Vynl

754 9th Ave.  New York, NY
www.vynl-nyc.com

Price: $$
Favorite dish: Kung Pao Shrimp Tacos

   This past weekend, my parents, sister, and cousin, Justin, were in the city for Justin's delayed Bar Mitzvah gift, which made for a great weekend to spend time with my family.  Of course, every time they are here for a visit, we make sure to try new and unique restaurants so we get a little taste of everything.  My parents found the restaurant Vynl, located in Hells Kitchen, which houses a music-themed decor, from the walls covered with music posters to each bathroom being a different musical theme (Elvis, Dolly Parton, Nelly, and Cher).  The ambiance was really fun and and funky, and was definitely different from any other restaurant I have been to before.
The menu options were Asian Fusion, which came as a bit of a surprise, however the food options were certainly eclectic, as you can order anything from meatball and tuna sliders to all-day breakfast.

Here's what we ordered:

Kung Pao Shrimp Tacos with cabbage-bell pepper slaw, honey peanuts, and spicy lime creme

Wok Sauteed Calamari with kalamansi, cherry peppers, thai basil, and garlic

Thai Deviled Eggs topped with crispy shallots and basil

Seared Tuna Sliders with with thai spiced aioli and cabbage slaw 

Tofu Pad Thai with bean sprouts, carrots, peanuts, and cilantro

Mac n Cheese with cheddar, jack, and goat cheese, panko cheddar crust, and a side salad

[mac n cheese]

Grilled Cheese with white cheddar, gruyere, bacon, and sun dried tomato jam on on country sourdough bread

[grilled cheese]

Tofu and Eggplant Stir fry with squash, red pepper, sun dried tomato, string beans, jalapeño, and soy garlic sauce

Fried Chicken and Waffles with maple tobasco

Overall, our meal at Vynl was really delicious.  For a starter, we had the deviled eggs, which I thought were really good, but I didn't think they were anything particularly special. The Kung Pao shrimp tacos, however, were great and super addicting.  The tacos were super flavorful, and the peanuts added a really nice salty touch. This was definitely my favorite dish of the meal! The calamari were also amazing-- I'm a huge fan of calamari so it did not disappoint.  The seared tuna sliders were really delicious, which says a lot being that I am not the biggest fan of raw tuna.  I really liked the thai spiced aioli that the tuna was paired with, which made the slider really tasty.  For dinner, I ate the tofu pad thai, which tasted like a pretty standard version of typical pad thai.  It was a tad bit over-salted, however I still enjoyed it. The mac and cheese was great--it was served in a cast iron skillet and had a perfect mix of cheeses.  Justin enjoyed the grilled cheese with bacon, and said it was one of the best things he has eaten.  The tofu and eggplant stir fry had a great mix of vegetables and the soy garlic sauce added a really nice sweetness.  My dad decided to try out the fried chicken and waffles.  I tried the chicken and it was so warm and moist.  As expected, the waffle was also a great addition to the meal.

Vynl was such a fun place to eat and enjoy dinner with my family.  I really loved the decor and the theme of the restaurant, which really made it a fun place to spend time.  I can certainly see myself going back to Vynl in the future, and I recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a chill and fun crowd for a night out.

XOXO,
Danielle

The Wren

344 Bowery.  New York, NY

www.thewrennyc.com

Price: $$

Favorite dish: Potato Rosti with smoked trout and poached eggs

This past weekend, Sara, Molly, Frankie, Margot and I decided to kick off our Sunday brunch tradition for this summer. After searching for reasonably priced, yet highly rated, brunch spots, Molly stumbled upon The Wren, which had a small, cute, and cozy vibe located in the East Village.  Having never heard of it before, I was definitely down to try something new.  Despite the rather small size of the brunch menu, almost everything on it looked very unique and tasty, something that definitely got us all excited to eat.

