Great Jones Cafe

To paraphrase Bob Dylan, "come all without, come all within, you'll not see nothing like Mighty Quinn's." In a short time, they have made their mark on the New York barbecue scene. The flow is decidedly casual; order at the counter, bring it back to the table. The portions are large (e.g. brontosaurus rib) and make for a meat-lovers paradise. It is well-balanced, however, with vegetarian sides such as edamame and pea salad, grilled ratatouille, and sweet potato casserole. The beer menu provides the perfect way to wash it all down with numerous choices of domestic microbrews. The guys behind this establishment began cooking their briskets in Brooklyn, but we are mighty pleased that they decided to share the love with the East Village. Other location: Brooklyn

Housed in a space that is over one hundred years old with low ceilings and wood floors, the atmosphere at The Smile is relaxing, with both communal tables and individual seating. The food fits the ambiance as they serve their fantastic breakfast menu until 4:30 in the afternoon. It is simple, but the quality of the ingredients makes dishes like the house made granola, the egg sandwich, and the toast with almond butter and honey stand out. For more lunchtime fare, they offer a great chicken sandwich or a creamy spread of ricotta cheese on toasted whole wheat bread with tomatoes. Oh, so good.

Blue Ribbon was off to a terrific start when I visited the first weekend after it opened in 2013. There was good music and a lively crowd enjoying the offerings in this brightly lit space with large picture windows. The manager stopped by our table and remarked that the “young cool people” frequenting Blue Ribbon seemed to have perpetual smiles on their faces as they indulged themselves at the tables furnished with an array of honeys (mustard, wildflower, and chipotle) and habanero hot sauces.Whether people are munching on the menu staple of crisp-skinned moist chicken breast or the “chicken on the edge” choice of Beak to Butt (crispy necks and backs with hot sauce and pickled peppers), the chicken is cooked to perfection. Any chicken dish paired with a side of potato wedges dusted with chilli powder certainly makes for an excellent quick meal – and all of this can be washed down with a beer. The restaurant is a venture of the Bromberg brothers who have been exciting New Yorkers with their excellent food since 1992. This is their first “fast food” endeavor, and it appears to already be flying high.

There is a unique atmosphere of un-presumptuous masculinity, with comfortable, modern seating, warmly lit globes, and pictures of horses and cows on 1st Street’s latest restaurant addition. When Olivia, from the Manhattan Sideways team, announced that it looked like “Madmen meets the ranch,” Josh Capon, owner and chef of Bowery Meat Company, raised his eyebrows in humorous consideration. Within only months of first opening towards the end of 2014, Josh already had diners tell him that they had returned eight times. This is exactly what he loves to hear, since one of his primary goals is to create an “eatable and approachable” place in the East Village. He went on to say that he is pleased to be on a side street, as being off the beaten path translates to more locals and, hopefully, regulars.Josh and his partner, John McDonald, opened the Bowery Meat Company to be a “meat-centric” restaurant with an emphasis on sourcing and seasonality. As Josh explained, “Seasons are nature’s way of saying what we should eat and when we should eat it.” They get a lot of their meat from Diamond Creek Ranch, which is producing “some of the best meat in the country,” according to Josh. The feedback he has received from customers has generally been very positive. “People are freaking out over our broiled oysters,” he said, as he placed a plate of the breaded, garlicky delicacies in front of the Manhattan Sideways team, surrounding us with their tantalizing smell.When Josh returned to the kitchen, one of the managers, Lindsey, brought us a plate of fried Arancinis. These scrumptious rice balls are placed on the table at the start of every meal. Lindsey picked up where Josh left off telling us that even though the restaurant stresses meat, they can easily feed vegetarians and vegans. For instance, the standard arancinis are oxtail, but they also have basil pesto versions. “We are very mindful of our guests’ preferences,” she said. Next up, we were introduced to the pastry chef, Katie McAllister, who is in charge of the masterfully created desserts, such as the S’mores Sundae and “Brookies,” which are “what would happen if a brownie and a cookie had a baby.” Lindsey told us that thanks to Katie, the kitchen smells like toasted marshmallow each and every morning.Every aspect of the restaurant appears to click into place to generate a relaxed, comfortable, modern dining experience. Josh’s final words to us were, as he stepped back into the kitchen, “I’m very proud of this restaurant.” As well he should be.

Cleared and planted by a devoted couple back in the eighties, this garden continues to blossom and offer a warm shelter for those in the community who want to just sit and relax or to gather for parties.

With an entrance on both 2nd Street and 3rd, Kenkeleba offers a unique garden experience. Read more about it: Kenkeleba House Garden.

