cherrypatter nyc

coming up with food options for the area close to the museum of the city of new york, which is worth visiting these days to see the amazing eero saarinen in action, is not so hard.   and while i haven’t tried any of these, they do look interesting enough for a visit.  it’s just too bad i didn’t do this research before giving birth to s. at mt. sinai. i could have used a good alternative to that cafeteria food though i didn’t mind too much since i had a pretty great view of central park.  

finding interesting shopping was a little more challenging.  since i have not explored the area much, my best resource was not for tourists — thanks for the ideas  — and time out also had a nice run down on the eats and things to do here recently as well.  if you’re in the mood for big box, you’re also in luck.  although not exactly close by — it is right next to the fdr at 116th street —  the new east river plaza is supposed to open on november 12th with costco and then next spring we should see target, best buy and marshall’s.  there are plenty of worthwhile things to see though, in addition to the central park of course there is also el museo del barrio right next to the museum of the city of new york on 5th avenue.

food:

il fornaio: pizza slices from a guy who has been there for ages. it may not be di fara’s, but it wouldn’t be a bad option if you’re in the neighborhood. 1505 lexington avenue at 97th street, manhattan, new york, .

el paso taqueria: chowhounders raved about this spot’s great pollo al carbon, blue corn fried calamari and the huitlachoche quesadilla. while not as cozy in its new somewhat fancier digs, regulars still seem to love the food. 1643 lexington avenue at 104th street, manhattan, new york, . (pictured above)

la fonda boriqua: homestyle puerto rican food with well-seasoned stews, mofongo and crispy pork chops, and live jazz music on thursdays, fridays and saturdays.  169 east 106th street between lexington and third avenue, manhattan, new york, . 

itzocan bistro: french-mexican affordable fusion that started off in the east village and migrated north with a following.  1575 lexington avenue at 101st street, manhattan, new york, .

shops/sights:

goliath rf: this seems to be a sneaker emporium a bit off the beaten track.   supposed to have a pretty extensive collection and nice staff.  175 east 105th street at 3rd avenue, manhattan, new york, .

exotic fragrances, not exactly my thing, but based on what i’ve read this could be the place for all kinds of oils and scents.  1645 lexington avenue at 104th street, manhattan, new york, .

conservatory garden: this garden is glorious.  i have been a number of times. small, extremely well tended to with a fountain based on the magical secret garden by frances hodgson burnett and beautiful at all times of the year.  5th avenue and 104th street, manhattan, new york. 

graffiti wall of fame, located on a school playground, apparently some people thing this is pretty interesting graffiti art. i have not yet been so cannot vouch for it but the pictures do look fun.  106th street and park avenue, manhattan, new york.

started by owner laura nuter in 2007, grab is a great little specialty food store in the south slope with a great beer selection.  when i used to work nearby, i often would come to grab during the day for one of their most delicious sandwiches made with some of their fancy meats and cheeses. that was a treat.   the shop also carries plenty of treats, oils, vinegars as well as fresh bread.    laura’s background was in sales and software, and now she loves being the best possible shop keeper. below are her suggestions for eating and shopping in new york, and she seems to split her time between soho and park slope — not a bad way to live.   thanks so much laura! 

shops:

top places for clothes and shoes?

broadway in soho for sneakers; many places in and around nolita/soho for clothes.

house gifts?

moma design store (soho) depends on the person really, that’s why i like it, there’s something interesting and fun for everyone.

stationery?

lion in the sun in park slope and kate’s paperie in soho. 

flowers?

local bodega on 7th and garfield in park slope in the fall and winter, and grand army farmer’s market in the spring and summer. 

click here for more: interview: laura nuter at grab specialty foods

most of the time, i fail if i shop for clothes at a big chain.  other than visiting banana republic for work pants (and they are good for that — so many different fits for the same basic styles), j. crew for t-shirts and occasionally poking my head in places like uniqlo, h&m and zara (haven’t made it to topshop yet), i am usually overwhelmed with the choices and the chaos.  one of the stores that had been on my list for a while was eryn brinie.  i actually thought it was a boutique.   people kept raving about the sense of style, and trendy but still accessible pieces.  i definitely didn’t realize it was part of a huge chain in korea (30 shops there) and surprised when i found it right in the middle of a part of soho i nearly always try to avoid — that tourist packed lane that is broadway.