Here's what we ordered:

Potato Rosti topped with smoked trout and two poached eggs, served with hollandaise sauce and frisee

[Potato Rosti]

Smashed Avocado on Toast with soft boiled eggs

Bulgar Wheat Pancakes topped with Ricotta, peaches, bananas, and maple syrup

Just writing up this post and reminiscing about this meal is making me hungry.  Everything that we ordered was absolutely incredible.  Margot, Sara, and I all ordered the Potato Rosti with eggs, and let me tell you it was just as mouthwatering as it sounds.  The Rosti resembled a large tater tot, so it was full of flavor, and was a great complement to the poached eggs.  The smoked trout added an amazing salty bite to the dish, and every part of it worked so well together.  Molly said she loved her avocado toast; anything mixed with avocado really couldn't be that bad. Frankie's pancakes were also extremely tasty (I couldn't leave without trying it…) I loved how they put ricotta cheese on top, which was something I would have never thought to do.  The hearty pancake, cheese, and sweet fruit made for a perfect combination.

I would for sure come back to The Wren in the future. The ambiance was friendly and inviting, and I think it could also be a great spot to visit for dinner.  I highly recommend visiting this restaurant if you are looking for a reasonably priced and delicious meal!

XOXO,

Danielle

Beauty & Essex

146 Essex St.  New York, NY
www.beautyandessex.com

Price: $$$
Favorite dish: Tuna Poke Wonton Tacos; Molten Chocolate Bread Pudding

After having eaten at and absolutely loved Chris Santos's The Stanton Social, I had been wanting to try his other Lower East Side restaurant Beauty & Essex.  My parents and I booked an early reservation prior to seeing a show on Broadway, so we were there pretty early on in the evening before the crowd really started arriving.  After walking in, the decor was certainly unexpected.  We walked into a small pawn shop storefront, and then walk through another door leading to a large, trendy and sophisticated restaurant atmosphere.  The food on the menu is all unique and distinct, and being that the restaurant is tapas-like and meant for sharing, we ordered several things off the menu.

What we ordered:

Shrimp Cocktail with charred jalapeño cocktail sauce 

Tuna Poke Wonton Tacos with micro cilantro, radish, and wasabi kewpie 

New York Pretzel topped with shaved NY strip, mustard aioli, and crispy shallots

Watermelon and Avocado Salad with feta, gem lettuce, mint, red onion, and charred lime vinaigrette 

Crispy Eggplant Pizzetta with charred san Marzano tomato sauce, whipped ricotta, and chile oil

 Dessert:

Molten Chocolate Bread Pudding topped with hazelnut ice cream

Box of Doughnuts: vanilla beignets with chocolate hazelnut creme & raspberry jam

Unpictured: 

Roasted sweet corn with avocado, lime, and manchego; 

Broccolini with garlic, soy, and chile

   I can honestly say that there wasn't one thing that we ordered that I did not like.  The shrimp cocktail with jalapeño cocktail sauce was great; we were expecting it to be a bit spicier, but it did have a really nice kick that made it different than a typical cocktail sauce.  The Tuna Tacos were amazing--I usually am not the biggest fan of raw tuna, but something about these tacos made them incredibly addicting.  The wonton in itself had great flavor, and mixed with the tuna, radish, and wasabi made for a great marriage.  The New York Pretzel was also amazing; the pretzel tasted like a perfect NY pretzel.  However, I am not a huge fan of mustard, so I found myself scraping off the aioli so I was able to taste the meat and pretzel combination better.  I loved the watermelon and avocado salad.  It was super refreshing and the watermelon was perfectly sweet.  We also loved the crispy eggplant pizzetta.  The eggplant was unbelievable; maybe it was that it was flash fried, but the combination of the eggplant and ricotta was mouthwatering.  The two side dishes we ordered were both super tasty.  I adored the subtle spiciness of the broccolini and it had a great pungent flavor.  The sweet corn was also a very good version of one of my favorite things: roasted mexican corn.  The salty manchego and the sweetness of the corn went perfectly together.  

Both desserts we shared were actually incredible.  The chocolate bread pudding was actually perfect and incredibly irresistible.  The doughnuts were also amazing.  Half of them were filled with a nutella-like filling, and the others had raspberry jam. Both were very tasty.

It honestly was hard to pick one favorite dish from all of those we were able to try!

I highly recommend coming to Beauty & Essex for a really fun and elegant night out in the city.  The ambiance is very classy and fun, and it seems like it would be a great spot for groups of friends.  There are several things on the menu that I will definitely try next time.  

