
Monroe
From the team that brought you Kiki's and Forgtmenot comes Monroe, tucked under the Manhattan bridge, amidst plants so densely planted and tall that you feel like you've escaped the city. Marketing (even word of mouth) for Monroe has been so low-key (they don't even have a website) that if you weren't aware of its existence or know people who are, you would probably never find out.
In their review of it, The New Yorker referred to Monroe as "unfussy", which I think is a perfect way to describe the overall mood and feel of the space. Upon entering, you immediately find yourself in an urban jungle; as if one of the garden/plant stores in Chinatown took over the restaurant and allowed them, as a favor, to place some tables amidst their curated indoor forest. The ceilings are quite high, which allows for noise levels to distribute evenly throughout and creates a very airy and spacious feel, even on a bustling Friday night.
We were dining as a group of eight (very) hungry humans, which led to a lot of sharing of some delicious, sub-Mediterranean delights like mussels, ratatouille, patatas bravas, garlic shrimp, burrata, and an incredibly delicious seafood paella. Everything was absolutely delectable and service was equally great.
I ended up staying late and joining another group of friends for drinks after dinner, and the mood shifted into one that was much "chiller" and reminded me of late night summer dinners by the beach back home.

Aita Trattoria
This is a cute little restaurant located in Clinton Hill. During the summer, they wind open their windows, so it feels like you're sitting outside even if you're indoors. All of the ingredients are fresh, which makes the dishes feel very light and hearty at the same time. Side note that they have the most adorable wall decorations.

Upland
Upland is located a block away from my office, but I hadn't been there for almost the first year since I started working at my current job. Even though it's a huge restaurant, they've successfully managed to maintain a great overall feeling of unpretentiousness and "personable"ness. All of the dishes are extremely tasty, plating is beautiful, and the staff is extremely friendly. Overall, it's a great experience that makes you want to return for more.
A few items to try are the heirloom tomatoes, Norwich Meadows baby carrots, busiate with Maine lobster, and the cacio e pepe.

Stanton Social
This is a dimly lit, buzzing restaurant with lots of amazing options on the menu, which are great for sharing. I went here for a friend's birthday party and since it was the 15 of us, we got to order almost everything on the menu. I had to skip all of the non-seafood meat dishes, but every single thing I tried was delicious. One little criticism I will share is that the menu didn't have a lot of personality, in that it was eclectic in a way that didn't make a lot of sense. However, everything was delicious nevertheless.
I'd recommend trying the following:
Wok charred edamame, potato & goat cheese perogies, asparagus & snap pea salad, French onion soup dumplings, Hamachi tartare, red snapper tacos, pan seared scallops

Bo's Kitchen & Bar Room
This is a cute spot that has happy hour with oysters, which is exactly what I was looking for when I walked in. I enjoyed the East Coast oysters significantly more over the West Coast ones, but the sweet potato fries were to die for, and their cocktails were yummy. Nothing extremely memorable in terms of atmosphere and interiors, but the dishes were quite tasty.

Roebling Tea Room
This is an adorable spot in Williamsburg, especially in the summer when you can sit outside on the patio for hours in the shade, which is what I did. I was extremely full when I went here, but the person I was meeting with was having a full meal, and everything looked delicious (and according to her, tasted delicious too). I had their matcha tea latte with almond milk, which was perfectly refreshing and not too sweet. Overall, pretty good experience. A little warning to have some cash with you when you go here as they either don't accept cards at all, or have a minimum requirement.

Cow & Clover
This is a cozy spot located right by the water in Williamsburg. Its huge interiors are decorated with an open kitchen with a huge brick oven lining up the wall of the entire restaurant. The overall vibe is very "Williamsburg": chic enough to have dining there be an occasion, but relaxed enough so that you can go here with workout clothes on a Sunday evening and no one will care. All of the dishes I tried were tasty (roasted brussel sprouts, De Puy lentils with basil), although the mussels could have used a little bit more seasoning.

