Aside from having a bocce court in the dining room, Il Vagabondo isn’t much different than any other old school, NYC Italian restaurant. We have so many places like this in town that it’s hardly worth writing them up … “the home made pasta is great, best meatballs ever, their red sauce is to die for” … whatever. What makes Il Vagabondo special, and worth some real estate on this site is that it’s a true neighborhood restaurant. Regulars have been coming here for forty years, not four. Friendly faces and consistent food keep people coming back. It’s a relaxed atmosphere – the antithesis to Il Mulino, and not somewhere you are going to bring your friends on a weekend night to blow their mind. This is a place to chill out and get down on some pasta on a winter Tuesday. The front bar and dining room have been renovated sometime within the last ten years, but we recommend eating in the “vintage” dining room with the bocce court. If you’ve got any self-respect, you’ll slam a bottle of wine and challenge some old dudes to a game.
When we heard about The Mermaid Inn opening an “Oyster Bar” in the Village, we were fired up like burnouts scrambling for tickets to the Phish shows at MSG. We’ve been frequenting the East Village location for years now, and the uptown outpost is just as good. They both serve up great fish and a nice lobster roll, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a safer bet for an “Early In the Game Date.” I also just recently had an incredible meal at Neptune Oyster in Boston and it’s been on the brain ever since. So naturally, we went in to the new Mermaid optimistic and ready to throw down some bivalves. Now, the place has all of the same appealing qualities as it’s predecessors and the food is good, but an oyster bar? I guess fifteen or so varieties qualify you, but we were hoping for a deeper raw bar and a little more excitement. Where’s the oyster inspiration? How about an oyster stew, maybe a po’ boy? The menu is standard Mermaid Inn fare, which is fine, but we had hopes for something a little more inventive. What it comes down to is that the Oyster Bar is perfect for mid-day beers and a dozen on ice, but it’s really just another Mermaid Inn. Hit up Flex Mussels if you’re looking for some inspired variations on a theme.
Wilfie & Nell is a cozy little bar situated right on the edge of that part of the West Village that you might also know as “the vortex”. We’ve lived in New York City for almost eight years and even with Google Maps, Hopstop and a few orienteering courses, we still get turned around down here. Luckily, there are plenty of good reasons to find yourself lost in the neighborhood, and this place is one of them.
Seeing as how we’re writing about it on this site, you would be right to assume that Wilfie & Nell is a restaurant – they serve not only dinner but now brunch, and the menu was originally curated by Momofuku alumni and Brooklyn Star owner Joaquin Baca. But it is first and foremost a place you come to drink, rather than a place you come to eat. Consider it an added bonus that the bar food you’ll likely be eating while standing near a tiny ledge is pretty good. Tables fill up quickly, as do the bar seats, and thirty people can make the place feel crowded thanks to low cielings and strange layout. Nonetheless, it’s a vibey bar that will get you cool points on a date, or maybe even land you one for later in the week. Just try not to spill mustard on your pants while you eat in the corner.
Ever see a crew of smokin’ hot models walking down the street and wonder, “where have these pieces of ass been all my life?” Lunching at Cafe Gitane, that’s where. There are so many European runway jockeys and uber-cool celebs in this place, you’d think they’re giving away free Diet Coke and cigarettes.
Cafe Gitane is the epitome of the “it” downtown cafe – a quintessential Nolita eatery and place to See and Be Seen that so many places try (and fail) to replicate. The food is actually prettty good. Dinner can be underwhelming, but brunch is indeed chronic, and the prices aren’t as bad as you might expect. But Cafe Gitane isn’t for everyone. The place is tiny, and staring down a bunch of really hot people while you cram your fat ass into a little chair isn’t always awesome. You are also pretty much guaranteed to face long waits, but during the summer it’s a great Warm Weather Dining destination, and can be worth hanging around for a table on the street or near one of the big windows. Especially if you’re looking to drink some coffee and watch the action go by.
While the East Village currently thrives on next level pork and ramen noodles, the West Village has become the epicenter for downtown NYC’s New American explosion. It feels like every week a new spot opens to rave reviews and an immediately packed house. 10 Downing is the latest of well received restaurants in this hood, and is conveniently situated on a diagonal corner just south of the melting pot that is West 4th St. The space that houses 10 Downing is fantastic, and features an open, triangular dining room with a separate bar area, plus a solid fifteen tables for outdoor seating. The walls are completely covered in fun, colorful artwork and lined with black and white PR shots of random celebrities, including some well known fictional characters (shout to Paddington Bear). Overall, the vibe is great and the restaurant has a nice downtown feel to it. In addition to dinner, it’s the kind of place I’d come to just hang out and have a drink. We rolled in on a Thursday evening without a reservation and were seated within 10 minutes, even with people lined up two deep at the bar. I feel that. The service was great, but overall, the food was a little underwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my meal very much, I just didn’t think the food we ordered met the great expectations I had going in. That being said, I really liked the space, the scene, and the vibe at 10 Downing, and will definitely be going back again. Hopefully they have the short rib on the menu next time because I’ve heard it’s RIDICULOUS.
