Gnocco

Gnocco on 10th Street and Ave. B. is an Italian restaurant that is genuine Italian, simple, quality ingredients cooked well, reminicent of the flavors of foods I have eaten in Italy. After tasting the pizza here many times, it used to be sold by the slice, I finally dined at the restuarant in it's charming garden. Lights strung around the yellow painted walled in a space that feels quietly serene yet sexy in Alphabet City. We started with a selection of formaggio(Italian cheeses)for $13.45. Served with pears and Italian honey, this was a sensational appetizer, simple flavors married together. We had the Napoli pizza with anchovies for $11.45. Pizza here is very thin with a slight char and a lovely fresh tomato sauce. Deliciouso. There are many types of pizzas as well as homemade pastas like the signature housemade gnocchi which I look forward to trying on future visits. Gnocco is the real deal with very reasonable prices.
Must GO!

http://gnocco.com/

Vidal Sasson

Assistant color: $30
Assistant haircut $20

The back of my head expertly colored and coiffed by Robin. Call the salon to set up a consultation and service with an assistant. Sasson runs one of the best and least expensive assistant programs in town.
Must Go!

Kafana

The owners had a lot of foresight in coming to Ave. C. and seventh street in this cash only restaurant. Exposed brick, European textured and patterned banguettes, and lots of dark wood give Kafana and exotic Euro feel. The food here does not dissapoint if it is a Eurotrip you are seeking. I have been here twice once for dinner and once for lunch. Weekend dinner is busy as people load up on grilled meats and head out for a night of partying. Saturday and Sunday, Kafana is open for lunch and my only dissapointment is the prices are the same as dinner. To start, a peasanty bread arrives with a flavorful red pepper sauce for dipping. This condiment is popular all over Central and Eastern European countries and is delish. I had the cheese pie for $3.95 to start at lunch which was the only dissapointment of both meals, layers of pillowy phyllo with very little feta. Both meals I ate the grilled pork chop($14.95) as an entree which could be the best grilled pork chop I have ever eaten. Mildly spiced and grilled to perfection, this is a pork lovers dream, served with a small salad of greens and radichio. You can add on a side of baker's(roasted) potatoes which are tasty and only cost $3.95. The grilled meats are a Serbian specialty and are not to be missed. At the first dinner my friend and I shared the sour cherry pie which is house made and rolled up with blueberries and was berry delicious.
GO!

James

James the restaurant opened on lovely Carlton Avenue in the same spot as the former and underpopulated Sorrel food spot. Shabby chic decorations like a worn mirror over the bar with wood tables and brown wood banguettes give James a subdued feel. Service is friendly though non-attentive and clueless when asked for their recommendations. The food here does shine, with lots of greenmarket, seasonal options creatively prepared. My starter of heirloom tomato salad with globe basil and warm chevre fondue for $11 was quite good. The goat cheese fondue was a yummy counterpoint to the fresh tomatoes. Bread came upon request. I ordered a main dish of homemade black pepper fettucine with shitake mushrooms and manchego cheese. Fresh, with a nice broth at the bottom, this dish comes in a smaller size for $12 and a larger size for $18. My side of creamed swiss chard for $6 was insanely good, perhaps one of the best sides around. Creamy swiss chard, fresh and naughtily delish. Dessert was the only dissapointment, my dessert of strawberry salad in raspberry cream was ordinary and simple with some of the strawberries not ripe and for $8, I could have skipped it. The bathroom is pretty, with fresh flowers an antique feel and Molton Brown products.
GO!

La Superior

Superior Mexican street food served at this popular new restaurant in the hipster hood of South Williamsburg. The little red colored taqueria joint was crowded on the Tuesday night of my visit. There is a bar at next to the kitchen where singles are seated and two rows of tables backed by beige banguettes. A couple of pics of vintage Mexican movie posters above the bar is the sole decoration. The food is divided into several sections including appetizers, tacos, quesadillas, corrida(larger plates) and sides. The salsa sampler with seven salsas ranging from mild to mildly hot with housemade chips simply rocks. The Gorditas for $5(pictured on right) are little corn cakes filled with a ricotta like cheese and served with a green sauce is simply nothing else I have tasted here or Mexico and is delish. My last dish was the taco de rajas with poblanos and green and white onion which was quite tasty for $2.50. The joint serves aqua frescas made to order and the watermelon ordered was the best I ever tasted. The food is a bit like Cabrito's on Bleeker Street though about two thirds cheaper. Still waiting for it's liquor license the bodega stocks beer across the street and the friendly owner likes a cold one himself.
Must Go!