Some of the jewelry showcased in the front pawn shop restaurant entrance

XOXO,
Danielle

Jack's Wife Freda

224 Lafayette St.  New York, NY
www.jackswifefreda.com

Price: $$
Favorite dish: Matzo Ball Soup

After a long but unforgettable school year in Ann Arbor, I am finally back in the city and back to blogging! I have been compiling and even longer list of restaurants to visit this summer, and I cannot wait to try them all.  After the amazing places I visited last summer, there is only more amazing things to try.

Within the first week of being back in NYC,  I made sure to visit Jack's Wife Freda, a restaurant my dad has highly recommended to me several times.  We went together after my first day interning at Helmut Lang, and it was definitely the perfect atmosphere for a fun after-work meal.  The restaurant is small and neighborhood-y, with open sunny spaces and a simple and friendly ambiance.

What we ordered:

Matzo ball soup

Special: Sweet Potato Dip served with feta cheese and pita bread.

Jack's Burger with grilled tomato and fried onion, served with hand-cut fries

(Jack's Burger)

Peri-Peri Chicken served with a diced vegetable salad

   I really enjoyed our meal at Jack's Wife Freda and definitely feel like this would be a great place to  come to meet up with friends for a nice but not too pricey meal.
   The Matzo ball soup was perfect and, in my opinion, was certainly all that it is cracked up to be. The soup was super homey, and tasted just as fresh and amazing as any good matzo ball soup should.  The special for the evening was sweet potato dip, which was something I had never heard of before.  It resembled almost mashed potatoes, but was obviously a bit sweeter.  The texture was creamy, and tasted great paired with the feta-- my dad and I scraped the plate clean.  The burger was cooked perfectly and also tasted great. Although it was nothing super out of the ordinary, it was, however, tasty and satisfying.  My dad's Peri-Peri chicken was fabulous.  The meat was super tender and the flavor was deliciously addicting.
    The brunch menu at Jack's looks amazing, so I plan on coming back soon to try out the breakfast as well.  Jack's Wife Freda is also a hotspot for celebrity spottings, another reason to make my way back ASAP!

XOXO,
Danielle

Macbar

54 Prince St.  New York, NY
www.macbar.net

Price: $$
Favorite flavor: Four Cheese

Mac and cheese lovers rejoice! Finally, a restaurant solely devoted to the beloved all-American favorite of Macaroni and Cheese. Macbar makes their devotion clear the second you walk in their doors. The interior decor is all yellow, and the food is served in macaroni-shaped yellow plastic packaging. Clearly they are obsessed and committed to all things mac and cheese.
The restaurant seems like it is mostly for carry-out, in that the seating is a bit scarce, especially for a crowded night. There is one row of small tables to one side, and that is it. However, their neighbor restaurant, Delicatessen, has a whole section of their menu serving up Macbar specialties. If you're looking for a sit-down, and a slightly nicer meal, then I would recommend trying their Mac and Cheese over there.
Erica, Jenna, and I went to MacBar recently, and we had been anticipating this visit since we first got together this summer. When ordering, you can choose your size, and from what we got, there was really no noticeable difference in size between the small and medium (but there was a slight difference in price).


Here's what we got:

MacBar seating area

Two classics, and one 4-cheese. YUM

CHEEEEESY

The Four Cheese, with queso blanco, fontina, emmental, and gouda.

The Classic…elbow macaroni with American and Cheddar Cheese.

I think she likes it.

she's a little camera shy :)

look at that cheese

come to me

looks too good

Honestly, for Mac and Cheese lovers, MacBar could easily become an addiction. For me, I thought the Mac and Cheese was good, but not fantastic. It hit the spot, and was as comforting as always, but I wouldn't say it was the best I'd ever had. Erica and Jenna might beg to differ, as they seemed to love theirs.
I do like the fact that this restaurant specializes in one thing, and gives customers many many options to choose from…some of them being quite unique, like the Mac Lobsta' and the Margarita Mac. After finishing your Mac, you can conveniently take leftovers home with you in your plastic Macaroni to-go container. (I took mine home as a souvenir). Too cute!

