a brunch at South's

I set out to give a little tour of Lower Manhattan with two of my bridesmaids in town from Seattle. After several hours of snapping photos and shopping in Soho, we cut down the West Side into Tribeca to find sustenance. Souths welcomed us with a chalkboard outside advertising brunch until 5:00pm. The interior is warm with exposed brick and a long bar with raised edges.

We settled into three stools facing the street. Although the word is that the nachos are fantastic and piled high, we were more sold on the $13 brunch menu, which includes a cocktail. We collectively agreed that the smoked salmon benedict was the most appealing.

Large platters of perfectly poached eggs swimming in hollandaise were placed before us, we ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio to wash them down. The salmon came well portioned. The potatoes were spot on, allowing us to forgive the sad state of the fruit, which looked exhausted.

I don't think I'd return, but it was a decent find, on a whim. The bar keep's exchange with us was pleasant, mellow and laced with dry humor.

a brunch at Blaue Gans

We opened our Sunday morning by heading over to the finish line for the Tunnel to Towers Run (we plan to get involved next year!) Following our venture to cheer on firefighters -in full gear- running a 5K...we wandered to Tribeca in search of a new brunch venue.

Having an itch to observe Oktoberfest, we landed at Blaue Gans. Appropriately decorated with wooden blue geese, the venue hosts a communal feel with picnic tables outside and a wide bar with large square stools. The crowd was mixed, but heavily laced with children in strollers.

Chris requested a beer-- and I couldn't resist the Hungarian Paprika margarita. (A stunning cocktail! Light and subtly spiced. I had two.)   For our mains, I selected the Gravlax with arugula, cucumber and a dallop of cream cheese), Chris chose the  Weißwurst with Brezel (two white sausages with Austrian sweet mustard and a large pretzel).

Although you might expect food from Bavaria to be heavy, we found it to be filling, but not weighing us down. Quite satisfying, albeit a bit pricy for brunch ($80 after tax and tip).

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...

Pieces of My Weekend

I'm a little pink on my shoulders, a bit exhausted, well-fed and deeply satisfied. A good weekend, to be sure.

a brunch at Wolfgang's Tribeca

From Wolfgang Zweiner, a former head waiter at Peter Luger in Brooklyn, comes Wolfgang's Steakhouse in Tribeca. The vaulted ceilings and massive dining room were quite ideal for our large group. In the tradition of steakhouse decor, the venue is clad in mahogany, exposed brick and arched ceilings with mosaic tiles. We sipped thick bloody marys before transitioning to champagne with our meals.

While most at the table opted for the unadventurous caesar salad with grilled chicken, or the Beverly Hills salad ( romaine lettuce, fresh baby spinach, green peas, carrots, corn, cucumber red sweet pepper, red cabbage, hearts of palm, avocado, feta cheese with house vinaigrette), others opted for the steak sandwich. I teamed up with another at the table to share the jumbo lump crab cake and Yellowfin tuna with braised asparagus and wasabi. The crab cake was quite excellent- not needing the accompanying tartar sauce to enhance the flavor. The tuna came seared and in what I would consider a portion for three people. I finished about 1/4 of the total steak.

We ordered a few shared plates: cottage fries and bacon for seven. The cottage fries are giant oval slices (1/2 cm thick) fried and lightly salted. Fairly simple, they were a little addictive after a few bites. In the Peter Luger tradition, the Canadian bacon came sizzling and in extra thick slabs.

Though the meal was quite good, I would have preferred it later than Saturday Brunch time. Service: flawless.

Images: from my iPhone.

Ward III

Noted for the "bespoke," Ward III offers a blue print for designing your own cocktail. If you're not feeling the creative itch, the menu features several selections with an affinity for bitters, spice and spirits. Dark and amber fill the long bar. With vaulted ceilings and logo design reminescent of vintage sensationalist newspaper headlines- the venue rests somewhere between speakeasy and Tribeca charm. New York magazine notes, " classy lounge-cum-restaurant." Win.

The New American bar food menu features small and large plates, as well a lengthy list of rules. Patience is perhaps the best noted, given the care the bar keeps take in crafting libations, as well their "I'll get to you when I feel like it, and your smile and gratitude will not be acknowledged," attitude.