Rintintin
Rintintin is a cute little neighborhood spot in Nolita that serves Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food. There's always a really good-looking crowd here, but it never feels sceney. Depending on where you're seated, the tables might feel too close to one another, but I've never had an unpleasant experience dining here. While none of the items on the menu sound too unique, every single thing I've tried here has tasted exquisite.

Grey Dog
Grey Dog looks like a sweaty Irish pub from the outside, which is why I avoided it for a really long time. Then, one day, while on the prowl for a casual place to eat a somewhat healthy dinner, me and my friend decided to give Grey Dog a try. And I'm so happy we did.
When you walk in, one of the waiters asks you how big your party is, and depending on availability, places a flag or a piece of cloth on a table to reserve it for your group. Then, you wait in line to place your order and pay, and once that's done, you can go and sit down. While the self-service component doesn't sound like the ideal experience, it actually is quite nice at the end when you don't have to worry about paying and can hang out and enjoy your bottle of wine.
A few items I'd recommend trying are the potato-kale salad, tuna salad, hummus, and the broccoli. Sometimes, they also have a green soup that tastes incredible, but I'm not sure if it's always on the menu.

Wildair
Wildair is a newish restaurant that's quite small and popular. I went here before going home for the winter holidays, and there was absolutely no wiggle room in the entire restaurant. Even though every single dish I tried was unbelievably delicious and unique-tasting, I was highly bothered by the photographers who were there, as I found out later by a photo of myself taken that night and circulated online, to generate marketing material. If it weren't for the flashes in my eyes all night long, I would have had a near perfect experience. I would highly recommend trying the little gem lettuces, cauliflower, white shrimp, black cod, and the poached tuna.

El Vez
I'd been to El Vez during my Philly years and loved it. It goes without saying that since guac & chips and margaritas are perhaps my favorite non-Turkish food combo, I walked into El Vez with a positive bias. I'm happy to say that El Vez did not disappoint. I, of course, had a bucketful of guac & chips, the crab & shrimp ceviche, grilled fish tacos, and swallowed it all down with a few classical margaritas. All in all, fun night (we were celebrating my friend's birthday) and I left full, but not disgusting. All in all, pretty good experience.

Dudley's
Dudley's is another cute neighborhood location that has a low-key menu with delicious items. I'd recommend trying the butternut squash, as well as the Brussel sprouts and burrata.

Fiat Cafe
Fiat Cafe is a tiny SoHo restaurant that's somewhat of a hidden gem because of the limited number of chairs available, as well as the cash-only policy. It's known for its extensive pasta menu, which made it very difficult for me to hold myself back and remind myself of my gluten intolerance. My friend had one of their pastas (I think it was a version of cacio e pepe with some cheese and bacon), while I tried the salmon carpaccio. This would be a cute date spot, especially in the winter, or a one-on-one dinner with a parent who's a pasta enthusiast, just like my dad.

Public
Public is one of three venues owned by the same group. It's located at the heart of Nolita, right across the street from Elizabeth Street Park. It's a large restaurant, which is not necessarily my preference most of the time, but every thing I tried (salmon tartare, oysters, sweet potatoes, and charred carrots) was absolutely delicious, so I would still recommend it at the end of the day.

Louie and Chan
I tried Louie and Chan for a reunion dinner with four of my closest girl friends from school on a Friday night. Since we were a group of 5 looking to eat somewhere downtown on a Friday night, it significantly limited the number of restaurants that had available reservations. Overall, the dining experience was far from pleasant as one of the staff members came over to sush us when we had a moment of laughter. The dishes I think were fine, but honestly, the experience was so unpleasant that it overshadowed the food.
Timna
Timna is exquisite. I've been here twice; once for dinner, once for Sunday brunch. Every single dish I've tasted is pure genius; simple yet complex, and beautifully plated. The restaurant itself is dimly lit as there are no windows inside-- not a problem for dinner as it's also dark outside, but can be a bit claustrophobic during the day, especially if it's summertime and it's so beautiful outside.
If you're here for brunch, I'd recommend getting the brunch special, which ends up being a lot of food plus mimosas plus coffee. For dinner, I would suggest the Mediterranean sashimi, cauliflower, and the beet & lentil.