The common thread throughout this brilliantly executed mini restaurant/takeout spot is broth. Try it with free range chicken, grass-fed beef, or a combination of veggies. But the fun does not stop here. There are "add-ins" that one can choose including ginger, turmeric, sweet potato, eggs, meatballs and more. The menu also offers further filling food options, but there is always a small cup of broth that can accompany any dish on the side. It can be used as a marinade, poured into the mix of vegetables and/or meat, or, of course, the third option would be to simply drink it down separately.The brains behind this clever endeavor - that opened in the spring of 2016 - are Jordan Feldman and Sam Eckstein who have been best friends since they were five years old and living in Manhattan. Coincidentally, that same year both sets of their parents decided to move to Englewood, NJ where their backyards connected. Sam and Jordan traveled back into the city to attend high school together and then went in separate directions for college. While Jordan studied film at the University of Pennsylvania and went onto a career in real estate development, Sam received a degree in Chinese from Johns Hopkins followed by a job in China in the banking world. Upon his return to the United States, he found himself investing in food companies.When Sam and I were chatting about how they came to start Springbone Kitchen, he said, matter of factly, "Although the two of us took different paths beforehand, we each had the perfect skill sets to bring together to open a food business." It was initially Jordan's obsession with nutrition and healthy eating that was the spring board for their eatery. He shared his ideas with Sam one day in 2014, asking his advice on certain issues with which he was not as familiar. As Sam tells it, the more he became involved, the more he realized that this was what he, too, wanted to do. He quit his job and decided to "Go all in." They quickly realized that they were a match made in heaven. "Jordan knew all about zoning, he had the knowledge for how to find the best location, and how to build it out, and I had knew the business end - profit margins, suppliers, production, and how to market."From an early age, Sam was always passionate about food and dining out. "I was attuned to the restaurant world and always appreciated the great chefs - they have had a strong influence on me." When he decided to team up with Jordan, Sam knew that he had to meet the standard of the chefs who had inspired him. Then Sam added that it was Jordan who was determined to have those same high standards when it came to healthy eating. "We definitely compliment one another," Sam stated.Though it had only been open for a few short months when I visited, Sam was eager to discuss how they have recently begun partnering with new businesses to sell homemade products by others in the New York area who share the same philosophy. Some fantastic examples are Matt's Kimchi, Raaka Chocolate, and Pilot Kombucha.After spending a few minutes in the kitchen - observing the process and the ingredients that go into their massive pots of broth - I came away knowing, with certainty, that what people are eating here is filled with love, passion, and the best possible recipes that these two men have concocted. They have done their research and are fully committed to serving healthy, satisfying meals to their customers.

In 1954, a Ukrainian refugee began Veselka as a shop that sold cigarettes, candy, and newspapers with a few tables for some tasty homemade Eastern European food. Over the years, it slowly evolved into a coffee shop, and then to a casual restaurant. Almost fifty-nine years later, it continues to thrive as a neighborhood destination when one is in need of comfort food, or as my own kids have told me, it is a great late night spot too. Open twenty-four hours a day, the restaurant’s menu is a mix of Ukrainian and typical American diner fare. More than a diner, though, Veselka is a family-friendly establishment that serves up Ukrainian "peasant" food - known to many as "Ukrainian soul food."

We had the pleasure of dining here on Christmas Eve. Every table was filled, the energy was positive, and the staff was incredibly jolly. Oh, and the Italian dinner that we had was good too!

Housed in a space that is over one hundred years old with low ceilings and wood floors, the atmosphere at The Smile is relaxing, with both communal tables and individual seating. The food fits the ambiance as they serve their fantastic breakfast menu until 4:30 in the afternoon. It is simple, but the quality of the ingredients makes dishes like the house made granola, the egg sandwich, and the toast with almond butter and honey stand out. For more lunchtime fare, they offer a great chicken sandwich or a creamy spread of ricotta cheese on toasted whole wheat bread with tomatoes. Oh, so good.

