Take a Stroll Down Greenwich Avenue

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Cary

Greenwich Avenue is most definitely one of the city’s shorter streets–it runs for only a few blocks from 6th Ave. and West 8th to 8th Ave. and West 13th at Jackson Square. (Got that? Good.) But apparently good things can come in short packages.

Check out the Jefferson Market Garden on Greenwich between 6th Ave. and West 10th–a true oasis in the middle of the bustling Village. A selection of children’s activities and community events are held throughout the summer. (The rose garden should be blooming right about now.)

The Meatball Shop at #64 sells seriously delicious meatballs of all sorts: beef, pork, veggie or chicken. Pick your protein, pair it with one of their yummy sauces and you’ll be singing the praises of whoever dreamed up the idea to make these little meat and cheese laden globs of goodness. (She or he was a genius, I tell you!)

At #121, Otte sells hip clothing and accessories from the biggest designers du jour like Rag & Bone, Alexander Wang and Vanessa Bruno. It’s a wee expensive for my taste. I’m more apt to go to Star Struck Vintage at #47 for used, vintage and consignment duds. There are lots of gently used pieces from fancypants designers like Gucci and Christian Dior, but you can also pick up cheap stuff like men’s Hawaiian and bowling shirts. I’m not suggesting that you should, mind you, but it’s nice to know that you can.

Save Khaki at #112 is a New York-based company that, “brings new life to menswear basics through fit, feel, and color, with a streamlined, contemporary touch.” The clothes look basic but tasteful, and I didn’t blanch at the prices.

Here’s one you won’t see outside of the city: the NYC Firestore at #17, is a shop that carries anything and everything, at least apparel-wise, that NYC firefighters–and the people who admire them–could possibly want: T-shirts, patches, Christmas ornaments–all emblazoned with the FDNY logo. And of course firemen calendars!

If you’re feeling like some British grub, hit Tea & Sympathy at #108. Bangers and mash, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, Shepherd’s pie, treacle pudding–all the basics. And get this–the owners have refurbished a black London cab that they rent out for weddings, photo shoots and the like. Sadly, the oh-so-knowledgeable British cab driver does not come with the rental.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Have You Been To The Ear Inn?

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Cary

Everyone knows many of the city’s oldest taverns: McSorley’s, Fraunces, The White Horse…but few visitors may know the Ear Inn. Erected in the late 18th Century by James Brown (no, not that one), an aide to Washington during the revolution, the house now has landmark status, and is one of the few remaining examples of Federal architecture in the city.

Through the years it’s alternately been a haven for thirsty sailors, a boarding house, a speakeasy during the days of Prohibition, a smuggler’s den and a brothel. Women (clearly other than ladies of the night) were not allowed for decades.

Flash forward to 1977: the new resident-owners christened the place the “Ear Inn”. That strange name? It was chosen to bypass the Landmark Commission’s lengthy review of any new sign. (Bureaucracy is still alive and well, thankyouverymuch.) To skip the red tape, the neon “BAR” sign was simply painted over to read “EAR”.

Now, surrounded by dusty tchotchkes, you can swill a pint or sip a whiskey or a glass of wine. Then tuck into a full, reasonably priced menu–burgers, mussels, Caesar salad, chili, steaks and the like. The fun part? Your neighbor chowing down may be a biker, a teamster, a doctor or an artist or…who knows?

Plus you can hear music on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday from midnight on. (Or as the website says, 11:59.) You can find traditional blues, jazz and, my personal fave, “weirdo country music”.

Check it out!

The Ear Inn – 326 Spring St. NY, NY (212 226-9060)

Dinner For Two

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Cary

Chef Yoel Cruz and consulting pastry chef John Cheng have revealed their Valentine’s Day prix-fixe menu. Feast your eyes and tummies buy cialis online on this:

For the first course, there is a choice of:

RAW OYSTER TRIO
malpeque, yaquina and wellfleet

MINI LOBSTER & CRAB CAKE
seaweed salad and thai coconut curry sauce

EGGPLANT ROLLATINI
ricotta & manchego cheese, orzo, roasted tomato & basil sauce

Next, you can select one of these:

ROASTED TOMATO SOUP
grilled shrimp, crispy potatoes

CORN CHOWDER
peppers, crab meat, cumin foam

KALE SALAD
hubbard squash, gala apples, manchego cheese, roasted pumpkin seeds, cider vinaigrette