We sipped Sweeter Heaters (silver tequila, fresh lime, red pepper flake, muddled basil and white peppercorn). To compliment the tequila, we nibbled the guacamole and house made chips. The recipe is extremely creamy, which I typically wouldn't care for, but well matched to our cocktail choice. For our second course, we shared the Mac & Cheese with "unpretentious" elbow pasta, cheddar sauce and crispy bread crumb topping. The dish is relatively bland, and the topping a bit too oily, but comforting.



Images: NY Mag

a dinner at Landmarc: Tribeca

Having loved the Columbus Circle location, it wasn't difficult to get me into Landmarc Tribeca, for dinner. Much smaller, the duplex style dining room is clad in slate grey plank wood ceilings, exposed brick and champagne lighting. We ordered a bottle of Merlot to suit our steak craving and sank back in our booth.

The menu is American Nouveau with bunny trails in French and trattoria. We decided to get three smalls plates and one entree to share. The French Onion soup is a no-brainer- thick with gruyere and chunks of caramelized onion and baguette- the bowl is pitch perfect. Next the grilled octopus salad with potatoes, onion and chorizo vinaigrette and the endive salad with walnuts, crumbled blue cheese and sherry vinaigrette. Both were quite good, though endive would have been improved if it hadn't been chopped. The octopus is inspiring- shouldn't it always be served with chorizo?

Our finale, the fillet mignon with fries and dressed field greens, come in a heap with the chimichurri sauce. We requested medium-rare, which suited the buttery cut. The chimichurri had oil as the overwhelmingly dominant ingredient, a detail which I forgave as my pre-dinner Kir Royals and Merlot buzz weighed heavy on my appreciation.

Images: Venue Pages, NYMag

take cocktails at Anotheroom

It's been my habit, in the past few weeks, to wander out of the Financial District and into Tribeca. The dining and cocktail scene is a bit more mellow and typically more satisfying than the heavy plates served up to the Wall Street crew. Anotheroom surprised me with a few modest picnic tables outside and a contrasting deep, dark interior. Although it's noted as an after work spot- the concrete floors, slate bar and tattered chairs looked to appeal to youngish doting couples.

The high velvet couches and corner nooks are well-matched to the candlelit atmosphere- as well the chalkboard menu with tidy lists of European beers, domestics and wine. I sipped Kir Royals and my company a few different Belgian beers. The bar keep worked quietly, efficiently and seemed to tend to his DJ duties more (a welcome trait, considering those couples were more interested in batting eyelashes). Though when we requested a Sea Dog Pugsley Brewing blueberry ale, he noted, "This is a good beer for smelling. It's like pie." And it was.

On the play list: John Lennon, Silver Jews and Elbow. Sexy, no?

Images: NY Mag

a dinner at Industria Argentina

From Stefano Villa, owner of Azul and Novecento, comes Tribeca's Industria Argentina. The cuisine is Ital-Argentinean and the interior is by, well, read for yourself from a note sent to Daily Candy:

...the Industry Argentine people (greenwich at duane) built this restaurant on the total sly. i live on the block and i'd always see the workers sneaking in and out through a roll-up door. no permits were ever posted and then one day it was open!

is this common? it certainly was not above-board.

The things people do to open a restaurant in this town.

We stumbled in after wandering out of the Financial District in search of dinner- something new, something to suit the cooling August air. We initially passed Industria, then snaked back as it seemed the warmest and most appetizing. With twig fringed art, massive tapestries and giant cream colored lanterns, the dining room is a mix of rustic comfort and stylish Manhattan. We ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and nibbled warm house made bread with pesto infused butter- while putting together our menu.


