Thursday May 20th

3pm

84 Stanton Street

After sending a few places from my “must try list” to The Wandering Foodie we decided on the recently open Meatball Shop in the Lower East Side for a late lunch. I read about it when it first opened, and the idea of being able to order meatballs at 4am was intriguing (the kitchen is open until 4am Thursday – Saturday, until 2am Sunday – Wednesday). If you didn’t guess from the name, meatballs are the specialty of the house. The space itself is small—a large communal table fills most of the dining room with a few tables running along the side wall and about a dozen seats at the bar. During warm weather there’s a few tables available outside as well. Fresh flowers are neatly arranged at each table, a chalkboard announces the specials of the day (featuring a daily meatball, sauce, side, salad and ice-cream) and black and white vintage family portraits line the red wall.

When you sit down you’re handed a laminated menu and a dry erase marker to make your selections. The menu is divided into 3 sections: Ala Carte Balls, Sandwiches – hero (served on a baugette) or sliders, and a meatball smash (served on a brioche bun).

How it works:

Step 1. Select ala carte, slider, hero or smash

Step 2. Select your meatball – chicken, beef, pork, vegetarian (made with lentils and walnuts) or special

Step 3. Choose a sauce – classic tomato, spicy beef, parmasean cream, mushroom or special

Step 4. Mozzarella or provolone

I love the idea of taking one food – the meatball – and creating an endless choice of options, but I guess this is why you get the dry erase marker in case you start to second guess. If you’re at a loss the wait staff will gladly offer up their recommendations and favorite combinations. These aren’t Mom’s meatballs (my Sicilian Mother and Grandmother used a mix of pork, veal and beef and simmered them in a tomato sauce with neck bones for flavor), but they were tender and delicious. I recommend trying the basil pesto (if available as the special) with a chicken meatball or the spicy beef with a beef meatball (beef on beef seems so gluttonous but tasted so good).

Tip: Don’t forget to save room for dessert! The ice-cream is made in-house and you can create a “custom” ice-cream sandwich from a choice of four types of cookies or a brownie.

Lunch

(I had a taste of each)

• Sliders – beef with spicy beef, special jambalaya with shrimp, andouille and rice with basil pesto (the only miss, was too salty and fishy), pork with mushroom, chicken with classic tomato
• Smash – chicken with basil pesto and mozzarella (my favorite)
• Side of white beans
• Special salad – arugula with asparagus and a creamy lemon vinagarette
• Market salad – arugula with apples
• House made tangerine, caramel and mint ice-cream with a ginger snap cookie on the side (We couldn’t come to a decision on a sandwich combination so ordered ala carte)

Good for: Meatballs, Endless Choices of Meatballs, Late Night Meatballs, Customizable Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Wednesday May 5th

12:30am
9 9th Avenue

After spending the evening across the street at the rooftop of the Gansevoort for a French Tuesdays party the group decided to grab one more drink before heading home. Pastis is not only a spot for classic French Bistro dining and brunch – it’s also got a great late night bar scene and the kitchen is open until 1am (2am on Thursday and Friday, 230 am on Saturday) featuring a paired down supper menu. The late night scene is dark and candle lit with a very laid back vibe. You can grab a seat at the bar if you’re looking to make new friends, or get a table if you’re looking to enjoy an order of Moules Frites or an omlette with fresh herbs. Owned by restaurateur Keith McNally chances are you’ve been to one of his other locations which include: Pravda, Balthazar, Schiller’s Liquor Bar (my personal favorite), Morandi and most recently Minetta Tavern. Pastis also offers outdoor seating, which in the Meatpacking District guarantees good people watching.

Cocktail

• Mojito – served in a tall glass over crushed ice with fresh mint, possibly the best one I’ve had in NYC

Good for: Late Night, Mojitos, Dine at the Bar, Outdoor Seating, Brunch, Dinner, Business Lunch, People Watching

Saturday May 1st

11pm
10 Little West 12th Street

A friend was visiting NYC for the weekend and wanted to meet up for drinks at a bar with a terrace or patio. My first thought was the Biergarten at The Standard, but judging from the line wrapped around the block clearly it wasn’t an original idea. I suggested Revel a block away – it’s always a nice oasis in the chaos of the Meat Packing District. It’s a dark, candle-lit, sexy little bar that’s not as pretentious as some of its neighbors. The long bar takes up most of the space making it easy to order a drink and grab a seat. The narrow space in the front opens out to a back courtyard with a retractable roof, creating a nice airy feeling while still being indoors. The crowd is usually a good mix and the bartenders pour a strong drink.

