Food Rundown:

Crostino
A trio of crostino with varying toppings each day. A safe bet if you’re looking for some finger foods while you drink. Eight dollars gets you three.

Buratta and Grilled Broccoli Rabe
It’s really hard not to like buratta, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that this is good.

Bucatini
Our favorite dish at ESSC. This is an excellent homemade pasta tossed with silver dollars of gooey mozzarella and big wedges of fresh tomato. Simple and slammin’.

Spaghetti
A respectable plate of spaghetti in red sauce with meatballs. This is obviously the dish that’s meant to sell the whole old-school Italian vibe, and it does the job OK…but I still don’t feel like I’m on Arthur Avenue.

Grilled Octopus
A pretty standard small plate of grilled octopus and fingerling potatoes. Skip it unless you’ve got an insatiable craving for tentacles.

Branzino
Again, a pretty standard piece of fish, but a serviceable option if you’re not in the mood for pasta or meatballs. By default, this is served with head and tail on, but they will remove them if you ask nicely. Honestly though, suck it up.

Tuna Burger
Last time we at here, it was about three hours after a lunchtime visit to Prime Burger. There was definitely a temptation to go back-to-back burger, but common sense stepped in. We ordered this tuna burger with a salad instead. You’re welcome, heart. Tuna burgers in general aren’t our thing, and as we expected, this didn’t do much for us. Maybe your vegaquarian friends will like it.

Photo Credit: Daniel Krieger

The Lion is a new joint opened by the chef from Waverly Inn and a bunch of other people you would only know if you a) spent too much time at Beatrice Inn or b) give a shit about who the “celebrity” investors are in a restaurant. Either way, this place is New York’s newest hot spot, and if you read all the other reviews, you’ll no doubt find a long list of A-listers recently sighted here. Exciting! But what has us considering an amendment to one of our beloved dining axioms is that despite all the baggage that comes along with a “scene” like this, the food at The Lion is actually pretty damn good. We’ve even found the place to be generally tolerable on all of our recent visits. Yes, tables can be hard to come by, and yes, it’s full of people who probably refer to themselves in the third person, but so far we’ve found the staff to be friendly and courteous. And while the quality of food and service are a bit surprising – what makes the biggest impression is the interior of the restaurant itself. The main dining area is an amazing two-story space that looks like the living room of a drug addled safari hunter/art collector (my dream job). It’s a pretty incredible place to eat your steak, and makes the hefty price tag a little more bearable. The bar in front is cozy and tavern-like, a perfect spot for sucking back dark and stormys and even possibly scoring a walk up table, especially if you arrive for dinner on the earlier side of the evening.

So while we can’t fully throw our full Infatuation approval behind a place that has a door guy out front, we have to admit that there is a lot to like about The Lion. Enough for us to make one exception to a big time rule…for now.

Photo Credit: Janelle Jones

Food Rundown:

Artichoke Fritters
Delicious little fried spheres with soft artichoke and lemony goodness inside them. On the small side for what you pay, but tasty nonetheless.

Spring Asparagus
A straightforward Spanish classic – fresh asparagus with a soft egg on top. This is always a crowd pleaser, and the Lion’s version is no exception. I think I saw one of these things coming over the kitchen counter and off to a table every twenty seconds.

Pasta Annunziatta
On one of our visits, the waiter had the balls to recommend I try this pasta rather than the burger, which I appreciated. After having both, I’m glad he steered me in this direction. Octopus, guanicale and olives make for an incredible combination tossed with pasta. That guanciale pops in your mouth and leaves behind a fat slick that makes everything that comes after taste awesome.

Burger
We’ve heard people throwing around comments that this thing is up there with Minetta’s Black Label Burger. It’s a good burger for sure, but let’s everyone sit down and take a breather. Plus, we’re not entirely sure that a piece of pork belly on a burger is a good, or particularly responsible idea. We do respect the gusto though.

Lobster Pot Pie
Flaky crust, lobster, vegetables…what’s not to like? This is a football shaped pie full of lobster, and it comes to the table volcano hot.

Delmonico Steak
An expensive steak at $55, but one of the better things on the menu here. This guy is tender and has a nice marble, so it definitely doesn’t lack in flavor.

Food Rundown:

Veggie Burger
I don’t do veggie burgers, but my better half is quite the aficionado and she and her friends have been freaking out over this one since they were in college at NYU over a decade ago. It must be good.