Rather than opt for the hefty three-course restaurant week offering, we decided to share three small plates:

We felt it only appropriate to try the Empanadas Salentes. Flaky and baked, we selected the hand cut beef and chicken with potatoes. Both were tasty, but the beef stole the show with the moist texture and gorgeous mix of south American herbs. For our next plate, we requested the spicy chorizo. As we cut inside, a bright red interior exposed itself. Absolutely spot on in flavor and texture, it fell apart and melted in my mouth. To boot, the chimichurri sauce spoke to the regional cuisine's specialty. Served with dressed greens, the dish is well-balanced. For our third dish, we leaned over a massive bowl of Mejillones Provenzal: mussels steamed in white wine and garlic. I found the seafood to be a bit fishy, but that could be attributed to the region- as they were from Prince Edward Island. The three dishes were more food than we could possibly consume, but the servers didn't bat an eye as we took over two hours to nibble in the empty dining room.

Given the quality, graciousness of the servers and gorgeous dining room, it difficult to say why the venue wasn't packed. Perhaps Mondays aren't as attractive to diners in this neighborhood. It certainly seems targeted to locals, rather than those seeking a destination-dining experience.

Image: NY Eater

a brunch at Kitchenette

Before the brunch crowds descended on Tribeca's Kitchenette, we shuffled through the glass door, to be greeted by a few smiling faces and scads of Candyland-style bright bakery treats. A buzz of servers clad in handkerchiefs stirred up a bit of collegiate nostalgia- as they could have been in any of the cafes surrounding my liberal arts university- with their earthy, make-up free faces (I was noted as an anomaly at the school for wearing pumps to the bars!)

The room consists of pastels, polka dots and old doors painted and encased in glass for tables. The theme lends you to believe you might be in the country home of you eccentric great aunt (which she shares with her eight cats). A few jars of water were set before us, as well a larger jar of iced coffee. With all this in mind, I decided to make simple choices, rather than look for items which offer unique twists.

From the griddle, my partner chose the French toast with scrambled eggs and bacon. Served in a heap of delicious, bacon a whipped butter with strawberry completed the classic breakfast platter. I decided on the artichoke and tomato omelet with cheesy southern-style grits. Dressed in a savory and satisfyingly fatty pesto, I'd have to say this was a pretty delicious brunch after a night of drinking wine. Not to neglect the biscuit! Homemade and served warm with more of the whipped strawberry butter, I probably could have filled my pocketbook with them and nibbled all afternoon!







Images: NY Mag, the food: from my iPhone.

a dinner at Flor de Sol

Within the cavernous dark dining room, we settled ourselves between the red curtains and iron chandeliers of Flor de Sol. Although the seductive tapas spot is located in celeb-saturated Tribeca, it tends to attract Wall Street social climbers, rather than the Hollywood vanguard. We shared a large pitcher of Sangria Blanco and nibbled on bread with extra virgin olive oil while putting together our thoughts on small plates for sharing. I had a few ideas, but it had been three years since I had last dined at this venue. One thing was certain- the seamless and unobtrusive service remained consistent with the familiar Bossa Nova soundtrack.

For our group of four, we chose six plates to begin:

Ceviche de Carmarones: shrimp marinated and lemon and lime juices. Fresh and with ripe tomatoes, the dish was pitch perfect for a balmy summer night.

Jamon Importado: cured and thinly sliced- the buttery ham came garnished with green olives and grape tomatoes.

Croquettes de Pollo: deep fried, the melty chicken flecked center would not be my first choice, but they were popular with the rest of my group- in particular, my Southern bred friend.

Calamares Romano: deep fried squid with marinara dipping sauce. All rings, the tentacle-free plate was surprisingly light.

Pulpa a la Fiera: Octopus sliced and simmered in spanish olive oil, paprika and parsley. A gorgeous presentation- neat and lined up in a filled in circle, the meat came expertly prepared in terms of the texture and marriage of spices.

Chorizo with Jalapenos: an evening special, this was my favorite dish with the smokey and spicy sausage juices flavoring the sauteed peppers.

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Given the generous portions for a tapas-themed venue, it came as a surprise that others at the table were in interested in perusing the dessert menu. I followed suit with my side of the table- tawny port, over sweets- the other side of the table requested a chocolate tart and spanish creme brulee. The port was lovely and an appropriate punctuation. The chocolate tart tasted pre-frozen and the whipped cream garish clearly originated from a store-bought can. Regardless, it was enjoyed by a few. The creme is something that I would have typically chosen for myself, ergo, it garnered my affection.






Image: Taste Spotting