Sentosa

Sentosa on Prince Street in Flushing shares it's address with several restaurants, but stands apart in cuisine. Malaysian food made to order in a sleek restaurant space. The first floor is full of dark woods creating a relaxing environment in a busy hectic area. My Queens restaurant group dined here on Sunday and it was an exotic taste experience. Malaysian melds flavors from Chinese, Thai and Indian cuisines. My friends began their meal with the roti canai which is a roti pancake with a curry dip of potatoes and chicken. The curry contained some coconut milk which made for a spicy, flavorful dip. My main of the pinapple rice(spicy) was served in a half of a coconut(spectacular) and cost $10. It was filled with calamari, shrimp, rice of course, veggies and raisins sweetened the pot. This dish was delish and what distinguishes Sentosa from other Manhattan Malaysians I have tried is the food is made to order and that makes all the differences. Bathrooms are a tight squeeze upstairs. Flushing is an international destination all by itself.
GO!

Calexico

Gorgeous, Mex. grub made fresh at their newest cart on 25th. Street and Park Ave. South. The offerings are slender though cheap, thoughtful and made to order. Our two burritos pictured on the grill were the Calexico Carne Asada which was good grilled hanger with rice, beans, cheese, pico de gallo and avocado crema on a fresh flour tortilla for $8. I added on guacamole for an extra $2. My friend ordered the black bean burrito for $6 which had the same black beans, pico de gallo, and cheese with chipotle crema instead of avocado crema. The burritos were huge and delish. The other options are pollo asado and chipotle pork. Both are $7 bucks. Other add-ons include chips and salsa, Mexican rice and roasted tomato salsa all for $1-$2 bucks. You can also make any burrito offered served in a burrito bowl with a small salad.Take this good grub over to Madison Square Park for some alfresco dining and you have a lovely lunch.
Must Go!

Pita Joe

Pita Joe is a newish high concept Middle Eastern fast food spot on 14th. Street between 5th. and 6th Ave. Offering healthful offerings made fresh on premises like traditional falafel, house made hummus, and roasted veggies. Chicken snitzel is a less healthful though an increasingly popular dish in the Israeli neighborhoods of Brooklyn. I tried the Pita Joe which included the lovely hummas, a hardboiled egg, grilled eggplant and an add on of Morrocan beets which are roasted with vinegar and garlic. The sandwich costing $6 was very fresh and tasty. Almost all food options are under $10 bucks. A very clever lemonade bar is available with flavors like raspberry and peach. I washed my sandwich down with the peach which was flavorful, though might have been made from a mix. There are lots of veggie options and you can watch them roasted on premises by the man in chef whites in the open kitchen in the rear. No visible john.
GO!

Falai Panneteria

A panneteria is a bread bakery and Falai Panneteria, showcases gorgeous baked breads including country, focaccia, onion, fennel etc. You can take with or enjoy delish food along with a bread basket in this corner cafe on Rivington and Clinton. The whitewashed space is perfect for one or two. The pasta is homemade across the street in the Falai restaurant and is high quality. A new addition to the menu is tapas which are tiny artfully arranged plates like the ones pictured above. You can sample more yummy treats in two or three bite mini plates for $1.50 a pop. We tried the homemade beet pasta with ricotta, the homemade spaghetti with heavenly tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes and a mini panini with cheese and peppers. We shared one of my fave pastas- the papparadelle(wide noodle) with sage, butter sauce and brussel sprouts. This is classic Italian not Southern, or Brooklyn, the chef/owner Iacoppo Falai uses top quality ingredients and organic flour in the bread making each bite a taste sensation. Deserts like bombolini(donut), tarts made from semolina with chocolate, hazelnut cake etc. are also available and a few in tapas form. A nice, little bathroom with Italian film posters is in the corner of the joint.
MUST GO!

Tisserie

Tisserie the Venezuelan bakery and food spot has been around a good year and for good reason. Tasty sandwiches and creative salads like tuna tartare with potatoes, greens and cherry tomatoes make a nice little meal for $6.46. Other salads like one with hearts of palm and avocado or a simple potato and tomato are also good. The corner space at 17th and Broadway which has seen many incarnations is modern and spacious with seating downstairs and upstairs. There are pizzas, quiches and pastry all baked on premises. The mini tarts are yum and I particularly love the nutella and dark chocolate ganache tarts. The tarts are about a buck so you can sample a few. Amazing sounding breakfast platters like the Caracas with a selection of baked goods like raisin danish and pain au chocolat etc. and coffee start at $7.50. The toilet is on the first floor in the rear.
GO!

Bar Americain

Posh, pricey and oh so delish. This tourist location packs them in for updated American classics in a beautiful deco like setting with an open kitchen and lots of comphy banguettes. I have eaten here many times for lunch and Saturday night the first time for din din and there was a din of noise in the packed joint. Of course when you taste the food it is all worth it. The bread basket of warm blueish corn bread rolls is yum and a nice little baguette roll. I ordered the lamb chops for $32.95 which were perfectly cooked medium with a lovely rub and reduction and accompanying corn pudding tart. We shared a sweet potato side which was layers of roasted sweet potatoes. The food was full of flavor, great thought has obviously been made to perfect the best of the genre. We skipped dessert that night, though on previous visits I have had dessert, though find it pales next to the savory. For the price point a complimentary cookie plate would be generous. Bathrooms are upscale.
MUST GO!