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

Saturday April 3rd, 2010
6:30pm
211 Avenue A

After leaving Studio Square I returned to the City (back to my comfort zone below 23rd Street) and headed for Drop Off Service to meet a friend for birthday drinks. The name pays homage to the fact that this space was once a laundromat, now transformed into bar that features over 20 beers on tap. There’s also a full bar and a few speciality cocktails including classics such as a Sweet and Spicy Margarita, Dark and Stormy and Pimm’s Cup. This is a dog-friendly establishment and there’s often a rogue dog or two running roaming around. My biggest complaint is the bathrooms – there are only two dimly lit (and over-used) closet-like spaces to choose from. This bar can pack a large crowd which can result in very long lines. On the upside it’s a laid back space and a good go-to neighborhood bar. There’s no kitchen but the Tuck Shop makes daily deliveries of Meat Pies and Sausage Rolls, perhaps making it a boy-friendly bar as well.

GOOD FOR: DOG FRIENDLY, BEER SELECTION, GROUPS, NEIGHBORHOOD FAVORITE, TUCK SHOP SNACKS, HAPPY HOUR

Tuesday March 16, 2010
11pm
349 Broome Street

After dinner I wanted to take advantage of the proximity to Bowery and suggested drinks at The Randolph. The ATM machine next to a dark wooden door (a recurring theme of the night) is the only indication of an entrance, so it should come as no surprise it was started by Milk & Honey alum. It’s fairly low-key on a Tuesday night but on the weekends it packs a good crowd. The space is fairly small with seating at the bar or at one of the few booths along the far wall. The cocktail menu changes seasonally or you can have the bartender craft a drink for you. I opted for both and the bartender liked “my” drink so much  (I only hinted that I liked ginger) that he wrote down the recipe and with the intention of adding it to the menu.

Spring Cocktail Menu

• Castaway - Gin, mint, cucumber, ginger, fresh lemon

Bartender’s Choice

• (Name TBD) –  Gin, Grapefruit Juice, Bitters, Honey, Ginger, Topped with Champagne

Good for: Cocktails, Pre or Post dinner drinks, Small groups, Date night, late night

Tuesday March 16, 2010
8pm
95 Allen Street (at Broome Street)

I don’t usually frequent many Italian restaurants since I tend to cook a lot of Italian food at home. When given the opportunity to select the restaurant for the night  it was time to delve into the  “list”. Sorella seemed promising – located in the LES and a little off the radar – the menu piqued my interested with small plates and a nice selection of wine. The restaurant isn’t on OpenTable so you’ll need to call ahead for a reservation (the dining room only seats about 20), or grab a seat at the bar or the communal table in the front. It should be noted that 95 Allen Street shares the same address as a residential apartment building, just look for the dark wooden door, dim lighting, and namesake signage (right next to the red graffiti door). The service was attentive, the food was well done in flavor and presentation, and the atmosphere was intimate with a laid back vibe.

Dinner (shared)

1^st course

• Hearst Ranch Beef Carne Cruda - cavalo nero, parmesan, lemon aioli, crispy shallots
• Gnocchi - cream sauce, brown butter pears, chives

2^nd course

• Beet Risotto - with prosiutto
• Agnolotti - beef, parmesan, sage butter

Wine Pairing:

• Garbay Rosé

Desert

• Chocolate Cheesecake – served with a hazelenut crisp and a thin chocolate coating

Good for: date night, small plates, wine, small groups

Thursday March 11, 2010
7:00pm
105 Rivington Street

The charity group I belong to, the WGIRLS NYC, was hosting their Ties & Tiaras fund-raiser at The Hotel on Rivington’s newest lounge CV (formerly 105 Rivington). The first hour was open bar, so we all descended upon it to enjoy our complimentary well drinks. Around 8pm we actually reached capacity and guests were directed to LevantEast next door to have a drink until the crowd thinned out a bit. The bar itself is rather small, however there’s a small step (should be noted because it’s easy to miss it) that leads to a main floor lined with tables and seating with a DJ booth tucked into the back. There are only two restrooms (unisex, a peeve of mine) but considering the amount of people the wait wasn’t that long. After the open bar ended drinks were a bit pricey ($15 for top shelf). The space is intimate and decorated with a vintage style wallpaper – all in all it was a great venue to host a private event.

Cocktail:

• Kettle One and soda

Good for: Trendy, Private Events