although the shop looked huge (and it is big), i ventured in.  the feel of eryn brinie is a bit like  like zara but other than the fact that the collection is constantly being updated (they bring in new pieces every few days) it totally isn’t a zara experience.  first, it’s much calmer.  there’s a much more limited, more carefully edited selection.  many of the pieces look like they could be mixed and matched pretty easily.  this fall, eryn brinie’s palate was pretty muted with lots of browns, dark greys and blues.  although there were some trendy pieces (i just cannot and would not have my family suffer seeing me in a jumpsuit) there were plenty of great layering cardigans, cotton and silk-like blouses and some really cute stand alone sweaters.  i wasn’t as keen on the pants as i’m guessing they look better on someone super tall and thin who wears very high heels.

eryn brinie also had tons of cute accessories for cheap – chunky necklaces, fun bracelets.  it would be so easy to indulge in a few or get some as great little presents.   eryn brinie also had some really great looking super soft and supple leather jackets in these great colors that i desperately wanted.  with a small but fashionable selection of bags, as well as shoes and boots, it would be super easy to leave eryn brinie with a whole new smart looking wardrobe for not much money.  so finally i might have found a “big box” for me — zara but better.   eryn brinie, 501 broadway near broome street, manhattan, new york, .

in a slowly bustling part of crown heights off classon, park delicatessen opened up this past year with an appealing mix of skateboards combined with fresh flowers  and some super cute general goods that the owners collect and even make.  set in what had been a real delicatessen 50 years ago, the recycled space shows off some original storefront signage and the back of the shop has some of the  old coolers where vintage skateboards are on display.

owned and operated by a young family  who have lived on the same block as their shop, park delicatessen is first and foremost dedicated to the serious skateboarder.  the dad michael sciafani has been skating since 7th grade, and already has his 14-month old is already on wheels.  park delicatessen has a well-curated bunch of brands like anti hero, krooked and real which are some of the most popular.  It also focuses on smaller, often locally based brands and is also the only store that carries deathwish,  founded by a couple of baker boys alums. That brand has been helping park delicatessen out by offering the shop a better deal to compete with some of the online pricing.  the shop also offers full service skateboard repairs and has been known to organize some skate jams in the neighborhood.

the general goods section, while small, is selective and very appealing.  park delicatessen always has a bunch of glass jars on offer that sell from $6 to $10 or so for the smaller ones, and whatever they have on stock tends to sell out by the end of the week.  other items can include wooden hangars for $5 each, vintage tin signs and even coca cola long necks.   michael’s wife val leung is quite crafty , and she and her cousin have been contributing hand made pillows and knitted sweaters to the collection.  my favorite items were the super adorable and best present ever of house slippers made from antique kimonos that sell for $42. 

when i visited park delicatessen several weeks ago, val was just finishing up her fall season of tie-dye t-shirts in some nice rustic colors just in time for the cooler weather.  she has been designing lots of cute shirts to go with all the skating attire.   now it’s true that i really don’t know a thing about skating, but maybe the kids will show some interest at some point, and at a minimum it will always be worthwhile to see what kinds of glass bottles and hand made goodies are on offer at this cute general store.    park delicatessen, 533 park place at classon street, brooklyn, new york, .