RADICCHIO & BOSTON LETTUCE SALAD
roasted beets, goat cheese, honey spiced pecans, blue cheese dressing

TUNA TARTARE
avocado, ginger crudo vegetables, lemon-lime vinaigrette

PAN SEARED FOIE GRAS
roasted butternut squash, apple & celery salad, grand marnier sauce

Put down your fork for a minute before moving on to one of the following entrees:

FILET MIGNON AU POIVRE
grilled vidalia onion, steak cut fries, spicy mustard, bourbon au jus

ROASTED PEKIN DUCK BREAST
sautéed shiitake mushrooms, pea greens, soba noodles, kumquat & tamarind sauce

SEARED VENISON
swiss chard, herb späzle and roasted beet au jus

HERB CRUSTED RACK OF LAMB
brussels sprouts with bacon, potato leek galette, rosemary au jus

ROASTED LOBSTER
rice noodles, vegetables, thai curry, lemon grass broth

GRILLED MONKFISH
baby vegetables in saffron broth, red bliss potatoes, tomato aïoli

And, of course, you can’t forget dessert. There’s a choice of pumpkin cheesecake, key lime pie, mocha bread pudding, butterscotch creme brulee or a red velvet chocolate heart for two. (Personally, I would order the latter and pray to God that my partner was full, but that’s just me.)

Four courses for $55 per person…a seriously great deal on one of the biggest dining out nights of the year! Call 212-254-1200 now for your reservations…or click on the “Feed Me” button above.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

We Love Our Guests

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Cary

My hubby and I decided to hit the jazz brunch in the North Square Lounge yesterday afternoon. Why? Because performing this week were the Roz Corral Trio, with Freddie Bryant on guitar, Santi Debriano on bass and Ms. Corral on vocals and they swing…that’s why.

In between lamenting to my spouse the buy viagra online fact that I have no–and I mean zero–musical talent (he did not disagree), tossing back mimosas and scarfing down eggs benedict, I struck up a fun conversation with the couple sitting next to us, Denise and Phil Corsello. The Corsellos hail from Long Island and were celebrating Phil’s birthday weekend in Manhattan.

The duo had come in to the city the night before to catch a play (Perfect Crime, which they gave a thumbs up) and were wrapping up Phil’s multi-day birthday fete with steak and eggs and omelets and be-bop. We had a blast chatting about life, snapping pictures of each other and trying to figure out how in the world to use the new I-phone. (Seriously.)

Denise (l), Phil (r), Guy eating french fry (c)

Hope you had a happy birthday, Phil! We hope you both come back soon!

What's Going On, Ronnie?

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Cary

Ronnie’s got some great tips for everyone. Listen up!

He reminded me that today is the 100th anniversary of Grand Central so there’s a lot going on in the buy cialis online terminal. There will be music and dance performances in the main concourse from various groups, including the Knicks City Dancers and Grammy award-winning big band Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks.

Sounds nice, but the thing that excites me is that shops and restaurants are rolling back their prices on some items back to 1913: The Oyster Bar is offering 19 cent slices of cheesecake. 6 cents will get you a loaf of rye from Zaro’s. $2 for silk scarves at TOTO. And plop down 75 cents and you can sip an Adirondack cocktail at Michael Jordan’s The Steak House.

Plus there will be lots of sponsored giveaways like spring rolls from Pescatore, vintage train whistles from Target and VIA Ready Brew from Starbucks.

Another Ronnie tip…breakfast pizza at Pulino’s Bar and Pizzeria on Bowery at Houston. Breakfast pizza, people. Nutella pizza with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and yes, that hazelnut nectar of the gods, nutella. Spinachi pizza with eggs, spinach, mozzarella, creme fraiche and grana. Breakfast. Pizza. People.

And last, but certainly not least is Porchetta in the East Village. Ronnie lost his mind when he ate there and reports that the slow-cooked pork sandwiches with Italian seasoning are off the hook! And only ten bucks!

Porcine goodness yours for 10 clams.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Restaurant Week, Part Deux

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Cary

I’ve already posted about Chef Yoel’s first menu for Restaurant Week, but he’s switching it up. Here’s a bit of what the chef has got in store for the next phase of the promotion–January 17th and 18th.

