If I had not been planning on hitting Nolita House, I might have walked clear by the entrance. It’s almost lost amidst some serious scaffolding. While not so attractive at the moment from the exterior, lurking inside is a cozy brunch spot you should not miss.

However, I will warn it was definitely one of the noisier brunch locales I have tried so if you have a pounding headache, need to have a deep conversation, or are bringing perhaps more audibly sensitive guests with you, I might recommend you hold off on this one. Read the rest of this entry »

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The schedule of summer events in NYC is like my group of friends on a bender: it just don’t stop!

August Activities Around NYC:

Monday, July 28th-Friday, August 1st
Restaurant Week
Enjoy prix fixe lunches at selected restaurants for $24.07 and prix fixe dinners for $35. Please your pals by scoring a great reservation at one of the more than 200 participating restaurants, but make sure they know to bring cash. Order the wine and tip the wait staff generously.
www.nycvisit.com/restaurantwee

July 22nd-August 17th
Shakespeare in the Park
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical featuring Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening)
Get up early and stand in line at Central Park, 81st Street entrance near the Delacorte Theater. Good luck!
www.publictheater.org/content/view/126/219

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Surrounded by low-key restaurants, random shoe shops, and independent coffee shops, it is easy to walk by and fail to notice Eletteria altogether. However, tucked inside is a great little spot, regardless of the occasion for your visit.

With one owner from the Philippines and the other from India, the chef here has opted to take a new spin on American, subtly adding elements common to those two countries to the dishes. Be sure to note the temperature controlled wine room to your right as you go to your seat and to peruse their creative drink menu. I recommend the 8th Wonder, which is chai infused for a little additional kick. Read the rest of this entry »

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What do you get when you take great food, a fun atmosphere, and mix it with some fabulous country tunes (and yes, we’re talking borderline rock ones no one could potentially be ashamed of)? You get Back Forty, a recent arrival to the East Village restaurant scene. They even offer nice small wine quartinos that equate to about a glass and a half for only $9-$11. The pinot bianco, one of their offerings that particular day, was a crisp refreshing way to start the meal.

I honestly can’t complain about a thing we tried. We started with two sides — the beer battered onion rings with smoked paprika mayo (mmm - just the perfect degree of kick) and the spring artichoke hearts. Of the two, the artichoke hearts were more bland, although they were definitely not as heavy as the onion rings. Their fries seasoned with rosemary sea salt were some of the best fries I’ve had in the city, and came with a spicy homemade ketchup I wish you could buy. Amazing.

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This week’s post is jam-packed with events taking place throughout July, from Brighton Beach up to Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Click after the jump to find enough activities to keep you busy every day for the rest of the month!

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There are some very boring, generic restaurants at the Seaport, so when a friend said we should check it out I was a bit hesitant. However, the weather was nice and I’m always up for trying out a new place. We ended up grabbing dinner at Nelson Blue. The exterior opens up and on this particular night it made for a perfect selection (and was also a prime spot for people watching).

It’s definitely a restaurant/bar feel, but with better food to choose from. They describe themselves as a New Zealand bar, evident perhaps in their wine selection and somewhat better selection of a mix of food. We were looking for lighter bites and found they had a lot available for smaller portions on their menu. The corn and zucchini fritters were lightly battered - not heavy and just perfect. They have a nice assortment of skewers to choose from as well. The chicken came paired with a spicy peanut sauce which was some of the best I’ve had - not lumpy peanuty but yet a noticeable spicy peanut compliment to the poultry. The lamb kabob was good, but was not the best I’ve had. The lamb was a little too chewy, but to be fair it is only some five cubes of the meat I’m judging here.

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One of the best things about New York is brunch. But, one of the worst things about New York can be brunch. It seems to only take a few weeks before the word is out on a new place and the oh-so-nice relaxed ambiance morphs into a zoo, and you are off in search of somewhere else to go on Saturdays and Sundays. Many don’t take reservations, and some seem to amass lines that defeat the relaxation weekends should entail.

I recently had a friend in town and decided to branch out and try Garage in the West Village. Not only do they take reservations, but they have a nice sized menu, and feature live jazz during their Sunday brunch (without some of that unstated-built-in live jazz fee most restaurants might as well add a la carte to their menus).

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In about 24 hours, I’ll be eating a traditional Polish-style dinner at my little brother’s wedding: kluski noodles, mashed potatoes, Polish sausage and about 15 other types of meat. The Polish know how to party. I should know; I’m currently in my hometown with my crazy family who is successfully incorporating vodka into every meal. Impressive.

I’m happy to know that the partying and overeating doesn’t have to stop when I return to NYC.

If you’re looking for a tasty way to support an important nonprofit, consider this amazing food festival taking place on Monday, June 23 at Pier 54 in Manhattan.

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I was previously unfamiliar with Smith’s, a nice little unpretentious restaurant tucked in the Southern part of the West Village. When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find the windows of the restaurant open towards the street, revealing a cozy interior that extends backwards into a narrow space. There is a quaint little bar area at the end nestled to the back right.

I had read a great deal about the bar beforehand, but was disappointed to find thatI was not as impressed by the bar as much as I had anticipated. It came off as an afterthought, appearing disconnected from the rest of the restaurant (although, depending on your reason for going, this might not be a bad thing). The ambiance of the restaurant was perfect - relaxed and inviting, but yet sophisticated. Read the rest of this entry »

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I think I’m a little late on this one, but I decided it was finally time to see what all of the hype was concerning The Stanton Social. If you’re going (and you should), get reservations. I called to try to add one in to our reservation this Saturday night, and the response we got was “We’re completely booked - I’m sorry”. And packed it was.

Fortunately, for those who choose to wait for a table, the bar (as well as the restaurant) features a unique mix of cocktails, ranging from around $11-$14. The watermelon-ginger margarita was a perfect summertime pick, with little cubes of fresh watermelon swimming among thin ginger slivers.

The restaurant is dark (hence the somewhat grainy photos). The music is subtle techno/dance at a not-so-subtle volume. This is a great little date spot or place to catch up with friends, if you can handle the loud music. The concept is plates - small plates. And they have a nice mix of things, with favorites such as mac ‘n cheese accented by chorizo. They recommend five plates for two people. We scratched our heads, doubtful, and chose three. Our recommendation would be three plates if not too hungry and four or five if you are. However, you have to keep in mind some plates are more substantial. The mac n’ cheese and the chicken n’ waffles were heavier portions. Read the rest of this entry »

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