Momofuku Milk Bar

The wow factor at this modern cutting edge bakery is the intoxicating smell as you enter. Experimental, innovative baked goods are consumed standing up at David Chang's Milk Bar. Banana cake, banana cookies, and the ever popular crack pie. The baked goods look unusual compared to a more traditional bakery. I have tried the banana cookie which for $1.75 was very good. The properly darkly baked breads while looking lovingly baked at $9 are prohibitive. Soft serve ice-cream flavors currently serving chocolate malt and graham cracker along with extra add-ons. The chocolate malt is a tasty treat served in a plastic shot glass. The hazelnut crisps, I added on lacked flavor and tasted greasy.
GO!

Primehouse

Restaurant week lunch is $24.07 and this is the second year I have eaten here for that event. There are three courses for the restaurant week special, an appetizer, entree and dessert. Now Primehouse is part of the restarant conglomerate B.R. guest and that means great service and very accomodating staffers. The space istself is large airy on a corner with a hip, modern decor. The food here is well done. You start with a wheel of bialy like house baked bread, one plain and one with olives. Delish with whipped butter. I had the cerviche which was shrimp marinated in citrus and olive oil with tiny pieces of orange. Absolutely phenomenal flavor. For the main, I had the short ribs braised in a red wine reduction with Winter root vegetables. Wow- super taste and the veggies like parsnips and carrots are perfectly cooked. The dessert was a chocolate raspberry torte which was layers of chocolate cake and raspberry mouse with housemade raspberry vanilla swirl ice-cream. The other dessert of lemony creme brulee with cookies was good, but the superstar dessert was the chocolate raspberry torte, two of my fave flavor combos.
GO!

Butter Lane

So many cupcakes, so little time. Another cupcake joint on East 7th. Street. What sets this spot apart is that the cupcake people are friendly and best of all you can take advantage of the frosting tasting, yes they are on the counter so you can try before choosing your cupcake of choice. I ordered a banana with cream cheese frosting which was full of pieces of banana, dense and sweet. Nice light and sweet frosting. The chocolate frosting and vanilla cake, I enjoyed with coffee the next morning was made with a dense, dark chocolate. They also serve a french chocolate frosting which is lighter and sweeter than the American chocolate, I had.
GO!

Alloro

Mangia e parla en Italiano at this once a month class held at Alloro Restuarant. The class is $60 and includes some conversation a three course meal plus a glass of red wine. The amount of language was minimal, but the good company,super nice hosts and wonderful authentic food made for a great evening. You are given a choice of three appetizer and three entree items and following three dessert items. For the first course I ordered a multi-layer flat bread over an artichoke salad with bacon gelato on the side. The salad was tasty, and a nice balance with the flat bread and savory bacon gelato. My friends appetizer of eggplant parmigiana with a mozzerella ball was delish. For the main, I ordered the chocolate gnocchi with wild boar ragu which was a rich dish. My companion's main of al dente saffron rissoto with licorice was again delish. Desert was a choice of ricotta cheese cake or coffee mouse filled cannoli. My lemony ricotta cheese cake with cinnamon ice-cream was spot on. Either for dining or speaking and dining Alloro is molto bene.
GO!

Point Brazil Restaurant

Obrigada for this cute corner joint on 31st. Street one block off the hub of Broadway and Steinway. Too snowy to explore further, this crowded little joint looked like there was good food and beckoned me in. This is a self-serve churrascarria one of several in the nabe. The buffet hosts Brazilian specialties such as tiliapia in a coconut cream sauce, potato salad, white rice with black beans with sausage(fejoidish dish) okra, a torta with chicken, and beans with seasoned yuca flour with sausage and much more. Just the buffet is $4.99/pound, but the buffet with carne sliced by the meat man is $5.99/pound. There were approximately 8 different kinds of meat featured here. Skewered meats salted and cooked include top sirloin, chicken wrapped in bacon, linguica(brazilian sausage), pork spare ribs etc. The meat server was accomodating as I asked for fatty pieces of top sirloin. Salty, fatty goodness that went perfectly with the selections from the buffet. All washed down with a combo of guava and passion fruit juices. I was offered a tropical dessert of coconut pineapple cake and tasted homemade and was indeed made by the owner's sister. This family owned churrascaria cares about their food and customers. Clean, big bathroom in the rear.
GO!

Bussaco

Big, beautiful Brooklyn space sans the Park Slope stroller set, Busacco for brunch was great. Soaring space with black booths in back, I was seated at one of the spacious booths as the spot was not full thankfully on Sunday. The brunch menu rocks with a $15 prix fixe which includes a mimosa and coffee. Brunchy items like Swedish pancakes with ligonberries as well as breakfast pizza with potato, egg and choice of meat and the unusual dim sum for one which bacon, eggs, sticky rice, shrimp dumplings and sausage. I went for one of two lunch items which included a cheeseburger with Vermont cheddar or fried poisson and waffles. The fried chicken and waffles was perfection. Small in size though high in quality, the chicken was crispy, perfectly cooked and salty which enhanced the skin and juicy meat of the chen. A properly well cooked waffle with apple butter balanced out the savory chicken and the collard greens added a little vegetable action to the mix. A rich hot chocolate served in a glass was a nice compliment to the meal. Next time, the Spanish tango sundae with Il Laboratorio chocolate ice-cream, hot fudge and peanuts is a must.
MUST GO!

