Proprietors/Executive Chef: Rosario Procino

Greenwich Village – 271 Bleecker Street, New York, NY

Bright Lights…was my first impression of Keste.  Really bright and narrow…and all the  familiar furniture and wood oven fire everybody is used to seeing in a humble, yet authentic pizza restaurant.  Not big by any means, and seats will quickly fill up before 9pm.  Decor is uninspiring to say the least.. it definitely looks like your typical, average pizza joint.  But the food is absolutely good….so don’t let the decor fool you.  Additionally, for those that are gluten intolerant, they definitely have an impressive listing of gluten-free and vegan pizzas…. but if you are not intolerant to gluten, WHY in the world would you order gluten-free pizza?  I’m sure it taste just as good.  Obviously, I have opted for their regular dough.  Think Old School… there is nothing modern about this place whatsoever… Don’t get me wrong, sometimes old school is nice and relaxing.

Nothing like a good Neapolitan… margherita pizza w/ salami & fig & prosciutto.  perfectly individual sized, with a crust that is nicely charred and a bit on the “fluffy” side.  Love that they make most of their own cheese (burrata & mozzarella).  The menu is so extensive and inspiring, you will have such a hard time choosing one you’d like…. Since i judge a pizza by it’s classic margherita, it made sense to pick a staple here (we couldn’t resist adding salami on top)….and for the second option, we went a little risque and chose a special for the night, fig & prosciutto.  Both were VERY different, yet very tasty

margherita w/ salami

Fig & Prosciutto

Tiramisu

Not recommended for a first date, but great place to catch up with an old friend or lover you are beyond comfortable with…but if you don’t care for all of the above, go just to try great food.  It’s a favorite classic and a staple in the heart of Greenwich Village.

Proprietors/Executive Chef: Philippe & Maud Bonsignour

West Village – 113 Horatio Street, New York, NY

From the creators of 11th st cafe & Bonsignour..comes a new bakery, bar &  bistro in town.  AND it sits pretty (far) by the west side highway.   no small matter… this place is pretty bad ass and I’d hike lengths to come back to this wonderful new addition to the neighborhood with an amazing view of the Hudson River.  The restaurant itself is very generous, with big open windows, wooden decor (makes you feel all cozy, like in a cabin-type of feel)…and the bar (both coffee and liquor) is massive.  There is something very comforting about this restaurant that makes you feel like home.  this bistro is so versatile, whether you are brunching, having dinner or grabbing a few drinks, you can do it all here at bakehouse, day or night.

All Things French…exquisite, simple, wholesome.  from the coffee to their cocktails to their food…and pastries.  if their goal is to be well-rounded, well, they have pretty much accomplished that.  a gf and i wanted to check out this new spot for brunch…. on the menu, the blood orange Bellini immediately caught my eye.  hard to mess up a Bellini in my opinion, and this one was not too sweet with lots of bubbles… it was just right.  for our entrees, we both couldn’t resist the while mushrooms, asiago & truffle omelette.  Apparently, it was the waitress’s favorite item on the menu.  it was indeed very good… one thing i wished was that it was coupled with spinach, asparagus… ANYTHING vegetables… and also wish there was more asiago… otherwise, it was a whole lot of fluffy egg.  It was at least paired with potatoes and salad.  The highlight was their pastries….. having ran out of the almond croissant… we decided to go with another suggested recommendation– apricot brioche.  The perfect combination of salty & sweet… fresh apricot nestled on top of the smooth, creamy, clean-tasting custard… the brioche is soft and buttery, it literally melted my heart.  The best part?  It wasn’t too sweet, which equals perfection.

now… must visit their p.m. scene and see if it’s worth checking out….

mushroom, asiago & truffle omelette

apricot brioche

www.augustny.com

Proprietor/Chef: Jordon Frosolone

Category: American

Neighborhood: West Village
359 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014
(212) 929-8787

Mood: unique humble eats.. that look flawless and almost effortless …

Tastes Like: great food accented European (French/Italian) with a slight Mediterranean flare that is sure to be connected with their wood fired oven.  wood fired ovens make everything taste that much better.  Although the menu is tiny, I am positively certain that my choices were straight As.  I couldn’t be happier.  The roasted sweetbreads was one of the best that I ever had and it was my first time having it “roasted” versus the usual pan seared.  It gave it an extra crisp … and longing me for more.  The hake and shellfish bouillabaise was wonderful.  Light, smoky, aromatic, full of saffron, fennel and onion flavors, but not too salty… the perfect combo for me in what I’m looking for in a bouillabaise broth.  

Must Haves: Roasted Sweetbreads… Hake & Shellfish bouillabaise … for brunch, consider trying one of the baked eggs.. my favorite Alsatian

Stay Away: N/A

Ambiance: back garden for a nice outdoors feel… wooden decor, cork decorum, give a rustic, cozy feeling.

Service: i experienced that dinner service was really slow…however, they were very nice and laid back.  for brunch, once we expedited our request (because we were in a hurry) it was probably the fastest brunch I ever had.