 

it seems a little touristy these days to go to a batali restuarant, with so much of him on tv. and such, but i do have a soft spot in my heart for those amazing pastas.  pre-kids, j. and i used to go hang out at the babbo bar to gorge ourselves on gnocchi with braised oxtail and the best brussel sprouts ever. we also used to frequent lupa, and suffer the interminable lines just to have the most exquisite and simple bucatini all’ amitriciana or the equally basic and delicious bavette cacio and pepe. 

these days though, babbo just feels way too suburban (especially on a saturday night, yikes), and we just don’t want to waste our precious babysitting evenings waiting for a a table at lupa on those nights so we get our batali fix at otto enoteca pizzeria.  as an added incentive to lure us there, we have a regular crew of friends who — lucky ducks — live right near by and eat there for lunch on the weekends quite often.  it’s easy for us to meet up en famille as during the day otto is, surprisingly, an excellent place to bring kids of all ages.  the place is pretty empty around noon, there are plenty of stools around the bar and a super attentive staff.  and let’s not forget those constantly entertaining packets of breadsticks. 

the food is also consistently excellent at otto.  the menu always features a bunch of super fresh, right-from-the-market goodies. on our recent visit this summer, we had very tasty heirloom tomatoes served with red onions and i think it was pecorino brushed with just a hint of vinegar and olive oil.  we also had a trio of antipasti including glistening, sweet beets as well as a recurring special of corn and fregola which i crave the minute i walk through that door.  otto’s pizzas are always a core part of our lunch sessions. the toppings change constantly.  favorites include the potato, anchovy and ricotta and the quattro stagioniand i am partial to any of the meats like pepperoni or the prosciutto with arugula.   and lastly, we cannot forget dessert. otto’s olive oil gelato is fantastic and they’re constantly experimenting with other flavors to reflect the season.

in addition to the food, we are quite addicted to the people.  dennis mullally is a highlight of our otto visits.  as one of the nicest and most patient bar manager’s around, dennis knows the ins and outs of every single cocktail, and is always game to create a new one — with alcohol or without — and they are good.  one of our friends, who is a regular, also pointed out that otto has fantastic wines by the quartino, and dennis and his crew (frank, john and sam) are incredibly helpful with decisions and always willing to let you sample.

and finally, it doesn’t hurt that j and i have quite an emotional connection to the otto space. pre-otto it was clementine, the space that  j and i celebrated with friends after getting officially married by a judge. i had some huge fever so the whole thing went by in a blur but it was a great night nonetheless so i think i will always be fond of whatever restaurant is operating in the beautiful space at one fifth avenue.  otto enoteca pizzeria, one fifth avenue at 8th street street, manhattan, new york, .

over the past six months or so, at least three new fancy coffee shops, or rather shops focused on high end fancy coffee, have opened up in prospect and crown heights.  and while three might have been a bit of overkill (especially since two are “australian” style”), the neighborhood definitely needed an upgrade in the coffee department so this is all good news.  while i love glass shop’s vibe and their excellent coffee, i am now a big fan of milk bar mostly because there is real food there to go with our excellent coffee and the warm and modern space is great too (designed by jane kim design).

milk bar is all about eggs and toast.  big fat pieces of country white sourdough toast served with soft poached eggs, and you can get those plain, or with cheese or even as more of a full on sandwich with ham and tomato.   i am particularly enamored with the fresh avocado spread on hearty multigrain toast with chili flakes.  maybe not quite up to my all time favorite avocado and toast from cafe gitane, the avocado doesn’t have quite the zing (i’m thinking maybe it’s missing a little olive oil and lemon) but still a really good option.  less exciting, but at least available, milk bar also serves pastries mostly from sullivan street bakery, as well as other basic breakfast items like granola and muesli.   

the food is also good for lunch.  i had a milk bar special of texas chili with cheddar which was hot, spicy and quite soupy in a good way and filled with nice chunks of beef.  other lunch options include a dub pie, a smoked chicken sandwich and even a few salads.  for dessert, there’s always australian iced coffee which is chilled espresso over vanilla ice cream topped with milk.  and milk bar is focused on quality ingredients not just for its food but for its coffee.  using  counter culture beans like many of the brooklyn hot spots, the cappuccino was quite good.  for that australian touch, or so i’m told, milk bar tops it off with a little cocoa which isn’t quite my thing but i’m sure if i return i can opt out.  

