Café Habana is the coolest eatery in NYC. What’s the secret behind their permanent 30 to 45 minute wait and constant mob of people hanging out in front? It’s the crack they put on top of their Mexican style grilled corn of course. Once you’ve dabbled in it, it’s nearly impossible to not come back for more. Situated on an ideal corner in the heart of Soho, Café Habana is the big ticket. People come from far and wide to witness greatness at work. They cram themselves into the tiniest spaces, literally sitting on top of strangers next to them. Comfort is not something Habana achieves in the traditional sense; it’s something they achieve through their food. Their menu is straight up dirty (in a good way). Everything is cheap. Everything hits the spot.
You obviously know by now that we’re not vegetarians. At times, this site feels like little more than a lengthy discussion about skirt steak and pork parts. Why then, are we giving so much love to a restaurant serving only raw food? Because while we may not be vegetarians, we are devoted hedonists, and Pure Food and Wine is all about pleasure. That and every musician we know talks about the place like it’s the Carnegie Hall of restaurants.
A few years back, Sarma Melngailis decided to show New York that a raw food restaurant doesn’t have to mean serving carrot sticks and lentils to a soundtrack of Ben Harper songs. Pure Food And Wine opened, and in the process she’s become an icon among those passionate about the raw lifestyle. Her restaurant, cookbooks, and One Lucky Duck takeaway business have all been extremely successful, and it’s because, raw or not, the food is incredible.
Since the day we launched this website as a side project from our full time jobs in the music business, it has been, and continues to be a labor of love. “Labor” comes in the form of lots of late night meals and early morning writing. The love part is our passion for eating good food and running our mouths about it (we also kind of love taking it to the house on bad restaurants when necessary). Next week, we’ll hit one hundred reviews on immaculateinfatuation.com. Along the way to one hundred, we’ve only come across a few places that were new to us and blew our minds. Barbuto is one of them.
Raoul’s is the shit. That’s really the only proper way to put it. If you can’t have a good time here, you probably can’t have a good time anywhere. This boisterous French bistro has been a Soho institution since the 70’s. It’s that awesome NYC restaurant depicted in your favorite Woody Allen flick, one that probably doesn’t exist in real life. Except it does and in reality it’s just as cool. Raoul’s is useful for a variety of different reasons. Having dinner with friends from out of town? They will feel the upbeat, lively vibe at Raoul’s. Double date with your favorite party couple who like to un-tuck, throw a couple back and grub hard? This is the place. Just be prepared to drop dollars. On the prowl after work with your favorite wing-man/wing-woman? There’s all kinds of good action here and a nice variety to choose from; a classy crowd of spunky ladies and well put together dudes. If you want to be all up in the mix, make sure to request a table in the front of the restaurant. For a more subdued good time, the back atrium through the kitchen is where it’s at. Time to talk food.
Much like other recent openings (see Minetta Tavern, DBGB), Locanda Verde has been a hot topic among food critics and writers of late. Those who faithfully read these reviews will surely come away able to tell their friends all about how Robert DeNiro is still involved, as is an up and coming New York chef, Andrew Carmellini. And they will surely let everyone know how much better Locanda Verde is than Ago was, even though the Ago in LA is fantastic. How nice for them.
Luckily, you come to this site for the real deal (and also because you are awesome), so here it is. Locanda Verde is a very good restaurant, and it is so because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. What does that mean exactly? The space is nice, but you’re not going to be sending your friends pics from your blackberry. The wait staff is pleasant and well versed in the menu, but they aren’t going to make you want to drop a thirty percent tip. The wine list is nice, though ordering by the glass seems to be the way to go. Most importantly, the majority of the food on the menu is very good on its own, but if you order correctly, the entire meal will be a fantastic experience and you will need a forklift to get your fat ass out of there. Take each individual aspect, add it together, and you have a pretty great dining experience, one that is actually quite deserving of the recent praise. Kudos to Bobby D.
Feature: Infatuation TV: P.O.S.
