East 13th St. btwn 5th Ave. and Broadway – closed 2009
Trendiness rarely comes cheap in this town . Trendiness sans dismissive, hipper-than-thou, I’ll-get-to-you-when-I-feel-like-looking-down-attitude is an even greater anomaly. Trendy Tong Thai Brasserie avoids both of these vexatious formulas. While it embodies many of the traits of a brasserie, it’s a hell of a lot sexier. [Read more...]
102 East 22nd Street, between Lexington and Park Avenue South
Championing a masterful approach to the culinary refinment of contemporary Piedmontese cuisine in a setting of understated elegance that is achieved through ecru walls and soft lighting, Novita’ is among Gramercy Park’s top destinations for a romantic evening or a relaxed business meeting. [Read more...]
102 East 22nd Street, between Lexington and Park Avenue South
Championing a masterful approach to the culinary refinment of contemporary Piedmontese cuisine in a setting of understated elegance that is achieved through ecru walls and soft lighting, Novita’ is among Gramercy Park’s top destinations for a romantic evening or a relaxed business meeting. [Read more...]
Cappuccino fiends of the world unite!
To stay or to go, you can get an excellent cappuccino at any one of the three places below for under $5.
To see my criteria for a great cappuccino, see previous post.
1. La Lanterna di Vittorio on 129 MacDougal St (kitty corner to Washington Sq. Park, between W. 3rd and W. 4th Streets).
Located in the heart of Greenwich Village, this is where you go for quality and ambiance. At night, the setting is romantic, dimly lit, with Vivaldi or Italian opera playing in the background and meticulously run by a owner who is hands-on and pays fastidious attention on customer satisfaction. On those rare occassions when the cafe’ is underpopulated, you simply feel like you’re another world and fail to notice the signs of ongoing construction in the place. Fine for meeting your business associate, book agent, date or your mom. There are lots of fine Italian desserts to choose from. My personal favorite is the mixed fruit tart. It’s not the cheapest place for cappuccino, but $10 bucks (after tax and before tip) will get you a sit down cappuccino and a tart in a cozy, relaxing setting with courteous service. You also need to check out their new winter garden. When it’s crowded, the acoustics are better inside.
Oh, and although you would never guess it just by looking at it, this place will also prepare your cappuccino to go. Just walk up to waiter or waitress and tell them what you want. I often sip one on my way down to Angelica’s.
2. 71 Irving Place Coffee and Tea Bar
This is a great place to get a cup to go. The place is always crowded. If you do want to drink and hang out, strategize. Look for a table or scout one out and mark it with something of yours before placing your order at the counter. It’s a very popular destination for college students, Baruch professors and people from the nearby publishing houses. Because of the lack of any intrusive table service (everything is do it yourself here), and its low-key atmosphere and affordable pricing, it’s also a popular meeting ground for blind dates.
Aside from the fabulous java, 71 Irving serves wine and offers an excellent selection of panini, soups, salads and a good, but a slightly overpriced assortment of baked goods.
Note: a second cafe’ has recently opened in Chelsea, on 7th Avenue, between 17th and 18th Streets. I’ve not yet been to the new place.
3. Choux Factory (no web site available)
865 First Avenue (between 48th and 49th Streets)
There are also locations in Chelsea (316 W. 23rd St.) and the Upper East side (1685 First Ave.)
This is one of the best things Midtown East has got going for it and believe me the diplomats and cultural attache’s all know it. Courteous, fastidiously precise Japanese baristas give you a killer cappuccino and a bow. While the cafe has a couple of small tables in it, the place is tight and usually buzzing with people, so you probably wouldn’t want to spend time there even if you got a table.
Another reason to go there is for their signature pastry product. The choux are always fresh and filled with vanilla, chocolate, green tea or season-inspired flavor; pumpkin is one of them. A word of caution: they are quite rich, so if you have a heavy meal at midday, they are not the best after lunch sweet treat. In my opinion they are best consumed to counteract the onslaught of an afternoon lull.
Are you tired of shelling out upwards of $4.00 for a cappuccino that is not worth the paper cup in which it’s stored? I’m certain that if cafe’ managers and baristas would simply follow a few basic formulas, there’d be a lot more cappucino junkies and city would theirs to rule. [Read more...]
If there’s one thing that should disturb both the discerning oenophile and the House Merlot drinker, it’s poor pouring etiquette. This is not a rant about some minute subtlety that would only be noticed by master sommeliers, “Sideways-type” wine fanatics, and others schooled in wine esoterica, this is about the basic right that consumers have to get what get what they pay for. [Read more...]
61 Greenwich Avenue (corner of W. 10th Street)
While there’s no shortage of good Italian restaurants in Greenwich Village, less than a handful offer the inspired, simple Italian dishes in a cozy, welcoming atmosphere, the way Grano does. This is why Grano is one of my staples. [Read more...]
Overdue for a splurge? Want to impress? La Houppa has just the answer for you.
Located on E. 64th St. between Madison and 5th, La Houppa is an elegant, upscale but by no means stuffy or boring Upper-East side choice.
The decor alone is a feast for the eyes. The dining room strikes a soothing balance of vibrance and subdued subtelty. Fauvist-like murals and Mondrian-inspired light fixtures brighten the dim candle-like lighting effect. [Read more...]
On one of those rare nights in early September, when the humidity is coasting at below 30%, it follows that every Manhattan sidewalk cafe is going to be packed to full capacity . It’s that way at 60% humidity too. [Read more...]
Labor Day may have come and gone but you need not to bid farewell to summer culinary fare and perfect oudoor perches from which to enjoy the city’s most comely attractions just yet. In fact if you have not yet been to Gigino’s this summer, then it’s a must. Apart from breathtaking views of Liberty Island, Gigino’s at Wagner Park offers a wide menu of popular and innovative Italian dishes that are prepared in a way that highlight the genuine flavors of their ingredients.
On my most recent visit, I shared a delicious Meditteranean antipasto, which had a profusion of vegetables and a calamari salad that really stood out. Bursting with mussels, little necks and baby squid, the risotto pescatora that I ordered was seasoned just right in a light tomato broth that was pleasantly perfumed by the freshness of the seafood. The generously poured glass of aromatic grechetto that I drank with it was a good choice in that it provided a compliment to the seafood that was bold without being overpowering.
Although the wait staff was overwhelmed by the enormous crowd that a non-muggy night in August will generate, it was polite, competent and neither rushed, nor pushy. I was pleasantly impressed by this especially since the restaurant was packed to the hilt with tourists and locals celebrating birthdays. While it may not have boasted the greatest knowledge, it seemed committed to delivering customer-satisfaction.
Gigino’s is not just mooching off the gorgeousness of New York Harbor, it boasts fine culinary merits and truly modest prices for what you get. While I wouldn’t be as apt to get there in the winter months, just because its indoor seating alternative seems quite vanilla by comparison – and the city offers such a vast and vibrant landscape of fine restaurants – I do definitely make a point of going there to give the perfect ending to a beautiful day spent strolling along the Hudson. This is clearly a place to treat yourself to in summer and to put on your list of places to bring your out of town guests.
One relatively minor thing that could easily be improved upon at Giginos is the post-sunset lighting. Either the table tea votives need to be upgraded to small lanterns or the table umbrellas need to be folded and removed at dusk in order to make reading the menu possible without straining the eyes.
