Run This Town

It’s not often within the rich and gluttonous offerings of New York City that one can eat to his or her heart’s content and leave a restaurant feeling neither overstuffed nor uncomfortable.

Should the desire to eat to your heart’s content sound enticing, may I introduce you to Angelica Kitchen, featuring organic vegan fare on East 12th Street in the East Village.

Angelica’s philosophy is remarkable, considering they are smack dab in the center of one of the largest cities in the world. 95% of the ingredients they use are grown ecologically and/or through fair trade. They compost, donate extra food, use a “high quality backwash carbon system” to filter their water (meaning no bottled beverages at all) and the ingredients for their menu are obtained through their relationships with local, small family farms and artisans. Angelica does not serve alcohol, but they encourage BYOB and do not charge a corkage fee. All of this adds up to respect and patronage in my book.

Angelica does have some signature dishes, such as Dragon Bowls or the warm open-faced tempeh sandwich, and a standard array of vegan-based starters, salads, sandwiches, entrees, sides and desserts, but they also feature a list of tempting, fresh daily specials. 

For those with an understanding of vegan cooking, the flavors are rich and fulfilling. No, they won’t have a buttery taste, but that can be a fabulous change to one’s menu.

I indulged in all three courses and left feeling satisfied, but not uncomfortably full. Our table started with the Curried Cashew Spread, comprising curry, chickpeas, cashews and miso and served with assorted crudite, and we also tried the Thai Mee Up, a flavorful dish of sliced radish, butternut squash and carrot in a thai tahini sauce over a bed of kale. 

Each member of my party ordered a different entree. I had the Si Se Puede salad to indulge my love of beets, while others tried the “Wrapsody” sandwich, the Dashi and Noodles and one of the daily special dishes. Not a complaint was uttered ‘round the table.

Our satisfied tummies could not resist the array of mouthwatering desserts (literally, my mouth is watering all over again just thinking about it, and I’m usually Team Savory) and we shared the cherry hazelnut bread pudding. All of Angelica’s desserts are made fresh daily and thus change daily. I’ve seen some tempting carrot cakes, pumpkin delights, parfaits, panna cottas and more cross the daily specials list. Enough to talk any sweet tooth off the ledge and into the arms of paradise. Most of their desserts are wheat free and though sweetened as little as possible (leveraging the power of fruits and natural sweeteners), they are to die for. 

Their philosophy of cash-only payment is also admirable and well-explained. In contrast to the usual assumption that “cash only” reflects shady business dealings, Angelica explains the desire to cut out the middle bureaucracy of credit card companies, electronic machinery and processing, giving the cash a quicker, more direct route to suppliers (i.e. farmers, bakers, etc.). I can dig that. There’s an ATM on every corner. 

All in all, a fantastic splash of fresh, healthy and tasty fare that will keep me coming back for more. 

Oh, and did I mention that Sam Waterston from Law and Order was enjoying Angelica’s cuisine a few tables over? If you’re into celebrity sightings, well, celebrities appreciate Angelica’s fresh fare, too. 

When I heard “Bottomless Brunch,” I naively thought I would be overstuffing myself in a buffet line. 

I should have known better, I’m in New York City. 

The “bottomless” part pertains to the beverages.

The destination: Harry’s Champagne Brunch at Harry’s Cafe downtown near Wall Street. The focus is on the bottomless flutes, as evidenced by the waitress who asked the lone dry member of our party, “If you’re not drinking, why did you come here?”

Case in point. 

Options include Blood Orange Mimosas, Grapefruit Champagne Cocktails, Classic Kir Royals and Classic Bellini’s and one of the above is served to you upon seating and refilled without pause until exit. 

I spent a late rainy Saturday morning with my girlfriends, tucked away at our table, gossiping and catching up on each others’ lives as we sipped on Mimosas and Kir Royals. Harry’s is a perfect setting to do just that. The staff is attentive and kind, and the ambience is warm and cozy with a tin roof and windows along the upper walls revealing feet, but nothing more, passing by outside. Guests do not feel hurried through a meal and are granted time to spend with friends, family, food and drink. 