Cocktail

• Kettle One and Soda

Good for: Late Night, Groups, Singles, Low-Key in Meat Packing, Garden Seating

Saturday May 1st

5pm
757 Fulton Street (Brooklyn)

I’ve always heard the grilled corn and margaritas at Café Habana in Soho were amazing, but the small space makes for long lines and I’ve never ventured over for that reason. A friend invited me to the Habana Outpost in Brooklyn to enjoy a few afternoon margaritas on the outdoor patio– but the long lines seem to have found their way across the river. We arrived (a quick drive from downtown and accessible from the 2/3, 4/5 or C) and my friend explained there’s two lines – one for food orders and one for drinks and grilled corn. The crowd was spilled into the street waiting, and we got on line for drinks. It moved quickly – but not that quickly. They offer buckets of beer but not pitchers of drinks, which is surprising since Sangrias and Mojitos go so well in a pitcher. I’d recommend ordering two because you’re not going to want to get back in line anytime soon. When ordering food or grilled corn you’re given a ticket to take to the “truck” – a repurposed street food truck that resides on the back patio and serves as the kitchen. It’s important to take the ticket to the truck right away because the cooks are flooded with orders and they get cranky when you wait.

Note: Habana Outpost is an eco-eatery which means they’ve incorporated green practices into the construction and day-to-day operations, including solar panels and a rainwater collection system. They also have a “human bike blender” where pedaling the bike causes the blender’s blade to spin, eliminating the need for a motor. If you pedal you get a $1 discount – plus burn of some of the calories from the margaritas!

Drinks

• Frozen Margarita
• Frozen Mojito

Snack

• Mexican-style Grilled Corn – slathered with a creamy concoction (perhaps a blend of butter and mayonnaise), rolled in cojito cheese, topped with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and served with a lime wedge. It really is worth the wait!

Their famed grilled corn is worth the wait!

Frozen margarita and frozen mojito – so good they offer a drink that’s a blend of both.

Two lines form at the door – one for drinks & corn only, the other for food

Good for: Grilled Corn, Human-powered bike blender, Margaritas and Mojitos, Outdoor Seating

Friday April 30th

8:30pm

Pier 66 (W. 26th St. and West Side Highway)

A few friends were meeting up at the Frying Pan and it seemed like the perfect spot for drinks on a warm Spring night. It’s a bar on a boat that’s moored on the Hudson River, open seasonally from May through October. Maybe it’s just me, but I think the idea of drinking on a boat overlooking Manhattan is kind of brilliant. The boat is an old railroad car float that was originally used to transport cars between New York and New Jersey by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroads. It was refurbished to it’s current state (complete with restrooms and a kitchen) as a floating day-drinking oasis and opened to the public in the Summer of 2008. Prior to tonight I had only been there post-brunch on the weekends and found it a relaxing place to soak in the sun with friends, sharing a bucket of Coronas with lime. Tonight it the crowd was a little too young and a bit too frat-tastic for my liking, and my group agreed we’ll stick to the daytime. It was so crowded they ran out of limes, which made me (and my Corona) sad…

Tip: Ladies, this is a boat so it’s probably best to leave the heels at home (maybe next time I’ll take my own advice). For those of you downtown, catch the water taxi at the Seaport or Battery Park to West 26th Street.

GOOD FOR: DAY DRINKING, GROUPS, SINGLES, EVENT SPACE, LIVE MUSIC, OUTDOORS, FLOATING DIVE BAR

Sunday April 4th, 2010
1:30pm
146 Beekman Street

What better way to spend a sunny Easter Sunday than dining al fresco with an English Bulldog in tow. Fresh Salt seemed like a great option – there’s dog friendly outdoor seating (only a handful of tables) and a $10 prix-fixe brunch menu that features a choice of 9 entrees with a juice or coffee included. I’ve been here for lunch and the sandwiches are great, but brunch not so much. My omelette was completely overcooked (notice the golden brown hue in the photo below), as were my friend’s over-easy eggs (the yolk was just about fully cooked). The high point of the meal was my bloody mary, nice and spicy and served in a pint glass – however my friend’s mimosa was served in a small juice glass and cost $1 more than mine. The sunshine made up for it all, but I think next time I’ll stick to the daily happy hour  - from 4pm-8pm there’s $4 drafts and well drinks and $6 martinis and margaritas. The bar is open until 4am daily – a rarity in the Seaport area.

GOOD FOR: LUNCH, HAPPY HOUR, LATE NIGHT, OUTDOOR SEATING, NEIGHBORHOOD FAVORITE

Saturday April 3rd, 2010
3pm
35-33 36th Street

In anticipation of the (finally) warm and sunny weekend forecast a friend organized some day drinking fun at Studio Square in Astoria. Part outdoor beer garden with large communal picnic tables, part indoor bar with multiple TV’s playing sports, live music in the summer and part event space there’s something for everyone here. Aside from the nearly two dozens beer on tap there’s also pitchers of Sangria and vodka lemonade along with a small wine list and full bar. The grill menu features brats, hot dogs, burgers, chicken and pulled pork, but oddly enough there’s also a sushi menu. It’s a bit of a trip from lower Manhattan but the outdoor space and beer selection makes up for waiting on the weekend N train. As an extra treat someone brought a fruit tart from Martha’s Country Bakery, which proved to be a nice twist on beer and food pairing…

