Katz's Delicatessen

For all the years I've been living in New York City, I'm embarassed to admit that last Saturday night was my first trip to Katz' Delicatessen.  A little tipsy from a day filled with Santacon activities, we decided to pop in for a filling and comforting meal.

Established in 1888 by a Russian immigrant family, the delicatessen is New York's oldest- and the only shop to hand carve all of their pastrami and corned beef. We peered over the counter and asked a warmly smiling man for pastrami on rye and accepted his offer of pickles. He dropped some meat on a plate for us to nibble on, as he stacked our sandwich. We also snagged a side of potato salad and a Brooklyn lager.

Chris probably could have eaten the entire sandwich, but it was more than enough for the two of us to share. The pickles are fantastic: each sandwich is served with one half-sour, one full-sour, halved. Over a middle table hangs a sign noting the spot Where Harry Met Sally. Also notable Bill Clinton is a fan. Definitely check out the wall of photos!

a brunch at Saro

We wandered up into the Lower East Side with no specific plan and our rumbling stomachs.  After stopping in for the best bloody mary in the city, we rounded the corner to Norfolk Street, noticing a sign for a Balkan Bistro.

We peered into Saro, quickly agreeing to be tucked into a table within the tiny space. I counted 16 seats, a handful more at the bar, within the gold ceiling and walls laced with gold toile. The menu is boasted as "comfort food from long lost empires," with notes of Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empire cuisine.

Ball jars with red peppers and grandmother's mismatched plates pepper the tables. We requested a few glasses of champagne with house made juices. Sweet and refreshing, the daily offerings were pear with clove and watermelon.

While perusing the menu, our waitress offered us warm, house made doughnut holes. The cinnamon-sugar dressed pastry are impressively light.

My fiance selected the Savory Pie of the day: ricotta and spinach with pepper compote, dressed greens and a glass of kefir. The pastry came flaky and the greens  slightly tangy.

For myself, the Benedict with smoked bacon and short rib hash. In place of a traditional english muffin, the eggs rested on toasted sourdough. The bread was spot on for sopping up the delicious hollandaise and expertly poached eggs. Short rib hash: spectacular. The tender meat engaged well with the soft potatoes and onion.

I was delighted to have chef/owner Eran Elhalal greet us as we nibbled. His warm smile was quite genuine. The labor of love is well defined in the quality of the dishes. I'd like to return to sample the dinner menu.

a brunch at Hecho en Dumbo

A Recent Manhattan transplant, Hecho en Dumbo is a name that has been in the back of my mind for a few years now. Having read a number of positive reviews, I was anxious to sample the traditional Mexico City menu. 

We entered the open-air venue, and settled at the bar. The interior is basic with weathered wood and low light. The brunch menu includes a free cocktail with entree for $17. Chris ordered the tequila-based bloody mary with spiced rim and cucumber. For myself, the margarita with silver tequila and fresh squeezed lime juice.

For our mains, I leaned to the Heuvos Divoriados (two eggs- split with a line of pureed black beans/cojita, one side chile serrano salso verde, the other in salsa ranchero)  he selected the Pozole Rojo (hearty free-range pork and hominy soup with radish, oregano and chiles guajillo). A tray of salsas was also offered for dressing our plates.

It's quite obvious that the chef pays extraordinary detail to the quality of ingredients he uses. The dishes were fresh and comforting. At roughly $70 for two (we had a second round of cocktails), its a bit steep for brunch. I'd be interested in returning for a date night.

Pieces of My Weekend

Mani/Pedi/Massage

Cab to Meatpacking- Standard Hotel

Dinner at Kafana, Lower East Side

Ground Zero

Financial District

Financial District

Dinner at Home

Family Cuddle

Independence Day

Independence Day

Bar 169, Lower East Side

Tribeca

Lower East Side

SoHo

SoHo

Pickle Martini

Fireworks on our Roof Deck

Empire in Red, White & Blue

Life is good. Did you have lovely weekend? I realized tonight, that living in New York, is seeing the fireworks at eye-level and below...

Lower East Side Weekend, a photo series

The Lower East Side is one of my favorite places to take photos. The environment is vibrant and constantly evolving. View more of my recent photos on my Flickr page.

a brunch at Essex

You can't really say anything negative about noon cocktails on Sunday- something Essex has to a tee. We settled in at the bar, a strategic move- having taken in the bustle of hipsters not yet migrated to Williamsburg.


The loft-like venue has two balconies overlooking the main floor with industrial white walls, black wire shelves and painted tennis balls for decor.The menu is best described as Jewish-Latin fusion with items such as Matzo Brei with jalapeno or pico de gallo. A charming offering of complimentary espresso, tea and soda are boasted until noon on Sundays, in countdown for the legal right to drink.

Along side our three complimentary bloody marys each (mimosas or screwdrivers are also offered), we had the gravilox benedict and Artistocrat (lox over a potato pancake with caviar, two poached eggs and dressed greens). The dishes ae about what you'd expect, the eggs were hard, rather than soft poached, but pretty good. I do have to say that the gravilox was quite good- several notches above what you might pick up at the local market.

a brunch at Freeman's

Moderately obscure in location, Freeman's is located at the end of an alley, on the Lower East Side. A detail- which does not throw hipsters off the trail. The space is clad in toasty lighting and an impressive amount of taxidermy.

At 11:45am on a Sunday, there were no longer tables available, though both bars (yes! two bars!) had seats. We settled in the back and waited until the clock to hit 12:00pm on the dot to order cocktails.

