Immaculate Infatuation

Mercat was one of the first to pounce on NoHo’s recent transformation to another one of Manhattan’s “it” neighborhoods. It’s an intriguing situation for reasons including their prime real estate, bustling bar scene, and festive atmosphere. Their selection of exclusively Spanish wines is just as attractive as the pretty people drinking them. Shocker special – the food is good too. With so much focus on the space, you might assume the food would get overlooked. Thankfully, that’s not the case. These relatively pricey “small” plates are worth every penny. Their tapas are nicely sized, so be careful not to over-order. We prefer Mercat for drinks and small plates (either at the bar or in the downstairs tapas lounge) as opposed to a full sit down dinner.

Youthful, Catalan-born owner Jamie Reixach killed it with the decor. The twenty grand he dropped on old Spanish newspapers to line the walls was a damn good spend. There’s a nice contrast between the exposed brick and white subway tiles. The open kitchen, high ceilings, well laid out tables and spacious bar all contribute to a nicely flowing restaurant. Mercat’s balance between SoHo chic and Meatpacking euro make for some seriously entertaining people watching. You won’t catch the Infatuation hanging out here on a regular basis, but every once in a while it’s fun to kick back, drink in hand, and watch the ridiculous action unfold around you.

… read more

First off, much respect goes out to Ken Friedman who owns The Spotted Pig. Dude worked in the music biz for years before venturing into the culinary world and we obviously applaud the marriage of music and food. The fact that Bono, Trent Reznor, and Courtney Love are all listed as investors is awesome. Friedman’s landlord, Jay-Z, can now add the 173-year-old building that houses The Spotted Pig to his resume of timeless classics which already include Infatuation favorites Reasonable Doubt and The Black Album. Jigga decided to buy the place and renovate, adding more dining/bar space on the second floor and an exclusive third floor room where he and his crew can dine in peace, away from the riff-raff.

Appearing in Page Six on a regular basis and having a lively bar scene has led The Spotted Pig to become one of New York’s most infamous eateries. Don’t be fooled by the hype on the food though – this is next level gastro-pub fare, not fine dining. The food isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but you’re coming here for the scene first, food second. Although The Spotted Pig is only five years old, the interior space properly reflects its vintage home. Sporting plaid booths and an overabundance of pork related paraphernalia, the space has a real old New York feel to it. The Spotted Pig doesn’t take reservations, so be prepared to commit at least an hour to wait for your table. Hopefully you’ve got money to spend at the bar while you wait. The Spotted Pig is ideal for evenings where you’re looking to mix it up, throw a couple down, and see where the night takes you.

… read more

Finally. After multiple failed attempts at getting a table here, we got lucky … and during prime time no less. Literally ten minutes after sitting down at the communal table, a mob of people gathered outside to wait for a table. Bottom line, this place is great but it’s almost always a pain in the ass to get a table. Good thing there are plenty of other options on the same block. Welcome to “Beldel” (below Delancy), one of the coolest up and coming hoods in downtown Manhattan. With the LES quickly becoming the second coming of Murray Hill, the realness factor of Broome between Orchard and Ludlow is quite refreshing.

Based on the fact that they had new records from Infatuation approved Empire Of The Sun and Phoenix on random, it’s very likely that next time we go in there they’ll have the Miike Snow disc in rotation. I mention this because Miike Snow’s show at Mercury Lounge just so happened to be what brought us to Barrio Chino in the first place. If you haven’t heard their single “Animal” yet, you’re missing out on a serious summer jam.

The restaurant itself is tiny. There are only a couple of tables, the rest of the seating is either at the bar or communal table. Prepare yourself to be elbow to elbow with the stranger next to you and don’t come with a group of more than four. The vibe, drinks, and food make up for the fact that the service is seriously lacking. Two waiters for 48 people? (I counted). Not good. At least they have amazing mustaches. Be careful, although the menu doesn’t appear to be pricey, after a couple margaritas, an appetizer, and a main, you’re dropping $50-60 a head. A little expensive but it’s worth it.

… read more

La Lucha isn’t just another taco joint trying to capitalize on the throngs of drunk college kids quickly migrating to the East Village. Now that Avenue A is essentially turning into Bourbon Street, a place like San Loco gets by because those kids are so wasted they think that garbage actually tastes good. I know, I’ve been there. Young and stupid. Late night catfish tacos from The Loco. Why? “Cause it’s four o’clock in the fucking morning…”, (the single greatest screamo song ever). Thankfully, La Lucha is here to raise the bar and learn those kids a thing or two.

La Lucha is serving tacos with a purpose. They’re putting their Mexican street food on full display, and having fun in the process. The whole experience is supposed to emulate what going to a wrestling match in Mexico City would be like (insert your favorite Nacho Libre joke here as every other review of LL has). Influenced by what La Lucha’s owners would eat with their friends and family before a match, this is authentic Mexican street food refined a bit for NYC. A different kind of taco than East Village favorites like Mercadito Cantina and Mercadito, this is down and dirty, south of the border style with more flair, wrestling paraphanlia and toys. It’s kind of like eating Mexican street food at Kid Robot.

… read more

A loyal reader recently reached out to us on our Facebook page with a great point: we need a Damn Good Steaks tag. Damn right we do. Thanks Valerie. So it shall be.

There aren’t all that many steakhouses that meet our Infatuation standards for high quality and low quantity of business class asshats. Quality Meats is one of those places, and is precisely why we needed this new tag. Even though it’s in Midtown, this multi-level meat market serves up one of our favorite steaks in town, and it’s not what you might expect from a steakhouse in the area. Though they aren’t nearly on the same level, Quality Meats has a downtown aesthetic in the vein of Gramercy’s BLT Prime, just a little louder and heavier on the testosterone. This definitely isn’t a quiet dinner over a steak. This is where you kick off your bachelor party. You’re going to Abe & Arthur’s after aren’t you? She’s a lucky girl.

… read more