Tunisian Eggs
My personal go-to here: eggs over easy served atop sauteed spicy peppers and tomatoes with home fries and pita. If you love peppers in your eggs, this is your dream dish. If not, this aint for you.

Eggs Blackstone/Eggs Florentine
Orlin poaches a damn fine egg. My two favorites are both listed under the brunch specials: Eggs Blackstone and Eggs Florentine. The Blackstone is bacon, sauteed tomatoes, poached eggs and hollandaise. The Florentine is sauteed spinach, poached eggs and hollandaise. They’re both great and the hollandaise sauce is spot on.

Brioche French Toast
Not my favorite French Toast, but it gets the job done. I’ve had experiences here where it comes out a little dry and overcooked, so I usually skip the french toast and focus on the eggs.

Warm Mozzarella Sandwich
A fixture on their brunch, lunch and dinner menu, this fan-favorite is a scrumptious combination of portobello mushrooms, spinach and sundried tomato puree on baguette.

Hummus Plate
I’m not the hummus expert around these parts, that title goes to Stang. Kid actually bottles his own secret recipe around Christmas and gives them out to his favorite people. Be nice and you might get some this year. Anyway, the Orlin hummus is damn good, and I think even humus snobs like Stang would appreciate.

Roasted Goat Cheese Salad
All their salads are good, but this is the consensus favorite and an excellent light bite. The roasted medallions of goat cheese are quite tasty and the toasted walnuts taste like candy.

The reason we bring this up is because it has presented us with a conflict when it comes Il Bagatto. This is a really good East Village Italian restaurant that we used to hit up often for upbeat drunk dinners and the occasional date. It’s a dark yet lively space with a great downstairs bar and a few excellent menu items. Unfortunately, Il Bagatto has also become home to super long waits, obnoxious patrons, and a guy downstairs on the ones and twos trying to beat mix Rhianna into Men at Work. We’ve dealt with annoying crowds before, but for god’s sake don’t encourage them.

At the end of the day, we’re not recommending that you stay away from Il Bagatto entirely. Just know what you’re walking into during prime time hours. Things can be more sedate early in the week, and it’s honestly worth a visit just for the grilled calamari. Otherwise, there are plenty of other great Italian restaurants in the area, including Il Posto Accanto right next door.

Food Rundown:

Calamari Alla Griglia
Under no circumstance do you skip this. A beautiful plate of grilled calamari with some greens and a few lemon wedges. The calamari has a nice char on it and is perfect. This makes the fried stuff seem like cafeteria food.

Padellata di Cozze Coltivate
Decent mussels that come in a strong garlic and white wine broth, which we’re always a fan of. Honestly, not a dish that will blow you away, but a decent starter.

Gnocchetti Verdi Blu
We have never had gnocchi quite like this. These are bright green spinach gnocchi coated in a fantastic gorgonzola sauce. If you’re into blue cheese, order this.

Fusilli Campagnola Fusilli
A great homemade pasta in with sausage, tomato, and cream sauce. Another one of our favorites here.

Sunday Lasagna Special
A ten layer meat lasagna that is only served on Sundays. Yet another reason to skip the prime-time crowds. Also, this lasagna is a proven remedy for both hangovers and diets.

This review is specifically for the cafe, La Esquina’s urban surf shack – and the taqueria, a prime Outdoor/Patio Situation for People Watching. We’ve bitched plenty about the fact that there is very little in the way of good Mexican food in this city. La Esquina may not be the most authentic Mexican in town, but it is one of the few establishments to properly spin everything we love about NYC restaurants – attention to detail, high quality ingredients and smart flavor combinations – into a taco. Sure, two fish tacos at the cafe cost twelve bucks, but they’re worth every penny. Mexican food also tastes better when you’re listening to mix of funky merengue interspersed between choice favorites from The xx, Miike Snow and Florence + The Machine. Infatuation Approved grub to go along with Infatuation Approved tunes. That’s how we like it.

Food Rundown:

Cafe:

Oxtail Taquitos
We love taquitos. These skinny, crispy guys are a nice way to start off your meal, and for eight dollars, you can’t go wrong.