Beer (pitchers for the table)

• Sam Adams Cherry Wheat (seaonal)
• Blue Moon

GOOD FOR: OUTDOOR SPACE, EVENT SPACE, BEER SELECTION, LIVE MUSIC, LARGE GROUPS, SINGLES

Friday April 2nd, 2010
8pm
24 Peck Slip

A friend (also in FiDi) noticed that SUteiShi was running a special on Groupon and decided to take advantage of the offer. Four of us arrived around 8pm, and since the restaurant wasn’t accepting reservations this particular night we had to wait about 30 minutes for a table. The outdoor seating wasn’t up and running but there were a few tables out front which helped make the wait more comfortable. The exterior wall is glass and there’s a nice view of the Brooklyn Bridge from the front dining room. The interior is very modern and has an intimate atmosphere just steps away from the more chaotic and tourist driven area of the Seaport. Our waitress could have been a bit friendlier (and more attentive) but the sushi was well prepared and made up for the service. The prices are a little high, with some of the speciality rolls upwards of $15, but the quality and flavors make it worth the indulgence. For those in the neighborhood you can place an online order for delivery or pick-up through SeamlessWeb.

Dinner (shared by 4)

• Edamame
• Crunch East Roll – Avocado, Cucumber, Scallions, Spicy Salmon, Tempura flakes
• Triple Blossom – Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail, Gobo, Tobiko in Soybean Wrap
• King of NY – King Crab, Avocado, Mayo, Flying Fish Roe on top
• Dragon Roll – Eel and Avocado
• Hot Sake

GOOD FOR: SMALL GROUPS, DINNER WITH FRIENDS, DATE NIGHT, LUNCH, DELIVERY

Sunday March 28th, 2010
2pm
31-86 37 Street
A friend told me about a Croatian food and wine pairing at their favorite wine bar, Winegasm. I was intrigued, and at the cost of $45 for a 6 course pairing, couldn’t think of a better way to spend (yet another) rain soaked Sunday. Taking the train from lower Manhattan to Astoria should speak to the fact that it’s a great neighborhood gem. A long high-top communal table separates the bar from a few private tables, and in warmer weather the wall opens out to sidewalk seating. The owners are very knowledgeable and friendly, and the tastings are laid back. It feels like you’ve been invited to someone’s home for the afternoon. Rather than listening to someone speak about what you’re eating and drinking, each course was introduced briefly with the focus on enjoying. The wine was from the portfolios of Oenocentric and Vinum USA and the food was prepared by the owner’s mother – and nothing is better than “mom” food on a Sunday.

First Course:

• “Bakalar” – Adriatic cheese, prosciutto, and olive platter
• Wine: Toljanić Žlahtina 2008

Second Course:

• Octopus salad with potatoes
• Wine: Zlatan Hvar Pošip/Maraština Blend 2008

Third Course:

• Black squid ink risotto
• Wine: Bibich Debit 2008

Fourth Course:

• Ćevapi” - Lamb/Pork/Beef grilled sausage served with pita and red pepper tapenade
• Wine: Bibich Riserva Babich/Lasin/Plavina Blend 2006

Fifth Course:

• “Fuži” with veal sauce – Istrian bow tie pasta
• Wine: Lirica Plavac Mali 2007

Dessert:

• “Palačinke” and “Fritule” – carmel filled crêpe, bread dough fritters with powdered sugar
• Wine: Kozlović Muškat 2006

GOOD FOR: WINE BAR, WINE TASTINGS, CLASSES, DATE NIGHT, SMALL GROUPS, OUTDOOR SEATING, SMALL PLATES

Wednesday March 24, 2010
9pm
11 West 31st Street

The name says it all – wine and chocolate – but add in my third weakness, cheese, and this is easily one of my favorite places in NYC. The only downside is Ayza is a little geographically undesirable, situated in the odd nexus just between Midtown and Gramercy. The Wine Dutchess and I were in the area for a networking event and decided to stop in. The menu features cheese and charcuterie, salads, soups, panini, small plates, and  Jacques Torres chocolates alongside the regular dessert menu. The wine list by the glass isn’t very extensive but they do offer the option of a flight of red or whites. We were able to get a table outside, and even though the heaters were still going it was nice to be al fresco again.

Wine

• Cabernet Sauvignon, USA Heller, Organic, 2006

Cheese

• Manchego, Valdeon and Bucheron served with fresh berries, caper berries and guava paste

GOOD FOR: THE TRIFECTA OF WINE/CHEESE/CHOCOLATE, DATE NIGHT, SMALL GROUPS, OUTDOOR SEATING, PRIX-FIXE LUNCH