each time we’ve visited, milk bar has been packed.  the staff are quite friendly but just a wee bit harried.   this may be because things are not running as smoothly as they maybe should be so it can take a while to be served.  but when the food comes, it is always hot and fresh and tasty so as long as you don’t have a very fidgety 2-year old on your lap you’re in luck.    milk bar, 620 vanderbilt avenue between st. marks avenue and bergen street, brooklyn, new york, .

greenwich letterpress is an amazing stationery shop.  it is great fun to check out what the two sisters behind this incredibly charming spot have on display and also to see what great new letterpress they have been producing.   i was thrilled when one of these creative sisters, beth salvini, agreed to share her favorite spots for shopping and food.   with a fine art background, beth helps to design the super cute cardline (with her sister) and also takes primary responsibility for the retail shop.

i love beth’s ideas below, and cannot wait to try some of them out especially joseph leonard which it seems everyone is loving as their favorite restaurant these days.  beth used to live in greenpoint and just moved to brooklyn heights so i’m hoping that eventually she’ll share with me where exactly one can eat and shop in that beautiful neighborhood that does seem to be so lacking in good food/things options.

shops:

top 3 places for clothes and shoes?

when it’s time to splurge, steven alan or built by wendy (pictured below, photo from their great fall collection). in reality, anthropologie.

go-to place for a house gift?

i think wine is always a nice gift. uva winesin williamsburg always has great bottles for very reasonable prices. they have a $10 bottle of prosecco that is killer.

favorite place for stationery?

ummmmmmmm….greenwich letterpress…ha ha ha

click here for more: interview: beth salvini at greenwich letterpress

if you still haven’t gotten that perfect costume for this weekend, and have a few bucks to spend, abracadabra superstore should be on your list, especially for the gory stuff.  this space, which is not exactly attractive or well laid out, is chock full of nearly every kind of get up that you could imagine.   while it seems it is mostly designed for adults, they do have more than 100 different kinds of kids costumes from the medieval (knights, kings, peasants and pawns) to the romans (centurions and cleopatras) to grim reapers, vampires, and elvis.  costumes can be rented or bought so you aren’t necessarily stuck at home with a big gorilla outfit.

apparently abracadabra does a whole lot more than costumes and makeup. they have an extensive magic department (occasionally they host magic shows on sundays), lots of special effects so they’re good for props, wigs of course, and things for juggling, clowns, and lots of entertaining gags and novelties.

other than visiting a local ricky’s last year on flatbush which was a bit disappointing given their pretty limited stock, i cannot say that i have any idea if this shop is better or worse than other costume stores out there (one of their big competitors seems to be a national chain halloween adventure which i have not visited). and in some ways, it doesn’t matter. all i know is that if in the future i desperately need a victorian period costume, or a clown, abracadabra is where i would come running to first. even better, during halloween season abracadabra is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.  abracadabra superstore, 19 west 21st street between 5th and 6th avenues, manhattan, new york, .

and, on a side note, sorry for skipping yesterday. i have a great little brooklyn shop in crown heights i plan to profile but work has been a little crazy this week (first baltimore and then harrisburg — yes i do get to travel to exciting spots) so it will have to wait till next week.

i’ve been a huge alison nelson’s chocolate bar fan since they first opened up on eight avenue and jane street in 2002, conveniently about a block away from my best friend and so i would stop by there every time i would visit which was often.  so it was tragic when about a year and a half ago chocolate bar opted to move to the east village.   yes, it’s a nice location but one i was just not able to get to very often so i went on chocolate bar withdrawal.  fortunately, this summer the shop with a retro sensibility returned to the west village into a slightly bigger spot with more room for hanging out.

while i generally like to come in and see what chocolate bar has for treats, i usually start out with some truffles.   not quite as refined as kee’s which are of course excellent, but the chocolate is great (especially the dark) and the flavors are more modern/traditional so not crazy but not godiva either.  my favorite flavors here include the salted caramel with fleur de sel, the raspberry and the passion fruit. 

