy with a roaring fireplace, leather and plush velvet seating, and row upon row of bottles of liquor lining the walls. It has the feeling of a 1920s library, but is as well-stocked as any modern bar. I ordered a “Pick Me Up,” a concoction of Grand Marnier, Cognac, orange juice and champagne, which was quite tasty. My two friends, however, weren’t overly pleased with their choices – a Creold’fashioned, a Dark and Stormy, and a Librarian.
Cercle Rouge – After the Brandy Library, one of my friends and I stopped here for dinner, just around the corner. Charming and very Parisian, we settled into a table in the back (but not the back room, which looked very cozy) and proceeded to dine on some of the most delicious French fare I’ve had since my trip to Paris two years ago. The only problem was that I ordered too much food and ate until I nearly puked. Yeah, it was
that good!
Quantum Leap – On my own Saturday morning, I headed to this little vegetarian café on Thompson Street for breakfast. I’d had the sweet potato pancakes before, which were absolutely divine, but still being rather full from stuffing myself at Cercle Rouge the night before, I decided to eat light. I ordered “The American,” a plate of scrambled eggs, veggie sausage and toast. Yum!
Arte Around The Corner – After clomping around the Upper West Side for a few hours, I met up with my friend at this little (as in so tiny Thumbelina would find it cramped) cafe on Columbus Ave. Despite the tight quarters, the drinks were good and the appetizers (olives and artichokes) were delicious.
L’Asso – In Little Italy on Mott Street a mere block away from the ever-popular and oft over-crowded
Lombardi’s, this hip pizzeria offers some fine fare for a decent price. The bad – it was hella noisy with loud, bad music blaring. The good – the waiters were not only cute, but very accommodating. When our pizza was delivered to our table, my friend and I found it a tad “overcooked.” Ok. It was fucking black on the edges and smelled like brimstone. So, of course, we sent it back. Twenty five minutes later, we were presented with a lovely, crisp (not wafer thin, but still thin enough), colorful oblong pizza. We dove in, and were not disappointed.
Minetta Tavern – Established by a mobster back in the 30s, this bar-restaurant is a throwback to old New York. My friend and I stopped here on the way to La Lanterna so she could watch the last half of the Giants-Patriots game in a setting that wouldn’t offend me (I hate sports bars). For a bar with a TV showing football, it wasn’t too bad. The noise was kept to a dull roar (no bad, blaring music), and for a Saturday night, it was rather sparsely populated. They don’t have a drink menu, which kind of left me at a loss as to what to order since I prefer flavored martinis to straight up liquor. So, I requested a shot of Frangellico, which was strong, but tasty. After the Patriots won (to my friend’s great delight), we headed over to La Lanterna for dessert.
Florent – I nearly walked past this funky fifties-ish diner on Gansevoort Street in the Meat Packing District. Strolling down the cobblestone road, I started to notice an increase in graffiti covering the metal rolling doors of the establishments lining the street. Surely, I was in the wrong neighborhood. But just as I reached for my cell phone to call my friend, I spotted “Florent” in small letters on a window across the street. Once inside, I found the little diner hopping with people and was forced to grab a table right in the line of fire of waiters delivering food to tables lining the wall behind. When my friend arrived, we came to the conclusion that if none of those tables were free, it would be better to sit at the counter. I ordered a goat cheese, apple, and onion omelet, which was heavenly.
All in all, a culinary delight!
