Maialino's

Danny Meyer's Roman trattoria is a remarkable achievement. Housed in the elegant Gramercy Park Hotel, you can look out at the lovely private park and enjoy your meal.
Starting with the hostess who said would you like to wait for your party at the table, and being seated at a comphy booth you feel the professionalism right from the start. The room has a warm feel and no noisy din usually associated with a full restaurant. We went for brunch and wanted to try a few things so we shared. Starting with the bombolini($4) and the brioche carmellatto($3). For the mains we also shared the malfatti(open ravioli) with their signature suckling pig($21) and a ricotta pancakes($14).
The roman style bread(pictured) served simply with sea salt was super.
The brioche was warmed in a tiny toaster oven- a homey touch for such a nice spot. Perfect tiny donuts with a light custard. The malfatti is perfection with it's housemade yolky pasty filled with the slightly salty pig in a butter sage sauce with the green from the arugula. The ricotta pancakes are light, sweet, cooked perfectly and served with a splendid fruit compote. My hot chocolate with flowere creme fraiche on top $5 was a tad light though pretty. A carefully chosen wine list. Bathrooms could be better lit. Gramercy Park Hotel- 2 Lexington Avenue.
MUST GO!

The Green Table

Organic and seasonal restaurant within Chelsea Market, The Green table offers a sit-down spot within the market. With a menu focused on American classics with a full range of meat and veggie options. We dined there for Sunday brunch and it was a lovely meal. I went with the half grilled cheese sandwich served with a soup and dressed greens for $13. The soup of winter squash, carrot, coriander and bacon was tasty, not creamy, but super flavorful. Raw Vermont cheddar on Amy's bread with apple chutney was delish. The mac and cheese pictured served with dressed greens was $15, very tasty, albeit small for the price.
GO!

Campo di Fiore

Highly rated for it's pizza, Campo di Fiore is a Park Slope restaurant which turns out Roman style food. It is a plain looking spot on a corner with slightly confused service. The pizza is by the pie. There were some left over slices from lunch and I went with one topped with an eggplant for $4. I also ordered orzotto which is a barley like pasta served with asparagus, speck and parmigianno cheese. The orzotto was a flavor fest and the slice while good was not outstanding. This spot is more local than boroughwide.
SLOWGO!

Pulino's Bar/Pizzeria

Believe what you heard about the latest feather in the Keith McNally cap. It is a stunning corner spot with a similar design to Pastis and Schiller's. The pizza here is perfect. I went for brunch and started with a bitter chocolate, orange and cranberry scone for $3. Housemade and delicious. For the main I went with the Spinaci(half) for $9. The spinaci is a pizza with a soft egg, spinach, mozzarella, marscapone and grana. The thinnish crust is pizza perfection- well cooked, only ever so slightly charred. Flavors of this pizza are super. The hot chocolate though beautiful was a little weak for my taste.
MUST GO!

Landmark Tavern

This 100 year old tavern in Hells Kitchen on 11th Ave is a landmark in so many ways. A beutiful wood laden front dining area with windows on two sides, provides a nice view. The service here is friendly and personal. The menu offers traditional Irish bar fare and it is done well. Nice raisiny bread starts the meal service. I went with a burger with cheese and asked for the garlic mayo with my fries. This unadorned burger was perfectly cooked with it's cheddar cheese perfectly melted. The fries were good bar fries and the garlic mayo a delish compliment. The shepard's pie pictured was also super rich and tasty. We finished the meal with homemade ice-cream of hazelnut and vanilla- a silky finish.
GO!

Chef 28

Can you say Spare Ribs? On a non-descript block and having not been here since it was renovated a few years ago- I was pleasantly surprised. While not cheap, lunch specials generally run under $10, but not by much. Greasy, fat wontons just like I like them start the meal. I went with the wonton soup which was good with big wontons. The ribs were a delicious surprise- meaty, carmelized, porky goodness. I will return for those ribs.
Go!

Delta Grill

While fiending for chicken fried steak and a comforting meal, I headed to Delta Grill for lunch. Long a mainstay on Ninth Ave, the fireplace and Cajun comfortable dining room are a welcoming sight on a cold day. They have lots of lunch choices all $14 and under- not the cheapest on the Avenue, but certainly well worth the price. Soup and half sandys run $8.95 which are some of the cheaper options. The $11 chicken fried steak was absolutely delicious. Crunchy fried steak smothered in onion gravey, alongside mashed potatoes with some spice from jalepenos. The veggies on the plate were cooked al dente and smacked of lip smacking butter. A lip smacking, stick to your ribs meal. All the Cajun and Creole Louisiana faves are featured here in an authentic setting.
GO!