Rating: 5 stars

Caveat: N/A

http://porestaurant.com/

Proprietor/Chef: Steve Krane/Lee McGrath

Category: American

Neighborhood: West Village
31 Cornelia St, New York, NY 10014
(212) 645-2189

Mood: extremely casual, intimate setting looking for seasonal foods and classics renowned

Tastes Like: fresh, locally sourced… a real dine in treat.  really enjoyed the white bean bruschetta for our little starters.  The olive oil was very light, rustic tasting and devine. The hangar steak was cooked beautifully in a gorgonzola butter sauce, accompanied with potatoes and escarole.  I decided to go to with the sauteed sweetbreads…my first time ordering as a whole entree as opposed to just appetizers.  I think it was too much for me… usually when I order it in the form of an appetizer, I can’t get enough…. Ordering it as an entree was too much for me…though I still enjoyed it.  By the end, I just got sick of it.

Must Haves: n/a

Stay Away: n/a

Ambiance: Extremely tiny, very casual setting, a few seats at the bar… narrow strip with tables on both ends.  If you’re lucky like us, there are exactly two tables by the big open windows.  Score!

Service: Helpful, funny, kind hearted.

Rating: 3 stars

Caveat: Call to score a res or you can end up waiting up to an hour on the weekend.

www.thelittleowlnyc.com

Proprietor/Chef: Joey Campanaro

Category: American

Neighborhood: West Village
90 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014
(212) 741-4965

[pics up soon]

Mood: basic staples and familiar flavors that are easy and comforting on your palate.

Tastes Like: superb, comfort food with choices from seafood to meat you can’t go wrong. they have excellent meatball sliders here.. so juicy and tender.  they do an excellent lamb shank, the meat is so tender and sauce is delectable.  it’s one of the best lamb shanks I’ve had in the city.  If you have a sweet tooth, you must end with the beignettes.  Fried and dusted with powder sugar, it’s filled with nutella and accompanied with rasberry sauce for dipping.  They offer sliders for brunch service too…whatever you do… GET the sliders.  They come in three, beef, pork & veal.  Truly a gifted unforgettable meal.

Must Haves: sliders.  lamb shanks.  beignettes (nutella and rasberry sauce)

Stay Away: n/a

Ambiance: Intimate, charming… you’ll feel as if you’re dining near your fireplace…without the actual fireplace present.

Service: prompt & courteous and never fails to refill your glass of water.  they were very customer service oriented and allowed us to add an extra slider if we wanted to to make it even for both of us.  love it.

Rating: 5 stars

Caveat: Always so busy, whether for brunch or dinner service.  If you’re willing to wait for bar seats, go for it.  Otherwise, make reservations which can be an upwards of 3 months.  Yeah, crazy I know, unless you are willing to eat dinner at 5pm…

www.markettablenyc.com

Proprietor/Chef: Mikey Price/Joey Campanaro

Category: American

Neighborhood: West Village
54 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014
(212) 255-2100

Mood: basic staples and familiar flavors that are easy on your palate.  if you’re a seafood lover, this place is for you.  if you like little owl, this place is also for you.

Tastes Like: high quality food, so versatile across various categories  you can savor to bits.  i’m quite certain that dinner will be spectacular (if not more) than my luncheon experience here.  i personally ordered the burger, which was a bit too heavy for lunch, but the burger was cooked medium rare to perfection and fries were crispy and seasoned accordingly.  Not the best burger I’ve had, but good enough to leave satisfied.  I’ve also had the pleasure in sampling the falafel which is excellent!  The potato gnocchi was a bit heavy and lacked sauce.  I’m disappointed that I didn’t try anything seafood, but that shall wait for dinner.  

Must Haves: falafel

Stay Away: n/a

Ambiance: The restaurant is unmarked, so be sure not to walk past it.  Fresh, sleek, big open windows and wooden tables that give it that rustic feel.

Service: no complaints.  catered to our needs even in the busiest of times.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Caveat: Extremely long waits for dinner service, which I have neither the patience or stomach for.  Try to make resv. or come super early and be prepared to wait at least 45 min.

www.pearloysterbar.com

Proprietors/Chef: Rebecca Charles

Category: Seafood

Neighborhood: West Village
18 Cornelia St, New York, NY 10014
(212) 691-8211

Mood: seafood delight… lobster rolls… oysters… daily catch.

Tastes Like: great seafood without all the fancy fixings.  i was in the mood for skate which they pan seared to a lovely degree with wonderful crunchy snap peas.  The bouillabaisse was amazing … more so the broth than the actual seafood with a great assortment.  

Must Haves: oysters .. people keep talking about the lobster roll, which undoubtedly looked delicious.

Stay Away: n/a

Ambiance: very casual… noise level is about appropriate.

Service: so far, so good. everything comes out pretty quickly.