Biking with my husband on a beautiful August day, I stopped short when I noticed something new and picturesque on 5th Street. It was three o’clock in the afternoon, but I had been holding out until I discovered the perfect place to grab a bite to eat, and I certainly landed in an ideal spot. The rustic charm indoors, with replicas of the farm equipment used in Italy hanging from the ceiling, captured our hearts immediately, but it was the food – the outstanding rice dishes – that solidified Risotteria Melotti indefinitely on my list of top restaurants to recommend. Since the restaurant was quiet at this odd hour, we were able to chat casually with the staff throughout our meal, and we learned not only about the history of the restaurant, but also about the world of rice. Back in 1986, a couple began producing rice on one acre of land in Verona, Italy. Almost three decades later, together with their three sons, Rosetta and Giuseppe now farm 544 acres of land, all devoted to growing award-winning rice that is sold the world over.There are basically two different textures of the grain that they produce. Vialone, the more traditional rice, is rich in proteins and vitamins and, because it absorbs liquid better, is used for their delicious risottos. Carnaroli rice, “considered one of the best in the world,” is more readily used in salads because it remains al dente when cooked, adding a chewiness to the superb insalata di riso that we shared. We both marveled at the combination of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted red and yellow peppers, capers, fresh mozzarella and, of course, brown rice. When we first sat down, a bread basket was placed on the table. Their take on focaccia was very good, but I could not stop sampling their rice cakes throughout our meal – the basic recipe is made in Italy and then flown here to be tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh rosemary and then baked for fourteen minutes. I cannot say enough about how amazing the second dish that we tried tasted. We never knew that you could make polenta from anything but cornmeal, but we had our eyes opened to something new and wondrous when we had our first taste of polenta fritta con caciottina – a fried rice polenta with mushrooms and cheese that was perfectly moist in the middle with an added crunch on the outside. Every mouthful was rich and heavenly.This brand new restaurant – the first outside of Italy – serves about thirty people, making for an intimate setting, especially when evening falls, the lights are dimmed and the candles are lit. Up front there is a little “shop” that sells many of their rice products. The staff explained that the family has made an across-the-board decision to only offer Melotti’s gluten-free rice merchandise in the States. Thus, anyone eating gluten-free can come to their restaurant and be served a carefree, excellent meal. Anyone fortunate enough to live in the area can either have their food delivered to them in their home or office, or stop by, browse the menu, and take it to go. I have no doubt that we would be eating a lot more rice if we lived in the East Village, but we will visit as often as we can.

Vicki Freeman and Mark Meyer are an accomplished couple in the New York restaurant business. They are the creators behind Cookshop, Hundred Acres, and the latest addition to the family, Rosie’s. Their story as restaurateurs goes back to 1993, when Freeman opened her first restaurant, VIX Café, in SoHo. She hired Meyer as her head chef, and as they say, the rest is history.Vic’s opened in 2014 in the space that used to house Five Points, another restaurant by Freeman and Meyer. While the owners emphasized that Five Points was not struggling, they felt it was time for a change. Opening Vic’s allowed Freeman and Meyer to bring their restaurant group full circle, its name a nod to those early beginnings with VIX Café in 1993.When I visited Vic’s, I was struck by the bright, open décor. Sitting in the back dining area, with natural light spilling in from the skylight overhead, I was allowed my favorite view - that of the kitchen. Chatting with general manager, Hely, I learned that Freeman and Meyer used to live in an apartment just upstairs, and that their son works for the restaurant group.In addition to speaking with Hely, I also had the pleasure of spending some time with Hillary Sterling - the head chef of Vic’s. “Hillary’s food is the easiest thing in the world to sell,” said Hely, and then Chef Sterling went on to elaborate about her inspiration for the restaurant’s culinary concept and menu. “It’s all about history and honoring tradition,” she told me. She prepares the restaurant’s traditional Italian and Mediterranean cuisine using food sourced from American farms, and admits that it is a challenge to create authentic flavors with local ingredients - It is a challenge, however, that she proudly declared that she has met with the exceptions being seven imported ingredients: 00 flour (for their famous Borsa), capers, anchovies, pecorino, calabrian chilies, and balsamic vinegar.As Hillary presented a few of her favorite dishes, she went on to say that traditional Italian and Mediterranean cuisine requires “a lot of herbs and acid,” adding that it is all about achieving the perfect balance and appreciating the ingredients themselves. The heirloom carrots, served with dill, capers, and roasted shallots, were tangy and bright, with a complexity of flavor. As she set the "cheeseless" anchovy pizza with tomato, spring garlic, oregano, and fresh orange zest, Hillary told me that making good pizza dough is just as demanding as making homemade pasta, but it is clear that she has mastered it. The crust was perfect – thin, but bubbling up around the edges, and ever so slightly charred. Finally, I tasted the famous Borsa, the homemade pasta served al dente, with a lemon ricotta filling. The soft and creamy center of these amazing "little purses" with hazelnuts sprinkled on top is definitely the signature dish at Vic's. Chef Sterling said that the Borsa and the bathrooms are the most instagrammed things in the restaurant, and joked that her food has to "compete with the lavatories." The facilities are whimsical and fun with pink flamingoes decorating the room for the ladies, while the men's room is wallpapered in zebras. In my mind, however, there is no competition: Chef Sterling’s food is what truly stands out.