Ceviche Estilo Acapulco
Easily one of my favorite things to order here, this is a fresh fish ceviche (usually red snapper) that’s served in the same glass bowl you used to get Friendly’s ice cream sundaes in. Fresh lime, avocado, tomatoes and jalapenos give this starter a nice kick. A must order.

La Esquina Mole Negro
Half a chicken drenched in a sweet and savory mole sauce sauce that makes a strong case for best mole in NYC. It’s perfectly balanced – not too heavy or too sweet – and it really brings the chicken to life. We like the chicken mole enchiladas too.

Fish Tacos
Definitely not our favorite fish taco – that honor belongs to Yerba Buena and Mercadito Cantina. That said, on any given day, these can be a little better (or a little worse) than what you’ll find at Pinche and Barrio Chino. The fish shows up skewered in a soft taco with pickled red onions and shaved cabbage. It’s the red onions that get me every time. Pretty damn tasty.

Crispy Pork Tacos
These are absolutely ridiculous. I daydream about them often and pretty much only order this and fish tacos every time I visit…which is why this food rundown isn’t longer.

Taqueria:

Tacos
Solo tacos in the three to four dollar range, most of which land somewhere between good and excellent. Our favorites are the chorizo and the sausage with potatoes and cactus. The seasonal mushroom tacos are also really good.

Tortilla Soup
If you like your tortilla soups thick, skip this. The broth is super thin, but it has great flavor and a nice serving of avocado.

Time Out reports that J.G. is calling ABC his “hippie restaurant”. It’s such a well thought out concept, at first you almost want to roll your eyes and brush it off as one big cliche. Don’t do it. Embrace the flannel shirts, recycled paper towels and foliage free branches. This is industrial rustic done right. Everything is incredibly well executed, and the attention to detail really caught our eye. We’re usually not the type to discuss light fixtures or artwork at the dinner table, but for a brief moment in time, we actually managed to sustain a conversation about something other than our typical immature dinner banter. The ladies at our table were in heaven, and we’re honestly surprised that they didn’t try to stuff every piece of mismatched china and clay dinnerware into their purses. Speaking of purses, typically Jean-Georges dining comes with a hefty price tag, but that’s not the case at ABC Kitchen. This is actually an affordable way to experience his cuisine – indulge you should. A diverse mix of salads, pizzas, pastas and main course proteins decorate a menu that’s meant to be shared. Take a hit and pass, it’s the hippie way.

Food Rundown:

Ramp Toast
Make sure you sample at least one of the toast options on the market table section of the menu. We were all set to roll with the Peekytoe crab toast until we heard the specials. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.

Green Pea Soup
When was the last time you ordered pea soup and had whole peas show up in your bowl? This isn’t your standard pea soup…oh no, these peas are fresh out of JG’s garden and into your belly. There’s something refreshing about how simple this soup is – peas and carrots with a hint of mint. Good stuff.

Mackerel Sashimi
When eating off a balanced menu like this, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not messing with one of the light seafood apps. Since fluke rarely impresses, we went mackerel and really enjoyed it. The ginger marinade really gave it some nice additional flavor.

Roast Carrot and Avocado Salad
This is quickly becoming one of ABC’s signature dishes and with good reason. I usually leave words like “divine” for females to use on their own food blogs, but in this case, I might actually play that card. That’s exactly what a well constructed bite of this salad is – a little bit of carrot, some avocado and a few seeds all in the same mouthful. Divine.

Pretzel Dusted Calamari
This whole ‘pretzel dust’ thing is a little gimmicky and didn’t taste any different from other batches of calamari. My one complaint here is that underneath the alleged pretzel dusting was rubbery, overcooked calamari. The two dipping sauces were excellent though, and somewhat made up for the chewy squid

Bowtie Pasta with Kasha and Veal Meatballs
Jean-Georges’ take on an old Jewish dish Kasha varnishkes would probably have my ancestors rolling in their graves, but had us scraping the plate clean. If you are ordering one pasta dish, this is the one to get. The crispy kasha and fresh bowtie pasta played off the veal meatballs perfectly. Our table freaked out over this.

Whole Wheat Pizza with Clams
God damn. For me personally, it doesn’t get any better than this right here. A ridiculous amount little neck clams brought to life by hints of mint, parsley and fresh chilies. If you like clams, spicy and pizza like me, you’ll be in heaven.