Cafe Colette
This is a laid-back spot in Williamsburg that's great for brunch, but could probably get over-crowded really easily on the weekends. I went here for an early breakfast around 9:30 on a Sunday morning and there were maybe just one or two more tables. From what I can remember, the food was quite tasty, but nothing outstanding or too memorable. Overall, cute spot and may be a good option if you're trying to avoid the lines at some of the other trendier spots.

Boulud Sud
Boulud Sud is one of Chef Daniel Boulud's many restaurants in the city. I met chef Boulud when he came for a talk that I helped organized where I work, and he invited me and my friend to dine there. So, of course, we took him up on his offer and picked Boulud Sud to dine on a Wednesday evening.
Even though we picked only a few items off the menu, we were sent almost everything else as chef's compliments. It goes without saying that everything was absolutely delicious and the service was amazing, but I'm just going to list a few of my recommendations here for reference: Mediterranean mezze, octopus a la plancha, Lebanese sea bass, olive oil poached king salmon, broccoli rabe, olive oil cracked potatoes, grapefruit givre, and chocolate hazelnut torte.

Lucky Bee
Lucky Bee is a new spot that opened up on the Lower East Side that has a quirky decor and tongue-in-cheek dish names. It serves some of the best Thai food I've had in the city, not to mention some great cocktails. I was here on a Thursday evening and it was packed. Seating is really tight, which can be quite bothersome with servers walking past you and hitting you on the head each time they do. Overall, however, the food was absolutely delicious and I would certainly return here.
A few dishes I'd definitely recommend are the papaya salad, tuna tartare, the green curry of vegetables, and the local oysters if it's your cup of tea.

Smith & Mills
Tribeca's my favorite neighborhood in the city and I've walked past this spot multiple times before trying it for the first time. It's such a tiny spot that it's almost hard to fit 15 people inside. The service is a little slow and even though everything tasted good at the time, nothing was too memorable, but I might go back here for drinks at night. If you ever do decide to go here, I'd suggest you visit the bathroom as you're in for a little surprise.

Saxon + Parole
This is another one of those locations I'd been dying to try for a long time, and finally had a chance to do so when my friend invited me here for her birthday dinner. All in all, this is a beautiful restaurant; the design, the food, the service; everything. We dined in the downstairs wine cellar because we were a large group, so I got to see all parts of the restaurant. A few dishes I'd recommend, though I'm sure you can't go wrong with anything, are the carrot & ginger soup, grilled salmon, and side of crispy Brussel sprouts and potatoes.

Txikito
I tried Txikito when my friend's mom was visiting her in the city and wanted to take us out to dinner. They're Spanish and her mom is a great cook and follows the food scene in the city very closely, and she wanted to try Txikito because they just published a recipe book that looks amazing. We were in good hands while ordering and tried pretty much everything on the menu. I would recommend the croketas, piperrak, esparragos, laminas de setas, rusa, gambas plantxa, and the pil pil.

Lovely Day
Lovely Day is an incredible restaurant that would go unnoticed if you didn't know it was there because it has almost no signage outside and nothing that screams for attention. It's tiny and the inside looks like a low-key diner, but overall provides a pleasant experience. I would especially recommend the pineapple fried rice and the carrot cake, but the other items on the menu lack seasoning.
Also, note that if you're planning on paying with card, they only accept AmEx.

