EAT & DRINK

Originally published on Wednesday, 10 September 2008

What's for Supper

 

Eating New York: Village Hangouts

These small, informal neighbourhood restaurants are a great way to feel like a local while tucking in to some of the city’s best food. Many of these restaurants have developed cult of personality followings for their quirky, eccentric menus and slightly rogue chefs who care more about serving their creative interpretations of rustic, peasant dishes than keeping up with the ‘foam and foie gras’ brigade.

 

Prune

Owned by Gabrielle Hamilton, Prune is a tiny 30 seat restaurant in the East Village that serves delicious, unpretentious home-style food like braised lamb shoulder in parchment, pasta kerchiefs with poached egg and ham, and whole grilled fish with fennel oil. They also do a great brunch menu with 10 different kinds of Bloody Marys.

54 E 1st St
www.prunerestaurant.com

 

Little Owl

This tiny corner bistro has nightly queues out the door of New Yorkers waiting to sink their teeth into Little Owl’s menu of rustic, Italian inspired food. The meatball sliders, enormous pork chop and beignets with Nutella have earned this restaurant a cult following. There is a single, tiny wooden bench and cushion next to the door which can be a table for determined solo-diners. Apparently one of their regular patrons has his lunch there several times a week.

90 Bedford St
www.thelittleowlnyc.com

 
 
 

Spotted Pig

The Spotted Pig was New York’s first gastropub and while most British visitors probably won’t see the resemblance in Spotted Pig’s pink magic marker menu and collection of chintz on the walls, it still makes for one of New York’s most fun and delicious evenings out. The crispy pigs ears I had here were one of the best things I ate during my entire 28 days. The deep fried buffalo mozzarella, ricotta gnudi and grilled beef tongue are also wonderful and their Roquefort burger with shoestring fries is one of the best in the city.

314 W 11th St
www.thespottedpig.com

 

Marlow & Sons

Part gourmet corner shop and part cafe, this dark, wood-paneled canteen in Williamsburg is a wonderful spot to congregate with friends at the long, communal tables and sip a bloody mary, order a bowl of the day’s farmer salad or gnaw on their Brooklyn twist on a New Orleans muffaletta sandwich stuffed with Italian charcuterie and olives.

81 Broadway, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
www.marlowandsons.com

 
 
 

Freemans

A low-profile bar and restaurant located down an alley in the Lower East Side, this is a great place to have a late lunch at the bar while the taxidermied animals look down with approval. The menu is unapologetically retro with hot artichoke tip, devils on horseback and iceberg wedge salad with ranch dressing, but everything is delicious and the lovely people behind the bar will fix you up a great cocktail, or if you are nursing a hangover, a glass of seltzer with bitters to ease the pain. God love ‘em.

Freeman Alley off Rivington St
www.freemansrestaurant.com

 

Wallse

Owned by Austrian chef Kurt Gutenbrunner, Wallse is a charming West Village bistro with a definitive Austrian and East European slant. This is a great place to kill a cold or rainy evening feasting on beautifully prepared comfort food and a few glasses of red wine. A bowl of goulash or braised rabbit with spaetzle here will put the world to rights again. The home baked brioche and croissants for Sunday brunch are also wonderful.

344 W 11th St
www.wallserestaurant.com

 

More New York eats:

 Small Plates Grazing

 

 Village Hangouts

 

 Splurge and Blowout

Small Plates Grazing  Village Hangouts
 Splurge and Blowout

 Ethnic Foods

 

 Sweets

 

  Off Piste Adventures

Ethnic Food  Sweets  Off Piste Adventures

 

 

Jennifer Klinec from Eat Drink Talk has kindly agreed to provide Urban Junkies readers with mouthwatering recipes and foodtips.

To learn more, classes at Eat Drink Talk are held in Jennifer's beautiful loft in Clerkenwell, packed with information and useful tips, and you'll get to sample all of the delicious dishes prepared during class.

by JK

In collaboration with Eat Drink Talk

What's for Supper: Archive

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Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.

 
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