Chili-Herbed Black Sea Bass
A nice piece of fish, this sea bass with a little extra kick was good, not great. If we could do it all over again, we’d roll with the arctic char or cod.

Organic Crispy Chicken
Ideally crispy on the outside, moist and juicy on the inside. Well executed and highly recommended.

Dessert
Saving a little space for sweets here is worth your while. Definitely order the sundae with salted caramel-peanut ice cream, candied popcorn, whipped creme fraiche & chocolate sauce. All you need is a couple bites, but those couple bites are glorious. Other fan faves included the chocolate cake with marshmallow icing and vanilla & citrus cream doughnuts with chocolate dipping sauce. Good times.

Now, I can’t claim that I was around when The Bowery was home to Syd Vicious and Dee Dee Ramone and all the people they did smack with. But I did manage to get here before CBGB turned into a John Varvatos and before Daniel Boulud took a dump on it’s memory by naming his restaurant DBGB. That’s right Danny, God Save the Queen. Unfortunately, I missed the really good stuff, when the neighborhood was filthy and punk rock changed the world. But I did at least experience something a little different – before Mickey and Goofy cleaned up the streets and put in a gift shop.

Either way, Keith McNally is here now, and he’s brought his flagship Pastis over from the Magic Kingdom. What’s the difference between Pastis and Pulino’s? Pizza. Ultimately, this is just another McNally franchise, which is fine, but you better know what to expect before you eat. You aren’t coming here for a great New York pizza experience. You’re coming here to either stare at, or show off some ridiculous legs in a miniskirt, and God bless you for that. The pizzas are definitely decent, but this place is more about the scene and having a good time. We’ll go on record saying that we are totally cool with that…but let’s not shower the joint with Michelin Stars just yet. If you want to avoid the craziness but still get in on the action and get a table, we recommend rolling up at about 10:45 on a Friday night. The bar will still be bumping, but you should sit quickly, and at midnight they begin serving a limited number of killer late night burgers. Part of us definitely wishes there was still some grit to the area, but another part of us is also just fine with late night food and miniskirts. Maybe Disney World isn’t so bad after all.

Food Rundown:

Mozzarella Burrata
A killer burrata, drizzled with olive oil, and all around fantastic. You need this at your table.

Baked Ricotta
Another must to kick off your meal at Pulino’s. This is a cast iron pot of baked ricotta cheese, served with crusty bread. The edges are crispy and brown and the middle is soft, warm and perfect.

Margherita Pizza
The true test of a quality pizza. Believe it or not, this is one of the better pies we had at Pulino’s. Simple and delicious.

Gamberi Pizza
Rock shrimp and speck is an interesting pizza combo, but it definitely works here. The briny shrimp and salty speck are friends when they’re together in my mouth.

Porchetta Pizza
Ah yes, now we’re in our element. Porchetta on pizza is a good fucking idea. The pork is tasty and liberally dispersed, and the fennel comes through strong. This one racked up a few points on the rating for sure.

Funghi Pizza
A pretty basic mushroom pizza. The ’shrooms are good, and this is fine, it’s just nothing special.

Salcissia Pizza
Sausage and broccoli rabe, with a nice kick from some chiles. We liked this one quite a bit.

Photo Credit: Daniel Krieger

Food Rundown:

Oysters
A nice selection of selection of fresh oysters from New Brunswick, Washington and Massachusetts. Ever since we got back from New Orleans, all we want to do is drink beer and eat oysters. This city needs better oyster bars.

King Crab
We got a whole leg and claw (a quarter pound) for thirteen dollars. That’s actually a decent deal. Served cold, the presentation was cool and the accompanying calamari mayo was good too. We would definitely order this again.

Fluke
Nice sized chunks of fluke sashimi served in a pineapple and herb glaze. We really enjoyed the flavor combination of the citrus and fish, but really? This is what I’m eating at Momofuku? This appetizer is more expensive than everything on the Noodle Bar menu, and it just doesn’t fully satisfy. Where my pork buns at?

Asparagus Salad
It’s asparagus season, which means the vegetable is everywhere, and our pee smells. This salad was pretty good, and it better be for eighteen bucks. Diced asparagus are served with crab and egg yolk, and topped off with some salty little potato chips. Not bad at all, but a tough dish to eat with chopsticks. More on that below.