Nix
I was made aware of Nix by the COO where I work, who's the biggest foodie I know, so much so that she travels around the world just to eat at different restaurants from the San Pellegrino's World's 50 Best. She told me about Nix when we were talking about restaurants in the city that I should try since I'm pescetarian and I'm so glad she did because every single dish was delicious (though a few of them were too salty). I'd recommend the poached avocado, lentil bread & eggplant dip, cucumber salad, mango appetizer (not on the normal menu, but you should ask for it), tofu pouch, and the shiitake cacio e pepe.
They also have delicious cocktails.

Goemon Curry
This is a Japanese restaurant with a special focus on curry. The ambiance is very relaxed and casual, with picnic-styled group tables and unadorned glasses, plates, and silverware. The food is quite delicious for a good price (especially considering it's mid-Nolita location), and service is quite speedy.

The Little Owl
If you've watched Friends enough times, this photo will be very familiar, as it was used as the exterior of the building that Monica, Rachel, Chandler & Joey live in. It also happens to be home to The Little Owl, a cute little Italian eatery. All of the items on the menu are quite small & shareable. Everything is delicious, but nothing is incredibly memorable. The space inside is definitely not big enough to accommodate all the tables & chairs that were placed, which makes it feel quite cramped in there, but there's a sweet waiting area placed above the dining area, and accessible by steps, which makes the waiting experience slightly more entertaining.

Momofuku Nishi
Momofuku Nishi is David Chang's new(ish) restaurant that approaches Italian cuisine through Korean & other Asian cooking styles. The decor is minimalistic and somewhat futuristically cold. All dishes come in small portions, so sharing is the best option, especially if you want to try multiple items off the menu. Some of the most delicious items (and I tried almost everything on the menu) were the butter noodle, chilled Shanghai noodle, chili squid, and ocean trout. There are only two dessert items, and both are definitely worth the try.

Sauvage
Sauvage is the newest project by the team that brought you Maison Premiere. Located on the edge between Williamsburg and Greenpoint, Sauvage's decor with black and white tiles and small, embroidered white linen curtains on copper rods, combined with warm orange lights create a welcoming atmosphere. The first and only time I visited was the second week after their opening, so service was not the best, but everyone was certainly friendly. I ordered the vegetable pot, which came with bread on the side of the pan, but contrary to general logic, it was attached to the lid of the pot, and was therefore removed when the waiter lifted the lid and took it away. I might return here soon to see if service has improved.

Meadowsweet
Meadowsweet is located in a sweet spot and is very spacious inside. Lighting is generally-speaking dim inside, but we sat a table that had spotlights above it, as well as its own speakers, so that we could lower and increase the volume as desired. The artwork on the walls is also quite tastefully curated, and staff is extremely knowledgeable, personable, and classy without sounding pretentious. Everything we ordered was delicious, but I would especially recommend the papardelle & chanterelles with black truffle pate & chanterelles, and the Scottish salmon with lentils, mustard greens, chanterelles, and black garlic. I will definitely return here.

Mission Chinese Food
I've heard about Mission so many times before that when I finally ended up in the same neighbourhood as it, I couldn't resist going in for an early dinner. The restaurant is gigantic inside, with unsurprising decor, heavy on burgundy and dark red and gold, with fish tanks and confetti.
Considering the service and overall flavors of the dishes, I think the restaurant is overpriced. All the dishes tasted fine, except that most of them were overly salted and spiced; so much so that it was almost impossible to taste the main ingredients.
The Shiso rice and Kung Pao pastrami (minus the pastrami for me) come highly recommended. The Napa cabbage looks like a work of art, but tastes rather bland.

Ivan Ramen
I stumbled into Ivan Ramen while exhaustedly searching for a hearty meal on the Lower East Side. It's a narrow and deep restaurant with comfortable bar seating (which is where I ended up sitting), and a cute outdoor area, which I assume needs to be reserved ahead of time. I ordered the vegetarian ramen with tofu noodles to avoid gluten, and it was absolutely delicious. I can't wait to return here and try some other items off their menu.





























