The busy stretch of First Ave between 12th and 13th just got a bit mellower, with the opening of Terroir Wine Bar, from owners Paul Grieco and Marco Canora. (That's Paul introducing the place in the video.)
We hear it's a cozy spot with inviting exposed brick and beat-up floor tiles that are original to the bike shop that used to be in the space. Whip out your wallet for some of the pricier wines by the glass ($15-$20) or come for the happy hour deal: five wines for $5. Snack on cremini or fried sage wrapped around lamb sausage or bring friends and dig into the charcuterie plate ($21) of nine featured meats.
If you're not into crowds, wait a few weeks until the opening fuss dies down. By April, we're sure you'll be able to sidle up to the bar to unwind any night of the week.
With seasonal and locally-sourced menus all the rage, today's the perfect day for Back Forty's debut in the East Village. You may have seen slow food movement proponent and owner Peter Hoffman careening around the Union Square Farmer's Market on his makeshift wheelbarrow bicycle. Watch him closely if you catch him, and you'll find him stocking up on ingredients for dishes like Maine-shrimp-and-bacon beignets, spiced nuts or grass-fed burgers.
Chef de cuisine Shanna Pacifico offers a casual atmosphere--complete with antique farm tools on the wall--and reasonably-priced main courses that are whole-heartedly satisfying and perfect after a long day of chores on the farm, er, life in the city. Don't miss the "Back Forty" cocktail: The mix of Tennessee whiskey, maple simple syrup and orange bitters is sure to satisfy the country boy in you.
If you like your slices un-standard, and with loads of spicy sauce, then be sure to hit up Two Boots, famed NYC pizzeria/movie house/softball team home that serves some of the citys most inventive pies.
Try The Newman--after everyone's favorite Seinfeld chubster--and indulge in sopressata and sweet italian sausage on a white pie or The Larry Tate--the boss from Bewitched--with spinach, plum tomatos, and fresh garlic. Pies start at $9.95 and you'll enjoy the fun trinkets in the restaurant while you wait. Not to worry if you're not a downtowner, you can also head to other locations at Rockefeller Center or Grand Central.
Pizza in New York is tough stuff. The competition's fierce and everyone has their own opinions on what's good and where to go for what. If you're a thin crust, gourmet fan, check out Pizza Gruppo in the East Village.
You can go basic with marinara and fresh mozzarella/basil, or be adventurous and try one of their amazing signature pies. The "Shroom Town" is our favorite. Dripping in mushrooms of all kinds and sprinkled with truffle oil, it's simple to take down the whole pie in one sitting (although the $22 price tag makes it great for sharing). The "Fafandone" isn't bad either, with sweet Italian sausage and sun-dried tomatoes. Gruppo's a nice place for a weekday lunch, if you can swing it, and fun for dates as well. Delivery covers most of the neighborhood, but be warned and call ahead, because it can take a while to get those mushrooms just so.
Okay, it's more than one block, but just barely. From 12th to 14th Streets between Avenues A and B, a WiFi utopia has emerged, and all within a relatively short amount of time.
First, there was the B Cup Cafe (hours: 7:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.), the friendly storefront on 13th + B with coffee and free WiFi. Where B Cup fails is its crap food, because they carry the same oily, gunked-up muffins that the breakfast carts do. But it's still free WiFi, and the staff is nice. Next came Rapture Cafe & Books (hours: 8 a.m. - midnight), the très progressive hybrid peformance space/book store/cafe/WiFi heaven, on Avenue A between 12th + 13th.
And now, the dubiously christened Gramstand (hours: 7 a.m. - "quite late") on Avenue A between 13th + 14th. No, unfortunately it's not a coke bar with wireless internet. It's an outpost of the Irving Place tea bar, also named Gramstand, run by owners of an internet tea store. The Avenue A location has--you guessed it--free WiFi and serves loose leaf tea. And coffee too, thank god.
Tip: The best baked goods in WiFi-land are at Ciao For Now bakery on 12th between A + B. It doesn't have WiFi, but you'll want to grab a scone, muffin or quiche there and get a drink at your final destination.
Some place called Rapture Cafe & Books has been on a flyering campaign around the East Village recently. As we shuffled through the door this morning, clutching or first coffee of the day for dear life, we finally peeled one of their ads off our building's elevator and decided to investigate. Turns out we're intrigued and it's not just the 500th place on our block that wants to sell us General Tso's chicken.
Rapture opens tonight at 200 Avenue A, so we're assuming tomorrow will mark its first full day of operation. It bills its atmosphere as "literate" and decor as "Native American/Southwestern," so you can probably picture the vibe they're going for. Its cafe will serve food and drinks and its book section will sell only the most stimulating works.
Now here's the kicker: they've also got free wifi. We'll tentatively accept the "Get Smart" slogan on their handbills if that stuff works. We'll be dropping by tomorrow morning to see what, if anything, is up and running.
Looking for cheap eats in NYC and sick of pizza, falafel, and Chinese? Head to Caracas Arepa Bar in the East Village. This bustling spot, started by two Venezualans, specializes in tasty arepas, little sandwich-like treats of cornflour-based shells filled with meats, cheeses, and veggies. Somehow they seem healthier for you, fill you up, and offer something new taste-wise every time.
We'd recommend the La del Gato, a perfect combo of Guayanese cheese, fried sweet plantains, and sliced avocado. Each day Caracas offers new special arepas and empanadas, as well as fresh squeezed juice combos (think papaya/guava...) And if you have a combo in mind that's not on the menu, they'll still probably whip it up for you.
Waiting for a tiny table at Caracas used to be an exercise in patience, but since expanding earlier this year, the bar offers lots more seating and even a take-away window one storefront over. They just got their beer & wine license, and now offer some great imports from Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico to wash it all down with. One of the best parts of the Bar? An arepa will only set you back about $5, so buy a couple and pretend you just cruised in off the beach in Venezuela for the perfect post-surf snack.
A new restaurant/bar/lounge/cabaret has hit the East Village, and this time it actually looks interesting. Check out Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction, located in a former fabric warehouse, and billing itself as a "Judeo-Latino".
Brand new, it offers combos like the Cuban Reuben, Maneschevitini and apps served on a seder plate, as well as matzoh ball and black bean soups.
Upstairs is where the music goes down in a small theater--Debby Harry and Jonathan Ames have already hit it up. Check their site for updated music offerings. They open at 5pm (and is owned by area Two Boots proprietor Phil Hartman). Their opening night party is this Monday--but you've got to rsvp first. Mazel Tov! (image via gothamist)
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by sedona