Mussels
Deep down, I was hoping that this was going to be THE reason to come to Má Pêche. Chang was going to invent the most delicious and unhealthy mussel I’ve ever had. He would maybe steam them, then bake them, then deep fry them and serve them with a crazy combination of pork belly, cornflakes, peppers and hot sauce. He didn’t. These mussels are good, but totally standard and run-of-the-mill, even with the presence of crab paste and beer batter. I had better mussels a couple of weeks ago at Prune.

Pork Ribs
Another dish I thought would be legendary and wasn’t. These pork ribs are decent, but again, not the kind of dish we expect by the swine master himself. I’ve had these three times now, and each time they’ve been consistently wet, gooey and slimy.

Rice Noodles with Spicy Pork
This is the most “Momofuku” dish on the menu. It’s similar to the spicy pork sausage and rice cakes entree at Ssam, but is somehow not as satisfying. Those rice cakes are truly special, and the rice noodles here just aren’t.

Short Ribs
I get that Chang likes his chopsticks, but most of these dishes would be better suited for a knife and fork. In this case, you’re served a nice sized bowl of savory short ribs in a thin stew of carrots and spaetzle. The meat was great – soft, tender and quite tasty – it’s just really hard to sop up all the goodness of this dish using chopsticks.

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.

Food Rundown:

Baked Eggs
Served with basil, tomato and cream, it’s the tangy tomato sauce that makes this dish. The eggs get nice and crisp on the outside edges and absorb the sauce and flavor in the middle. It’s a must to get some crusty bread for dunkage.

Orange Blossom Waffle
Orange blossom waffle? What? Don’t worry about it. Just order it. Topped with bananas, blueberries and strawberries, this big circular waffle looks like it came out of the same waffle maker you got off your wedding registry. You’re welcome.

Granola with Raisins, Cashews, Fresh Fruit and Yogurt
I admit there is nothing unique or original about this dish. You can find it on pretty much every brunch menu in town, but Cafe Gitane does good work with the basics.

Arugula, Beets, Apple, Olives & Walnuts Salad
Every restaurant in NYC has some play on this salad, and this one is head and shoulders above the competition. Everything about it is on point, from the fresh ingredients to the portion size. If you’re going salad, get this one.

Baked Feta
Served with capers, thyme, olives and tomatoes, this is one of the better “petit plats” on the menu. This part of the menu is straightforward; what you see is what you get. Brie & Apple? A couple slices of cheese, a couple slices of apple. The plats are a great way to start the meal or snack on while enjoying a coffee, just don’t expect to have your mind blown.

Avacado on Seven Grain Toast
Another “plat” (i really like writing that) not to miss. An excellent dish to share, this toast is topped with avocado, lemon juice, olive oil and chili flakes. Excellent.

Moroccon Couscous
One of their more popular specialties, this (sometimes leaning) tower of couscous is served with red peppers, raisins, toasted pine nuts, hummus and eggplant. We prefer the chicken add-on as opposed to the merguez sausage, although both are pretty solid.

The food is simple and very good – straightforward American, with something for everyone. Fish and meat dishes are equally tasty, and if all else fails, there’s french fries cooked in duck fat. There’s also a nice curbside patio and a huge wine list, which just so happen to work together very nicely. Order a few bottles and hang out for a while.

Food Rundown:

Buffalo Mozzarella
I haven’t met a buffalo mozzarella that I didn’t like, but this one is especially good, largely due to the balsamic carmelized onions on top.

Troutlings
Whole baby trout, deep fried and served with a tartar sauce. These are awesome. Pop them in your mouth head and all. I used to do this with goldfish in college, but they were alive and I was drinking Keystone Light out of a bucket instead of expensive wine. Otherwise not much else has changed.

Duck Fat Fries
I don’t know what to say about this other than to state the obvious. These are french fries, fried in duck fat. Enough said.

English Cut Lamb Chop
A huge cut of lamb that looks like a t-bone steak. Served with baby carrots, anchovy, and fennel. Excellent, but this is a massive plate of food, so come hungry. Those baby carrots are amazing.

Pan Seared Salmon
A really nice piece of salmon. Perfectly cooked and the peas and guanciale on the plate make it that much better.

Sauteed Skate Wing
Another great piece of fish, this one is a perfectly cooked piece of skate served with brown butter and golden raisins.