New Blog Alert!

I am loving my friend's new blog! If you love Sex and the City and cherish quality time with your girl friends you should definitely read Juls and the City. She's an event planner living in NYC with fabulous humor and has a great perspective of life in the Big Apple.

Tre

Tre opened early in 2008 and is located at 173 Ludlow St. in the West Village. I wasn't aware the modern Italian restaurant was so new when I dined there this past February. Even though our food was great, it would also be a great place to just stop in and grab a drink.

I recommend the Insalata Di Spinaci (baby spinach salad, feta cheese, cucumber, tomato and peppers) and the Carpaccio Di Bietola (thinly sliced red beet, fried goat cheese ballas, with mango dressing).

Reservations for Tre can be made at OpenTable.com.

Soho Park

Soho Park is a restaurant inside a space that looks like a greenhouse in the middle of Soho (on Prince St. and Lafayette). It's a perfect little neighborhood spot for any meal of the day- Mon-Saturday they're open from 8:30am until midnight and on Sundays from 10am to 8pm. I recently stopped into the restaurant for lunch on a rainy afternoon while shopping in Soho. Situated inside a greenhouse this spot is perfect for any weather and still lets you feel like you're outside.
Not only does their menu offer tasty comfort-type food but it also features wine, beer, and handmade sodas and shakes. On the rainy, chilly spring day I had the bowl of Roasted Tomato Soup without croutons but asked for shredded cheese on the side and it was no problem!
Soho Park also has unique events Wednesdays through Saturdays, check them all out here.

Great N.Y. Noodletown

Apparently recommended by GQ magazine this authentic noodle house in the heart of Chinatown. With chickens and ducks hanging along side the windows, Great N.Y. Noodletown is a place I would have never gone to by myself but worth the experience in the end. I may never go back but at least I can say I've truly experienced an authentic Chinese restaurant. I ordered the Vegetable Dumpling soup and the Sauteed Bok Choy. The soup was actually really good.

I should also note that we ended up at Great N.Y. Noodletown because our first choice, Barrio Chino (253 Broome St.) was no longer in existance but was also recommended by GQ mag recently. We were standing right in front of the location and it was toally not there! So disappointing and what's even worse is that NYmag.com and Menu Pages haven't updated their posts.

Mercadito Grove

Mercadito Grove is a Mexican tapas restaurant located on 7th Avenue between Grove and Barrow Streets in the West Village. This is a great summer spot with outdoor seating perfect for interesting people watching and a vast list of exciting drinks including various mojitos, margaritas and cervezas.

To start we ordered the Guacamole Sampler which included orange guac, traditional and mango. The fruit in the guacamole made the spicy dishes a little more refreshing. My friend ordered the Pollo Tacos- four small tapas-style tacos topped with a sliver of avocado- and loved them. I had the Ensalada Verde (without jicama and queso). It was spicier than I would have liked and the quesco may have helped with that but I left most of the salad on my plate but made sure all of the chips and guacamole were eaten. = )

Vino

Vino is a new wine bar in the Upper East Side perfect for a glass of wine and a small bite. My friends and I ordered the fennel and orange salad and the beef lasagna along with a few glasses of Pinot Grigio and Chianti. Located on 2nd Ave. between 66th and 67th this little wine spot also offers outdoor seating perfect for New York summers.

There's no website yet but their number is 212-744-5370