Bar Carrera

Situated down the block from the Village East Cinemas is the double storefront of this Spanish tapas and wine bar. The bar is as crowded as a Madrid original and the dining area next door with high tables and stools provides moody lighting for a romantic stop before a movie or just to drink and eat. The vibe in the room was very friendly and relaxed. A large selection of regional Spanish wines and sherries. My sherry fino which was slighly sweet was yummy. A plate of hams and cheeses included Serrano ham, chorizo, several semi sweet cheeses and a few olives for color. A warmed mini baguette was served with the dish.
GO!

La Esquina Criolla

Absolutely authentic Argentine cuisine on the corner(esquina) of Corona and Junction Blvd in Eastern Queens. Since spending a month in Argentina in 2000, this is the closest I have come to a real taste. Esquina sports plain decor, but killer meat cooked on an uneven griddle over flame. I started with a chicken empanada full of moist chicken, bits of egg and red pepper. A side dish of Argentine sausages(salchichas) and a good fresh roll and butter filled me up from the jump. I ordered number six which was two beef short ribs and a skirt steak(entrana) which was $14 and worth every dime. I waited awhile for the steak which made me very nervous, but it arrived perfectly cooked with two huge short ribs and the smaller skirt steak. Argentine meat cuts are different from the American so the beef short ribs are huge and absolutely delicious. A side of oven baked potatoes came with the meat which was almost an afterthought with the huge, heavenly meat in front of me. Less expensive meat sandwiches are also available though those with sandwiches were showing dish envy at my gorgeous meat. If you are a carnivore this is a.......
MUST GO!

Uncle Nick's Greek Cuisine

Thank you to the greek gods for sending Uncle Nick's to Chelsea. Big, clean corner space with some old black and white photos of people grilling meats assumably in Greece. To start we ordered the four dips and those arrived with grilled pita. I love the Greek meze's and all of these were enjoyable. A small country salad was huge with a nice hunk of feta and nice red tomatoes for the middle of winter. The main course was baby back ribs which were huge and slathered in a little too sweet sauce. The ribs were spot on though and served with mediocre lemon potatoes. My companion's entree of pork chops was spectacular looking though overcooked and dry to the taste. The dessert of homemade baklava was a tad dry and no dripping with honey as the better ones are.
GO!

Wallse

Absolutely divine brunch at Wallse on a serene corner in the West Village. I have eaten here a few times and always impressed. Not as crowded for a restaurant of this caliber, the hostess was super accomodating for our last minute reservation. Last time I was here, Maggie Gylenhal was pregnant and dining with hubby so it is quite awhile. All pastries are baked in house and we started with an almond croissant, Austrian apricot donut, and an orange pound cake. Delectable and delicious. I ordered the spatzle with stewed rabbit for $14 bangers. Housemade spatzle with corn, baby exotic mushrooms in a creamy wine sauce. Again, heavenly. Dessert was a souffle over hucklberries. Absolutely amazing. Great Austrian wine. Mine was spot on: sweet, orangey oiley. Killer meal in a special restaurant.
MUST GO!

Royale Bakery

Hot pink candy colored confection of a bakery that doesn't actually bake it's goods, but rather imports the best of them from Baked in Red Hook. Baked creates great sweets and even makes it's own granolas and sells to some high end markets in Manhattan. The cupcakes are absolutely divine and my fave is the chocolate cupcake with salted chocolate buttercream frosting for $2 bangers. Denser than a Billy's or a Magnolia with some frosting edging into the cupcake itself. The store also sells tea and coffee to go with the goodies. Other Baked items include the chocolatey chocolate chip cookie for $2.50, some brownies(I favor the salty spicy one) and a few types of Baked granolas. The store also sells other purveyors though the Baked goods are the star of the show.
GO!

Schnitzel Haus

Ya voll at this cute, kitchy German spot with a German accented waitress. The spot on 5th Avenue in Bay Ridge is decorated with lots of wood touches and charming knick knacks. A large selection of beers on tap like my fave hefewiezen(white beer). They serve Weienstepen Deutch style so this is a large serving. The food can be a tad overpriced for lunch with a beer, but as there a few German options around and it is fairly authentic fare . For a starter, I ordered a potato leek soup with bacon and topped with cheddar. The soup was thick and satisfying, with bacon adding a fatty touch though a little more seasoning and better cheddar instead of the generic yellow stuff would have been better. The bratwurst was a winner served with homemade sauerkraut with bacon and spatzle. Delish for $8 bangers. Lots of grilled meats as well as schnitzels. Classic German soul food.
GO!