For lunch, diners get a choice of wild mushroom soup, marinated grilled shrimp and winter vegetable salad for appetizers. Entrees are

either grilled scallops, Cobb salad or braised lamb quesadilla. Dessert is a choice of mocha bread pudding, warm Granny Smith apple and cranberry crumble or chocolate cream pie. All for 25 bucks.

The dinner selections make me, and my stomach, ridiculously happy. Again Yoel has wild mushroom soup for an app…or arugula salad or grilled quail. (Special note: the quail is insanely good.)

Entrees will be braised short ribs, seared monkfish or pan roasted free range chicken breast.

Desserts include the chocolate cream pie, plus butterscotch creme brulee and pumpkin cheesecake.

Make your reservations now, people! And get the quail. Seriously.

Restaurant Week Is A Comin'

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Cary

Restaurant Week(s?) is starting next Monday and North Square’s Chef Yoel Cruz is all prepared with at least three different menus to serve throughout the promotion.

Do other restaurants provide more than one menu for Restaurant Week? I’m not sure, but if they don’t they should because it’s a great idea. The more yummy dishes to try, the better in my book.

To refresh your memory, during the period, participating eateries charge $25 for a prix-fixe lunch and $38 for a prix-fixe dinner. It’s a fantastic, wallet-friendly way for diners to either try out a new joint or score a bargain-basement priced meal at one of their regular haunts.

Chef Cruz’s first menu will run from January 14th through January 16th. For lunch, appetizers are a choice of shrimp bisque, arugula salad or chicken risotto. Entrees are hanger steak with kale salad, a tempura shrimp sandwich or roasted chicken breast. Top if off with a dessert choice of chocolate mousse cake, pumpkin cheesecake or milk chocolate panna cotta. All for 25 bucks!

Dinner is even crazier. Along with the shrimp bisque, the first course gives you a choice of radicchio and Boston lettuce salad

So Long, 2012

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Cary

If the Mayans got it wrong, we’ll all be around for yet another New Year’s celebration. I love spending that evening at North Square because while it is festive (yeah, we’ve got your sparkly blowers and funny hats and ladies and gentlemen dressed to the nines)…it also has a mellow, come-as-you-are vibe. The crowd is friendly and the food is just what you want eat to kiss the previous year goodbye. Plus no one will ever, ever ask you what your New Year’s resolution is because, frankly, that would be a big ole’ buzz kill and we like to have fun.

This year’s specials sound scrumptious. Chef Cruz’s appetizers include:

Lobster bisque garnished with tarragon creme fraiche
Roasted tomato soup garnished with grilled shrimp and crisp potatoes
Seared foie gras with roasted apples and a pomegranate sauce

The entrees are equally decadent:

Roasted wild boar with braised red cabbage, apples, fingerling potatoes and a ginger port sauce
Surf and turf with creamed spinach, garlic mashed potatoes and a black truffle sauce.
Grilled veal chop (to die for) with mushroom risotto, tomato chutney, and a red wine and herb au jus.

And Consulting Pastry Chef John Cheng has come up with an insane cap to the meal with Dessert Fantasy Trio 2013…a salted chocolate caramel banana tart, molten chocolate cake and a trio of ice creams.

Hey…holidays are designed for excess. You can always diet next year, right?

Roast Beast, Anyone?

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Cary

Just a heads up on what you can expect should you decide to dine at North Square this Christmas Eve:

Appetizers will include a wild mushroom soup with goat cheese and chorizo croutons, New England clam chowder and ricotta gnocchi with chanterelle mushrooms, asparagus, corn and herbed butter sauce. Plus chicken empanditas with

chorizo, mushrooms, goat cheese, creme fraiche and tomatillo sauce.

(Jeez. Is this food porn or what?)

For the main course, there will be pan-roasted ostrich with herb polenta, eggplant and tomato confit, and red wine au jus.

And for you healthier types, there’s porcini dusted halibut with spinach and basil quinoa, wild mushrooms and a mushroom cream sauce.

Sadly, we’ll be closed on Christmas Day to open our presents but hope you can join us to chow down on the eve!

Sandy is no match for Chef Yoel!

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Cary

She came blowing in last week…causing destruction along her wake. But Chef Yoel Cruz didn’t blink when Sandy came our way.

With makeshift electricity….

And limited–and I mean limited ingredients….

Not to

mention a tough-as-nails staff…Chef Yoel was able to keep feeding our stranded guests.

Our thanks to all the hotel and restaurant staff. As always, you were consummate pros.

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