spotted pig
greenwich street & west 11th street
this is one of “those” places. Meaning no reservations, can usually never get in, and ubber trendy at the moment. Is it worth all this hype? I think so, the space is casual and easy and the food is consistently good if not great. You can get in if you want to eat early… say 6:30 ish, but soon after 7:00 there is a group of people waiting on the sidewalk to get in. It is a great place to sit with the girls and chat and people watch… known for many celebrity sightings. The one thing you can not expect is very attentive waitstaff… for instance, last time I was there my waiter came to my table why holding his cell phone and texting. You may see this as part of the charm of the place as I did or just merely annoying. Regardless, the food is worth it. The menu is mostly pork or meat, there is one fish option as an entree (halibut), but I must say it is fantastic. And if you go with meat eaters, their burger is a work of art with a large grilled bun, a heaping portion of blue cheese on the burger, along with an ample side of shoestring fries. Enough fries to steal from your friends plate.
I am always a fan when trendy is worth the hype!
mercat – 45 bond street
you could easily pass this restaurant by if you are too busy checking out the progress of the ian schrager’s chic new duds on bond street, but keep your eyes open because this has become one of my favorite spots in the city. to start off any lovely evening is a welcoming staff, the first time I went here the air conditioning was broke and this was the wrong day to have no a/c in steamy nyc. as soon as you sat down a smiling waiter came over with a complimentary glass of champagne to apologize for the heat. But I have to say, the heat just added to the vibe of the place. the decor is spanish inspired with dark wood and a wine cellar above the ground floor seating and an open kitchen.
the small plates of food were fantastic and you can easily find yourself stopping in here to either meet for dinner or sit at the white tiled bar to grab a glass of wine with a friend. Either way, this is a neighborhood fave.
tribeca ease
Dekk – 134 reade street
what to do on a monday night? cook? nah… find a little gem in your hood. I happen to live in tribeca where there is a plethera of trendy restaurants, but sometimes you need to feel more neighborhoody, and so I found Dekk… right on my block. Great front porch, with big open air feel to the rest of the restaurant yet moody lighting. a good place to start a night of dinner and continue to drinks. I had amazing lobster risotto (yes, I broke my diet) but I couldn’t put my fork down. For those that like Pinio Grigio, their’s by the glass is sweeter than I would like so I would chose something else next time, but after 3 it didn’t matter that much. This is one of those finds, that won’t necessarily get the big Zagat rating, but brilliant to find if you are walking around Tribeca looking for a cool nyc vibe, with a very easy going staff.
Fab Girly Bday Venue
Alta – 64 West 10th Street
Let me give you a visual… large table of 9 beautiful new york city girls on the second floor of a rustic but sleek Meditterranean restaurant enjoying each others company and lots of great wine. Granted the air conditioning was broke (2nd restaurant this week) but after two glasses of wine who notices? Staff were extremely helpful and efficient… which always effects your experience eating out. We sat for 3 hours without being rushed and constantly waited on. This place was great for a group… really yummy tapas menu of unique Meditterranean fare at a pretty reasonable price for such a nice restaurant. Worth the dining experience.
and of course the night can not end there…. there must be dancing!!
2 full cabs of woman head downtown to the club marked only by a painted gold anchor obviously named the, Anchor Bar . This place is only open Thursday – Saturday, but worth a late night trip. Small and narrow, but always has a great dj… and if you are into the young and beautiful you have found your oasis. Us older crew were not there to make eyes at the young but dance off some of our many glasses of wine from dinner.
until tomorrow…
