French Roast

I do try very hard whenever I am out for a meal to frequent the side street restaurants, but I cannot deny that I have eaten at Peacefood Cafe on the UWS often, as it is one of my favorite vegan spots. The atmosphere is as relaxed and informal as one can get in Manhattan. The food is consistently excellent and inventive. I love their soups, sandwiches, desserts and muffins. One of my sisters-in-law has terrible food allergies, and whenever she comes to the city, this is her first stop. She loads up on whatever home-baked goods they have on the counter that day. Needless to say, I am thrilled that there is also a location downtown on a side street. I recommend to anyone, vegetarian or not, to go and enjoy a meal there, as this location is equally as wonderful.

Be prepared to wait, and then to wait some more, but once seated, there was no doubt that it was well worth our almost two hours. The good news, though, is that there are many terrific bars to visit on 10th Street while passing the time. Opened at the end of June 2012, Rosemary's has not skipped a beat since they began. The restaurant is always packed and on any nice day, the large windows are wide open onto 10th Street. We ate here on a Friday night in the middle of September. Everything that we ordered was just superb. My chopped salad had crunchy chickpeas, artichokes, olives, caper berries, ricotta, and more, but it was the fresh lettuce leaves and the perfect dressing that really made it all come together. And then came the pasta - linguini that was also cooked to perfection tossed with preserved lemon, pickled chili, and parmesan. Oh my goodness, it was just heaven. Once we were two for two with my meal, and everyone else was also thrilled with their choices, I decided I had to give dessert a try as well. The olive oil cake with whipped cream and blueberries was also terrific. Rosemary's does not take reservations, so to avoid the long waits, I might suggest is choosing an odd time - obviously not the weekend - and have a plan B (Manhattan Sideways has many to recommend).

Opened in 1936 in Milan, Sant Ambroeus has had a solid run both in Italy and in the New York area. Situated on a fairly quiet corner, this old-world Italian restaurant is known for its pleasant service and good food. What stands out for us, though, are the pastries, espresso and gelato which are available throughout the day.

They say you can never get a good bagel outside of New York or a heavenly croissant outside of Paris. My daughter, who lives in Washington DC, agrees whole-heartedly with the bagel philosophy, but she also lived in Paris and she can attest to the fact that Patisserie Claude would be the exception to the rule. With the most buttery croissants, fresh brioche, cookies, cakes, meringues, quiches, tarte tatin, macaroons and coffee, she was beside herself. This petite cafe truly goes over the top bringing Parisian patisseries to Manhattan. Now if we could only figure out how to get New York's pizza and bagels to my daughter in DC.

The ice cream at Alphabet Scoop is refreshing in more ways than one: Managed by Robbie Vedral, Alphabet Scoop is an extension of Father’s Heart Ministry, which has been focused on empowering the neighborhood youth in the Lower East Side since 2005. Robbie, for his part, has always believed that if you take care of your employees, your employees will take care of you—in this case, those employees just so happen to be high schoolers from the East Village. Under the wishes of his parents, who are still pastors of the church next door, Robbie has taken it upon himself to hold Alphabet Scoop to an uncompromising standard, always ensuring that things are done right. From a background of 25 years in retail, Robbie has found that he can learn from anyone’s mistakes - including his own. He has, in this vein, adjusted the shop’s schedule to keep it open all year; previously it was just a summer stop, but Robbie found that being a seasonal location made it more difficult for customers to anticipate when Alphabet Scoop would be in business. So, now, rather than seasonal hours, Alphabet Scoop boasts seasonal flavors. Pistachio flavor, a summer 2019 special, comes highly recommended by the Manhattan Sideways team. Alphabet Scoop is also constantly experimenting with new flavors suggested to them by customers, so if you’ve been saving up that million-dollar ice cream flavor idea, Alphabet Scoop might just be the place to make it a reality. The “sweet n’ salty” flavor is proof of the potential here, as it was suggested by one of the shop’s  younger customers. While the spritely New Yorkers that work in the shop are paid for their work, Alphabet Scoop is also a non-profit. The mission, transparently, is as stated on the walls: “Justice & Sprinkles for all. ” The kids, typically between the ages of 14 and 16, learn all aspects of the business, from hands on skills such as making ice cream to managerial skills like taking inventory. The goal of Alphabet Scoop is to encourage maximum involvement from its employees, so they are invited to help make decisions about the business. Robbie told us a story of a young woman, for example, who has worked in the shop for close to two years, and who was initially quite difficult to work with - but with patience and persistence from Robbie and other employees, the young woman grew to better understand the mission of Alphabet Scoop, and now even has keys to the shop. Robbie’s work at Alphabet Scoop shows the importance of creating strong foundations for young people, as well as how truly influential small businesses can be in their communities. Stop by the shop - any time of year - to help Robbie make his impact.

Over many months, we had the pleasure of observing the construction of Amelie through each stage of its creation. To experience the ambience of this spectacular bar and restaurant alone is worth the visit... but then there is also the impressive wine list and a full French menu. The award-winning team behind Amelie in San Francisco opened their east coast wine bar in early 2012 and all we can say is tres delicieux.

Select a region and there will most likely be a glass of wine to sample from the extensive list in this French wine bar. The ambience, even during the daylight hour, is alluring. The rotating wine list is impressive, offering over fifty bottles, paired with a short and simple menu of regional French bistro-style cuisine.

My wonderful husband knew that I wanted to have a romantic dinner in a small restaurant on a side street for my birthday. He did his research and this is where he surprised me! Nestled on the corner of West 10th Street, this classic townhouse offered the perfect ambiance. Although they did not offer a vegetarian entree, I enjoyed sharing a wonderful bottle of white Burgundy with my husband, and my salad and a few vegetable side dishes were just fine... and dessert was delicious!

A dining spot where the noise level is low, the ambience is urbane, the staff delightful, and the food unparalleled, Tocqueville came highly recommended by critics and friends alike. The restaurant, known for its local and seasonal ingredients with ties to the Union Square Green Market, was the first of five venues owned by husband and wife Marco Moreira and Jo-Ann Makovitzky, which includes 15 East. Along with a grand main dining room, Tocqueville offers a private dining space, a bar with house mixes, and an award-winning wine list by Master Sommelier and Sake Samurai Roger Dagorn. On my first visit, I joined a friend for a ladies' lunch with uninterrupted conversation. We started out with Sunchoke Soup, moved to the House Made Tofu, and ended with Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto - all flawless in taste and presentation. The European charm of the high ceilings, elegant tableware, and spectacular chandelier was certainly not lost on us. But behind the scenes of this tranquil atmosphere, a vivacious chef breathes passion into the edible creations. “I like to eat and I like to travel, ” Chef Julien Wargnies told me. “That is why I cook. ” Once an elite soccer player in France, Chef Julien fell into cooking organically, without any premonition of talent or joy for the art. Since attending a prestigious, four-year culinary school, he has been the executive chef in many impressive restaurants. While the meal I shared confirms the chef’s gastronomic expertise, it is his good wit, childlike curiosity, and affability that animate the underbelly of Tocqueville. Fumes of fresh-baked dough filled the kitchen as the chef told me of his latest endeavor - a promising savory, French-inspired take on panna cotta with a horseradish base. He enjoys concocting new things, never getting too stuck on any one dish. When I asked him what his favorite thing to cook was he curled up his lips and answered, “You, ” sending the kitchen staff and myself into fits of laughter. When it was almost time to part, I asked the chef to have his picture taken, and before I knew it all the moving parts of the operation came together in their white and black aprons with big, toothy smiles. Only a backstage crew so cohesive and lively could put on such a seamless dinning room show.