Rating: 4 stars

Caveat: small menu, tiny restaurant, so be prepared to wait!

www.pintonyc.com

Proprietors/Chef: Teerawong Nanthavatsiri / Kobsak Songyoo / Tony Phutchaphong

Category: Thai

Neighborhood: West Village
118 Christopher St, New York, NY 10014
(212) 366-5455

Mood: Spicy, but can accommodate your non-spicy requests .  Gourmet in a good way.  A small touch of class without the decadence.  Wine bottles so cheap, makes a perfect date for two.

Tastes Like: pure, fresh and to the point.  not overly complicated, but simple flavors that really stand out due to the freshness and quality of the ingredients.  the one thing on the menu that caught my eye was the fact that their meats & tofu were organic/free range.  I’m an avid supporter of organic products and antibiotic free.  Chef Tony came from Jean Georges, so I should have already expected nothing but the best here.   You should feel good about the food you’re eating (literally), so kudos to Pinto for sharing their love.  I loved my chicken panang curry, it was fragrant and not too heavy.  I typically like my curry super thick, but this was not so thick and it had the right amount of sweetness and spice.  I was ok with it.  The basil and zucchini was a bonus to the dish, as you typically don’t get too many veggies in a traditional thai curry dish.  Other notables were the chicken basil and the pad see ew.  The noodles were chewy and sweet!  Check out their lunch steals… for $8, you can salad, appetizer & main entree.  Unbelievable and unbeatable!

Must Haves: Thai ice tea (deconstructed), PCU noodles with beef and mushroom crunch for apps

Stay Away: NA

Ambiance: lovely for it’s modernity with an evident tint of chicness, rightly so to make up for the tiny fact (no pun intended) that the bar and restaurant itself is very narrow, so I would not suggest party size bigger than 5.  makes a wonderful spot for date and warm, intimate group of friends.

Service: no complaints.. took a while for us to get our orders in, but I guess it was our fault for being so indecisive!

Rating: 4 stars

Caveat: This location use to be near my old work place.. i used to pass by it all the time, but thought it was some super fancy overly priced Thai restaurant.  Don’t judge a book by its cover.  Prices are super decent for the ambiance.

www.yamawestvillage.com

Proprietor/Chef: ?

Category: Japanese

Neighborhood: West Village
40 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014
(212) 989-9330

Mood: Cheap lunch combos.  Otherwise, there are ton of sushi places that are more fresh and safer on your wallet.

Tastes Like: simple, manageable, decent food.  This place is my staple go-to for lunch when I’m in the mood for Japanese because they have a great lunch box.  I always pick sushi & salmon, which usually comes with a rice ball, salad, picked veggies & soba noodles and of course miso soup. Their rolls are so-so, as there are times when the rice is dried or the quality of the fish is par.  But considering the value of the meal here, it really is a bang for your buck.

Must Haves: Try their lunch combo … plentiful choices to pick from whether you’re in the mood for teriyaki, kats or sushi!

Stay Away: NA

Ambiance: Cute patio area in the back … I always try to sit outside as the inside is a little bit quiet & depressing.

Service: Service has been great for the most part.

Rating: 2 stars

Caveat: I’ll be the first to admit, I would probably not come here for dinner.  The menu is inexpensive and I’ll presume it is based on the quality of the fish. If I happen to be in the area maybe I’ll dine in, but I could think of a handful of other restaurants I’d rather go for dinner.

Proprietor/Chef: ?

Category: French

Neighborhood: West Village
7 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014
(212) 243-2846

Mood: Light lunch in a casual setting.  Crepes, salads or sandwiches… freshly used ingredients.

Tastes Like: it will satisfy the taste bud, whether you choose to have a light or heavy affair for luncheon.  Best yet, they offer sweet or savory crepes and would love to come back to try it.  The portions here are just right. unfortunate for me, I’ve been in the habit of ordering healthy, so you can imagine my taste buds have been adjusting to lots of blandness.  At least I left without feeling guilty.  My dish was totally nutritious.  Nonetheless, judging from my friend’s choice of dish, this place has potential with an endless variety of sandwiches, soups, salads or crepes to choose from.  Why the hell didn’t I go with a crepe instead?  isn’t that one of those foods that the french do better anyways?  If i’m in the neighborhood, I’d love to come in and try something else.   They have lots of dishes that contain ratatouille.  Yummers.

Must Haves: Le Croque Monsieur…. Although the bread was a little bit on the hard, crisp side.. who can say no to ham and oozing cheese on top?  Beware, it’s a bit messy to eat, since all that cheese is sitting on top, but I would not have sacrificed the cheese any other way.

Stay Away: The chicken salad was ok… the ratatouille was the best thing on the plate. The chicken and veggies were cooked and sliced thinly.  Nothing innovative about that.  Everything else was a little bit bland and wished I had ordered something else.  It looked better than it actually tasted.

Ambiance: tucked in West Village on Bedford street.  it’s tiny and very quaint.

Service: swift, quick, friendly & too quiet all around.

Rating: 3 stars

Caveat: Review is for lunch service only.  I don’t recall them having a dinner menu, as it’s a cafe.  Great for brunch, lunch & dessert.