for gifts, chocolate bar also has these super cute retro bars – the graphics are great.  flavors include a salty pretzel bar, malted milk and milk chocolate with hazelnuts and then some slightly wilder ones which i have not been adventuresome enough to try like key lime pie, caramel apple and coconut cream pie.    in terms of snacks, the chocolate caramel popcorn is a keeper (i’m not as fond of their chocolate clusters probably because i just can’t stand white chocolate).  sadly,  chocolate bar no longer carries my very favorite treat which was this combination of dark chocolate, marshmallow and salty caramel in the shape of an overstuffed oreo.  chocolate bar also often has a few cookies and brownies on hand.

while chocolate bar still has great truffles, the store did suffer some from the move as the shop feels a little less cozy and a little less tended to these days.  the staff is less focused, the chocolate treats are not quite as amazing as they were and the baked goods are a bit lackluster.  i think the change may have to do with alison nelson’s phenomenol expansion outside of new york.  with  plans for a grand total of 30 shops across the middle east (at least 3 are open already), and another 10 in india and pakistan, it’s easy to understand the distractions.  i’m super glad for chocolate bar’s success, but i do hope that alison nelson directs some of her terrific talents back to the little shop that was her baby.   alison nelson’s chocolate bar, 19 8th avenue between jane and west 12th streets, manhattan, new york, .  they also have a location on the third floor atrium of henri bendel at 712 fifth avenue at 56th street also in manhattan.

my daughter k. might be one of the most limited eaters on the planet.   she could easily live on a diet of all carbs all the time so anytime there is an addition to her repertoire there is excitement in the house.  a year ago it was pizza. this summer, hot dogs entered her world and given that the rest of us are dog lovers that was very good news.  and now we have bark, definitely the best dogs in the neighborhood and beyond.

and better yet, bark has become an easy dinner option on those nights when we are just too tired to cook but it is too late to go to a proper restaurant.  we feel like we’re going out somewhere nice –bark’s design is clean, simple and warm with great looking high wood tables (done by knight architecture).  there is plenty of seating and the stools are great for the kids.  we can dine with other adults, but don’t worry too much that we are impinging on those childless couples with our not always mellow children.  

the family standard is the classic, a griddle roasted dog, plain for the kids, and with cheese for the adults.  j. will sometimes go crazy and add bacon and onions.   other toppings include saurkraut or pickles or a combo of beans, smoky pork, onions and mustard.  there’s also a veggie dog — not surprisingly given the store’s location — with roasted mushrooms, chickpea, lentils and pickled garlic mayo. it actually sounds pretty good. bark’s dogs are either pork and beef or just beef.  they have been perfect every time.  no wondering what mystery meat is in there.  they are bursting at the seams, and taste as if they have been at a backyard barbecue.  these dogs meet my all time standard of very best dog which i had from katz’s, grilled outside.  the cheddar cheese sauce was also spectacular. it’s a little gritty, and it has been liquidified a bit to be more like a nacho sauce then just a layer of cheddar.  

bark’s sides have not been as impressive. i’ve been especially disappointed with the onion rings.  they are just too fried — if that makes sense — they taste greasy and have little flavor. i am wishing they could import the onion rings from willie’s dawgs the hot dog shop down the street across from j.j. byrne park (also they have pretty good dogs).  the coleslaw is brisk and biting, but the baked beans didn’t quite do it even for j. a real lover of baked beans. 

bark is very into the sustainable, green theme here with the most serious trash dispensing system i’ve ever seen – many different holes for each kind of item (the straws go here, the cups go there) so you can feel very good about yourself when you leave your trash behind.  the food is locally sourced as much as possible and bark has a detailed list to prove it.  the hot dogs come from hartmann’s old world sausage in rochester, and the carrots come from j. glebocki farm in goshen, and they even give pepperidge farm credit for their hot dog buns (guess they couldn’t find someone local for that).   we’ll definitely be back en famille for the dogs, and i’d love to check out breakfast (on the weekends only) too sometime, especially the special of corn grits with braised bacon, egg and preserved tomato.  bark, 474 bergen street just off flatbush avenue, brooklyn, new york, 718,789.1939.