The food was good, but I ordered a basic omelette: hardly testing the boundaries of their culinary magic. It was cheesy and tasty and the waitress and chef obliged me with a side salad in place of homefries. I always appreciate the gesture of accommodating a special request. 

Our orders ran the gamut, from my omelette, to a salad with fresh grilled tuna, to a the special salad of the day (which was Cobb-esque) and side of berries to the the duck hash… and no one had a complaint. Thanks, in part, to the bottomless flutes? I know not. I’ll give the benefit of the doubt to the Chef. 

[The duck hash]

The room seemed full of celebration, with both large and small parties enjoying their Saturday mornings out of the rain and drear of February in the City. There was a line filling the bar area and a waiting list for those without reservations, so if you plan on heading in after 1 p.m., a reservation would greatly help your cause. 

All in all, a lovely way to spend a weekend morning… and afternoon laughing and relaxing. Just don’t plan to be productive afterwards! 

I love France and I love French: the language, the people, the food, the wine. You name it, I love it.

That now includes Plein Sud, the French brasserie located within the saucy walls of the Smyth Hotel (a Thompson boutique hotel with more swagger than the number of rooms it has) on West Broadway in Tribeca. 

I had the pleasure of a Sunday brunch with the company of two gorgeous gals who love food (and France!) as much as I. All three of us have been in France together and it was time to fill a culinary craving. We decided to share-and-taste, and the state of our table within a matter of thirty minutes was overwhelmingly mouthwatering. 

(Photo courtesy of Eileen Reynoso)

Being only two days in to the New Year, I was not yet ready to face champagne, nor any hairs on any dog. But my girlfriends each enjoyed a yummy (-looking) Mimosa. It was brunch afterall. The Bloody Mary’s that passed us by also looked delightful, though it was not exclusively champagne I was avoiding, but rather the entire category of “Alcoholic Beverages.” I happily stuck to a delicious glass of cranberry juice and a coffee.

We began with a sampler of their charcuterie and pates, served with toast and preserves. Each bite melted and the combination of the pate with the preserves, and the crunch of the toast was awesome. Not a traditional brunch starter, but we were aiming for a “Taste of Plein Sud.” 

Quickly segueing into our main courses, the table was overflowing. We shared a Croque Madame (of course we could not resist this traditional French grilled ham and cheese-topped with an egg-sandwich, bonjooour!?), a Ham, Egg and Cheese Flatbread and the Brioche French Toast with sauteed bananas and maple syrup.

The Croque Madame was salty, sweet, soft and crispy: a pile up of tasty contradictions served with a side of french fries that had to be taken away in order to stop eating them.

The French Toast was a sweet tooth’s dream, and the sauteed bananas added a unique touch and bit of extra sweetness that took the brioche next-level. 

The oven baked flatbread, a Plein Sud specialty, was unique and satisfied my personal brunch requirements- salty and involving an egg- and then some. It was thin and crispy, and the melted gruyere and parisien ham screamed out “hey, you’re in France!” reminiscent of the ole “jambon-fromage” sandwich. Two sunny side up eggs topped it all off, literally and figuratively.

So much more on the menu looked phenomenal, including the burgers, the omelettes and some of the entrees, but we could go no further.

Dessert? No-could-do. 

We were full. But not “plein.” The difference between the two? Ask the French.

A la prochaine, Plein Sud!

[Back to Main Home Page]

Mario Batali’s name is behind it. But don’t take his word for it.

A Batali partnership with Joe Bastianich opened in 2003, OTTO (pronounced “oh-toe,” like the number eight in Italian) provided a needed respite and recharge from a day exploring Manhattan on foot.

Located on the corner of 8th Street and 5th Avenue (perhaps it should be called OTTO-Cinque?), just off Washington Square Park, OTTO has a beautiful ambiance. It is set to look like an Italian train station-meets Italian enoteca. It was bustling on a Sunday afternoon with families, couple, groups of friends and formal acquaintances alike. 

Even without reservations, we were seated quickly, greeted and offered drinks. The menu provided many options for either a large mid-day feast or an on-the-go snack. Personal-sized pizzas, pasta dishes and customizable salads and appetizers tempted the tastebuds.