Minetta Tavern

A space that looks like a mini-Sardis with cramped red banguettes and old celebrity photos. Minetta Tavern, offers celebrity style dining to the average joe with deeper than average pockets. There was a D-lister present whose name escaped us, but the show is the food itself. Balthazar bread arrives first and then the absoloutely most professional service and knowledgable waiter. We were seated at a two-top and the place quickly filled with folks and conversation. This was a stellar dining experience and recommended for a special occacion or just for a special night out. I ordered the special appetizer of roasted brussell sprouts, shaved parmesan and a poached egg wtih bacon lardons. The brussell sprouts were shredded and the flavors were a great mix of savory and bacony. Of course, the star of the show was the Cote de Boef(medium rare) which is marbled rib eye and bone marrow roasted(pictured above). Some of the best meat I have ever tasted was on this dish($110). The salty marbled rib eye and the gelatin like innards of the bone marrow made for a naughty pleasure. The pommes aligots- basically mashed potatoes with cheese curds were a good side dish to the spectacular main. We exchanged the boring hazelnut crepe for a chocolate dacqoise which is chocolate ganache with hazelnut meringue and was positively foodgasmic.
MUST GO!

Brooklyn Commune

Newly opened Brooklyn Commune was teeming with toddlers and their harried parents on their first Saturday opened. A lovely corner space on Prospect and Greenwood Avenues, the spot fills some sort of need for a cafe/market for locals. Having some local mission in mind- their appears to be house made jams and granolas as well as a nice selection of salads and sandys. I went with the BLT(pictured) for $8 which features sugar glazed bacon, avocado and tomato with tomato jam on grilled country bread along with a few taro chips and some steamed yellow wax beans. The bacon on the sandy(not cooked to order) was tasty though the tomatoes were mealy and underripe which ruined the sandy's texture. The house mixed chocolate which went into the hot chocolate($2.50) was dastardly good- rich, dark and lovely and not to be missed. Other items like breads(TomCat and Orwarshers) and cookies(Amy's) are imported. If you want to relax- skip the prime times as waits for food can be lengthy as well as the noise levels from lots of kids can be daunting.
SLOW GO!

Astor Bake Shop

An oasis in the middle of the desert, this expansive corner spot with high ceilings showcases the baked goods of it's expert owner/baker. Having been a pastry chef at some of Manhattan's top restaurants- he opened his own joint in the lovely Astoria 'hood. Delectable baked goods, and smells abound here. I found Astor while chowing down at the Foundry event for Queens Harvest(the first Queens food co-op). Pumpkin eclairs, apples covered in chocolate and pecans, coconut cake, the lovely rustic apple pie(pictured) I particularly enjoyed the red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting to which the baker adds granualated sugar on top for some flavor and "textural contrast". Their are some savories on the menu including a burger and chicken sandwich. The space and relaxed vibe lends itself to some major sweet tooth satisfisfaction. If I lived nearby, I would live in here. 12-23 Astoria Blvd.
GO!

Queens Eats

Queens Eats was a benefit at "The Foundry" in Long Island City to benefit the first Queens food Co-op named the Queens Harvest Food Co-op. A brilliant industrial space featuring some top Queens restaurants including M Wells, De Mole, Testaccio, Vesta, Market and Bareburger. Bakeries such as Cream and the fabulous Astor bakeshop sweetened the pot. Standout savories included the frank with beens and homemade slaw from my beloved M Wells and brisket and slaw sliders on brioche roll from Market. The Astor baker rocked out with red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing with some granulated sugar on top.

Food Parc

A food bazaar with a high tech twist. Order from computer stations around this multi-culti food spot. Italian pizzas and paninis, burgers and grilled cheese, Asian flair at Redfarm stand and desserts at the dessert station. Luxe, loungey seating inside are great. Food is hit or miss as the burgers rock out with Pat La Frieda meats. The Redfarm stands offer some innovative choices like smoked bacon egg rolls and water chestnut and arugula salad with passion fruit dressing- both yum and under $10 plus made to order. The 3B Burger Station offers made to order burgers with meats from Pat La Frieda. A cheeseburger, fries and a small drink run under $10. Patty is cooked on the flattop and steamed with American cheese, a special sauce and lettuce and tomato. Fries are cooked and salted to perfection. You can eat well and cheaply here if you choose wisely. Sixth Ave. and 29th St.
Go!