We opened our meal with hot artichoke dip: cheesy and well-matched to the crunchy and warm sourdough slices, the dish is incredibly comforting. We slugged down our first round of Freeman bloodys, garnished with tangy caper berries.

For our main, we shared the egg white bake with herbs, goat cheese and asparagus. There was a surprise of minty flavor, which was welcome and well-contrasted to our side of crunchy bacon. For our second round of drinks, I sipped a frothy concoction of Pimm's, Gin and citrus juices.

Lower East Side, 1980

From photographer Jamel Shabzz.

Libation

In preparing for my post on Libation, I couldn't decide whether to pull the inferior quality photos from the facebook album of the event, or to dip into other online sources...then I found this video on Libation's official web page. Videos are cooler, right? What it doesn't show is the third-floor walk-up to the private room, the unisex bathroom with arguably seedy male attendant (I'd like my dollar tip back, I can dry my own hands) or the trays of food: artisan cheese, hummus with pita, skewers with steak, prawns, chicken and marinated vegetables. The food was decent given my low expectations. Duly noted that the goat cheese actively excited one friend, "I want to put this in my purse!"

Coupled with a DJ and bottle service options, this micro experience of a club is a good option for a birthday or bachelor party, as well I've heard that corporate holiday parties are also hosted in the private rooms. Admittedly, we did break out in dance, or at least I did with a number of others. And(!) my college staple, Andre, is served. Nothing wrong with stirring up a little collegiate enthusiasm. This was a Triple Birthday Mega-Jam, after all.

Trivia Night at Dempsey's

The prospect of grabbing a cab on Water Street was looking a little grim last night- we got a little savage and- justified that if you're not on the ball- you don't deserve that cab. There's a time to be polite, and a time to get to Trivia Night at Dempsey's.

We arrived to the venue burgeoning with 20-somethings in quintessentially Lower East Side attire. The scent of warm pub fare matched the already pinking cheeks of the patrons. Our large group squeezed into a booth towards the back.

Attentive and jovial cocktail servers kept our table filled with drinks, nachos, wings and large plates of fries (with four dipping sauces!) throughout the five rounds of extremely detailed trivia. The prizes included a documentary on sperm and another DVD described as mildly pornographic. I'll show up next week: hands down.

The Back Room

The hidden entrance of tattered brick enclosure charmed me as I pushed through the cold and into the velvet paisley walls and copper ceilings. Low set couches, a light buzz of voices and coat check girl engorged in a heavy novel set the pace of The Back Room.


Cocktails are served in tea cups- a throw back to Prohibition Era. Bottle service is offered...and it secures your seats. If you're into the Speakeasy scene, you may also enjoy The East Side Bar Company and Little Branch.

Images <via>

Boss Tweed Tavern

With countless nightlife options sprinkling the Lower East Side, we departed our Speak Easy without a plan. Welcome to the Johnson's offered a homespun temptation, but appeared a bit too hectic for the hour. We rerouted toward Spitzers corner only to be accosted by mildly haggered promo girl (bless her, it's below freezing out!). "Free alcohol!"

"Where? Indulged me"

"Boss Tweed! Take a flyer and for your friends too. Buy one, get one. I'll walk you there so you don't get lost."

The five of us shuffled into the dive and sloshed about: beer pong, piles of winter coats, $3 beers and $5 wells. We ordered a few vodka sodas and a a few beers: $8 total. Brilliant.

Well, I'll be back. Where else can I drink after paying rent?

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take an apertif at Ella

After a warm meal, I settled into Ella to close the evening. Although the empty ceilings left a empty feeling upon entering, the comfy couches and eclectic colors beg you to settle. I sipped on the LES Cocktail (it seemed appropriate!). Mint, muddled cucumbers, simple syrup, St. Germain and gin came served up to my table. The flecks of mint aimlessly floated in the martini glass: heaven. Head here after a good dinner with someone you'd like to squeeze.

a dinner at Yerba Buena

Falling out of a cab and shuffling into Yerba Buena, I found myself warmly greeted by a handsome man tucking me into a seat- as he removed my jacket. A good start. I ordered the Azteca- in waiting for my company to arrive. The sleek cocktail is composed of Lunazal tequila, St. Germain, yellow chartreuse and fresh lime juice. Absolutely divine. When my dining partner pushed in, he selected the Mojito: Flor de Cana 7 rum, mint leaves demarara syrup and fresh lime. It's difficult to shy away from well-selected liquor and top-notch juices. At mid-point through our cocktails, we requested a corner table.

For sustenance, we decided to share three plates. From the Frios: Ceviche Mixto with shrimp, octopus, crawfish, clams, red onion, rocoto, cilantro and maiz cancho. Superb in freshness and firm textures. The dish was appropriately served before our two Bontanas plates. Our second (shared plates) course involved the Empanadas and the Tacos de Pescado. The Empanadas came golden brown with chicken tinga, sirloin picadillo and chimichurri sauce for dressing. Without the sauce for garnish, the Empanadas would have been quite disappointing- regardless, my dining partner seemed satisfied. I found the Tacos de Pescado to be quite refreshing in their make-up of crispy tilapia, baja style jimica, cabbage and chipotle slaw. The crunchy and subtle jimica added a bit of interest beyond your typical fish taco.

Excellent Southwestern food is often difficult to come by, I certainly plan to return to Yerba Buena.

images: latina.com, cherry patter

Sunday Lower East, a photo series

ludow

fat baby fancy

to the left.

layered.

brick red

move.