Cacio e Pepe: After hearing about this restaurant several times from friends and seeing a special offer for it on Scoutmob (50% off, which is valid until 4/7), we decided to give it a try. We were blown away by the friendliness of the staff, the quality and authenticity of the food, and the portion sizes. Highly recommend for a romantic East Village dinner or even for a group get together (although it's very small, so you should make an OpenTable rez). Our favorites, pictured below, were the special scallops with red and yellow pepper sauce, and the house pasta, which is doused in cheese and peppercorns and served table side from a cheese wheel!
The Orient Express: @jerpdavis took me here for drinks before dinner on Valentine's day. I tried one house champagne cocktail (La Femme Fatale) and another that the bartender formulated on the spot. This venue is a more casual type of speakeasy - feels very 1920's and looks like the inside of a railroad car. I recommend for pre- or post-dinner cocktails if you're in the West Village.
El Faro: My father has been eating at this restaurant for 40 years and I've been eating at it for 20 (we're originally from NY and ate at this restaurant every time we came back for a visit). It's authentic Spanish food at its finest. Always go for "La Gigante" sangria and the shrimp ajillo. My favorite entree is the chicken villeroy. (All pictured below). Count on leftovers!
One if By Land, Two if by Sea: We went back here to try more desserts. I'm just going to let you know the souffle was not all it's cracked up to be. If you're in the West Village and have a craving, go to Perilla instead. It's my fave souffle in the city.
Poco: Tried this spot for an AYCD brunch. It wasn't what I was expecting, which was Spanish food. The food selections seemed limited and I did not care for the Bloody Mary's. I stuck with Mimosas instead. If you're going to go here for brunch, I suggest a change of plans to Diablo Royale Este on 10th St and Ave A. I have been here for dinner in the past, though, and remember the lobster mac and cheese being really good. They also seem to have good nightly specials.
Marea: I'm new to seafood and LOVED this restaurant. @jerpdavis brought me here for a surprise lunch date last week. I'm sure it's delicious and wonderful for dinner, but I have to say lunch was extremely enjoyable, especially given the light nature of the food and "under the sea" feel of the restaurant. Two courses for $42, plus they have great cocktail, wine and dessert lists. Highlights, pictured below, included @jerpdavis' scallop entree, my snapper entree, and the Caramello dessert.
The Oak Room: After Marea we wanted to find a place for a nice cocktail. First we checked out the rooftop bar at the Peninsula hotel, but needless to say, it was freezing. We'll go back in the summer. Then we went by the Four Seasons, but decided that if we were going to spend $20 on a martini, we'd like to be somewhere a little more exciting. We ended up at the classic Oak Room at The Plaza. I had a feeling when we walked in and saw the crowds of tourists that we were going to be disappointed, but because it's a "classic" and all, I wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately my hunch was correct. After waiting 10 minutes for a table I got a champagne cocktail that was more juice than anything. Overall I understand of the appeal of this place, but from now on I want to stick to our old reliable, Gilt at The Palace.
Eataly: I went on what I call an "overview" trip to Eataly. I say overview because I definitely only scratched the surface of what this place (ahem, Heaven) has to offer. I went with @sonyasaurus with the intention of just having lunch. We did have lunch at the vegetarian restaurant (tried the special of the day: vegetable panini and vegetable puree soup - awesome), but did not stop there. I ended up purchasing fresh butternut squash ravioli and baby Brussels sprouts. Needless to say, @jerpdavis greatly enjoyed his dinner that night.
Riverpark: Our three year anniversary was celebrated at Tom Colicchio's latest venture. Once you get to the restaurant it's as delightful as you would expect, but the trouble is actually finding it! If you're going to go there, tell your cab driver to approach 29th St. by driving north on 1st Ave. He'll see that this end of 29th St. really does go east, and he just needs to drive through the entrance, which is manned by security guards. As for the food, they were only serving the RW menu when we visited, so we're definitely going to go back for the full menu. Likely in the summer when we'll be able to sit outside by the water.
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