We, a party of three, opted to share. Beginning with the Escarole & Sunchoke salad, we layered on the Cardoons with Bagna Cauda, the Brussels Sprouts & Vin Cotto and the Roasted Beets & Saba. All delicious, refreshing and tasty. Each had a unique flavor, but paired well to get us started. We also ordered the Salumi, a salty side dish.

A basic Margherita DOP pizza, featuring fresh bufala mozzarella, tomato and basil and the Buccatini Alla Gricia, a pasta dish with black pepper, onion and guanciale followed the salads. Both pasta and pizza were fresh, full of flavor and satisfying.

We topped off the temptation with the Olive Oil Coppetta dessert, a combination of olive oil gelato, lime curd, tangerine sorbet, pignoli brittle and pineapple rosemary marmellata. It more-than-melted-in-your-mouth with the sweet satisfaction of the meal’s finale.

The meal was moderately priced for that much goodness, a great place to share (though individuals could easily make their own choices) and enjoy a weekend afternoon or a weeknight. The staff was helpful but not intrusive given how busy they were. I will definitely be back, OTTO, I will definitely be back. 

Explore the menu on OTTO’s web site.

With sixty degree temperatures in mid-November, there was no excuse not to hit the streets this weekend. Or should I say “the tracks?”

As a girl with an ever-present country mouse-city mouse inner juxtaposition, I love nothing more than finding the same juxtaposition in the city I love.

I found it at the end of Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District at the High Line.

The High Line stands 30 feet above street level, a former train track that was built in the 1930’s, but shut down in 1980 after the boom of interstate trucking.

The High Line was intended to raise the dangerous freight traffic off the street that, at the time, was causing such horrible accidents they began to call it “Death Avenue.” It served its purpose well, but in the mid-80’s, years after the last train rolled through, folks began to lobby for the High Line to be torn down.

It wasn’t until 1999, with the foundation of “Friends of the High Line,” that the High Line was turned into, and maintained as a park. Friends of the High Line works not only to maintain and preserve the park, but also raises funds to complete its construction.

I spent a sunny afternoon with a girlfriend strolling along the old tracks, chatting and taking photos, watching couples walk hand-in-hand, listening to the foreign languages spoken on the tongues of tourists passing us by, and admiring the beauty of the foliage against the backdrop of industrial history. 

There is a great spot along the line with wooden lounge chairs to stop and sit in the sun, as well as a theater with a view of the street to watch traffic and passers-by. Benches line the Line for those who wish to stop and soak up the day or people-watch.

The park is open each day from 7 am until 10 pm. For more information about the High Line’s history, directions or information about Friends of the High Line, visit their web site. 

… I was taking a Russian Turkish bath and wondering what the hell I got myself into. 

It wasn’t until I left, feeling like a new woman, clear-minded, energetic and as though I’d enjoyed a full body massage, that I caught on to the benefits and the motivation to step foot inside 268 East 10th Street.

Stepping into this eastern European environment in the East Village, one dons a bathing suit, a robe and some flops and heads downstairs. Sauna rooms, intense steam rooms, showers and a cold (I mean frigid) dipping pool await. 

The temperatures inside the steam rooms and saunas are so hot your jewelry will burn your skin (take it off before heading downstairs) and your contacts will feel like they are melting to your eyes. But never fear, wells of cold water are stationed in the hottest of rooms, allowing one to douse themselves every few minutes to monitor body temperature. 

Bring a liter (at least) of water and plan to drink it all… and sweat it all out, amongst 50 of your closest friends, err, well strangers. It is an experience that is hard to describe compellingly; in fact, it sounds disgusting to sweat amongst strangers. But once you’ve experienced the Russian Turkish baths from beginning to end, you will whistle a different tune. A relaxed, energized and refreshed tune. 

In between stations in the steamers or saunas, dip yourself into the frigid pool for a tingling sensation and sweet bitter cold relief. 

A variety of special treatments are available to add to the experience, including massage, mud treatments, dead sea or seaweed salt scrubs and an exfoliating Platza Oak Leaf beat-down.

The restaurant upstairs offers juices and beverages, appetizers, soups, salads and entrees, should you want to make a day of the experience. And that would not be too hard in the summer time, given the sun deck during the lovely weather months. Complete escape and relaxation.  

Give it a try, open your mind and find a new world of cleanliness.