XOXO,
Danielle

Bianca

5 Bleecker St. #1  New York, NY
www.biancanyc.com

Price: $$ --everything is extremely well priced… but cash only!
Favorite dish: Artichoke Salad

Sara and Frankie went to dinner at Bianca one night and couldn't stop raving about how good it was afterwards. So, for a nice, fun, middle of the week dinner, I decided to drag the two of them back to Bianca so I could get a taste of what was so good.
After arriving, I noticed the vibe at Bianca was loud and trendy. The restaurant is set up to look almost like a kitchen, so we would feel right at home. Because they don't take reservations, we did have a little wait for a table, being that the restaurant is not all that big and super crowded.
After looking at the menu, I found so many things that I wanted. But what I really noticed was how reasonably priced everything was. That must have been the first time I had thought that since I got to New York. Main dishes for no more than $15? Yes please!

Here's what we got:

My favorite!! Fresh bread and olive oil. 

For a starter, Sara and I shared the Carciofini, or in other words, an artichoke salad. It was thin slices of artichokes  with fresh parmesan and a lemon dressing. I absolutely adored this dish. It was so light and refreshing. The artichokes were super delicious and I loved how it was something I'd never really seen before. I have been craving this sole dish ever since I ate there, and I am yearning to go back for it.

An unobstructed view of the salad. yuuuummmyyyy

The Tagliatelle alla Bolognese. This was probably my favorite of the pasta dishes. The meat sauce was really flavorful and was enriched with lots of tomatoes and mushrooms. You could taste how the pasta was homemade and so perfectly cooked. Deliciousness!

The Ravioli di Ricotta con Burro e Salvia. Translation:  a fresh ricotta ravioli with butter and sage. Again, this ravioli was so light and deliciously handmade. It was a bit bland, however, and could've used some salt. But from subtle flavors I tasted I really liked them.

The Gnocchi con Formaggio, or gorgonzola cheese sauce. This gnocchi was so awesome. I am not a huge fan of gorgonzola but the creaminess of the sauce overtook the gorgonzola. It was, however, very heavy, so after eating some of it I felt like I could be done. The pasta's texture was really good and it was really super tasty.

This restaurant was totally adorbs and a good time. The only small detail that you should be aware of before heading over is that it is cash only. Not the biggest deal in the world, being that you really are getting great quality food, delicious flavors, and a fun atmosphere without breaking the bank. This is definitely going to be one of my go-to spots for any future visits [or perhaps for when I live here ;)]

XOXO,
Danielle

Jacob's Pickles

509 Amsterdam Ave.  New York, NY
www.jacobspickles.com

Price: $$
Favorite thing: Biscuits & Spicy Jalapeño pickles

A few weeks back, my family and I met up with some extended family while in the city. We decided to visit a restaurant that my dad had been wanting to take me to for some time: Jacob's Pickles. My entire family is obsessed with pickles. Everyone (except for my mom) adores pickles and we always seem to devour them quickly at Friday night dinners…so trying Jacob's Pickles was a must. This shop on the Upper West Side features homemade pickles in addition to home-brewed beers. They are open for both dinner and brunch, so we chose to stop in for brunch. Their menu is massive…much more than I would expect from a pickle shop.


Here's what we got:

The Lox Eggs Benedict, with cured salmon and poached eggs served atop biscuits, with fresh hollandaise and home fries.

The Biscuits French Toast, served with fresh cut strawberries and powdered sugar. Being that the biscuits were so amazing, this dish was so delicious and moist.

The Veggie Cheese Omelet, with asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese, served with home fries.

The Fruit Yogurt and Granola, with greek yogurt, local honey, fresh fruit, and granola.

I got the Salmon Platter, which came with house smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, red onion, olives, scallions, lettuce, tomato, and a biscuit. I loved having this salmon platter with a biscuit instead of a bagel or toast. The flavors were 10x better and the dish made for a perfectly light meal.

Fresh beer and homemade pickles

Pickles on pickles on pickles on pickles

The brunch at Jacob's Pickles was such a pleasant surprise. The food was quite delicious and had a nice atmosphere with a wide open entrance so I felt like we could be outside while remaining cool. The decor is really homey and fun with an array of jars and bottles of pickles lining the walls. You could truly tell the pickles were homemade and they were fresh and tangy and delicious!


XOXO,
Danielle