Craftbar

Earlier this summer I had the chance to celebrate my brother's New York arrival at Craft with him and my mom. So it was only fitting that we ended his New York experience with another one of Tom Colicchio's restaurants... this time we went to Craftbar. Located at 900 Broadway [MAP], Craftbar is Craft's informal sister-restaurant. the menu changes seasonally and features a variety of amazing dishes like Pecorino Fondue with Hazelnuts and Acacia Honey, Summer Squash Puree, Grana Padano Frico soup and more. (I didn't try either one but both sounded like great vegetarian options.)

My brother, his girlfriend and I shared a cheese plate where we chose four different cheeses- Sweetgrass Dairy Green Hill (cow cheese from Tomasville, GA), Sprout Creek Fram Toussaint (cow cheese from Poughkeepsie, NY), Holland's Farm Marieke Gouda (cow cheese from Thorpe, WI) and Ancient Heritage Dairy Adelle (sheep and cow mixture from Scio, OR).
Stephanie had the Bouchot Mussels sauteed with white wine, garlic and parsley. I had the Wild Arugula, Lemon Vinaigrette, Grana Padano and Pine Nuts salad. While Michael had the Linguine, "Cacciucco Livornese."
For dessert we all shared the Warm Brownie served with chocolate source, whipped cream, and mint chocolate chip ice cream. A bunch of the other desserts sounded great too like the Ricotta Fritters and the Vanilla Ice Cream Float.

Craftbar is now even open for weekend brunch- Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm.
See their brunch menu HERE.

Cafe St. Barts

Cafe St. Barts was one of my first outdoor dining experience in NYC three years ago and to this day hold it as one of my favorite New York spots. My favorite part of this cafe is the fact that it's on the patio of St. Bartholomew's church on Park Avenue.
It's a great place to meet for drinks and a light dinner.
However, they also host brunch and lunch. Click HERE to see their menu.

B Bar

I recently had an extremely late night dining experience at B Bar which I had previously only been to for drinks. I've always loved the casual in-door/outdoor layout of the restaurant, half of the restaurant is inside and the back half is a year-round garden which is enclosed and fully heated in the winter and open during the summer so patrons can dine and drink under the stars. It's the perfect spot for weekend brunch, after work drinks, weekend nights out and fabulous for dinner.

For a late night dinner my friend and I started off with a tasty order of Homemade Guacamole & Chips. The menu boasts nine great sounding salads. I ordered the Roasted Beet Salad with herb-walnut crusted goat cheese. The menu also features a variety of dishes from seafood to pizzas to burgers and quesadillas.
I'm a big fan of restaurants and bars that have cocktail menus and B Bar doesn't disappoint. The cocktail menu features two of my favorite drinks- sangria and mojitos- but also offers a Watermelon Martini, B Bar Cosmo, a Spiced Margarita and more.

B Bar is very similar to The Park, located on 10th Ave near 17th St., and after my first visit to B Bar I asked the hostess if they had the same owner and she said yes but seemed a little unsure. Does anyone know if they are owned by the same people?!? (I really hope they are because they are really too similar not to be. Haha)

B Bar is located at 40 E. 4th St. near Bowery, see map HERE.

The Smith

Opened in 2007, The Smith quickly become an East Village hangout serving breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner every day. Opened by Glenn Harris and Jeffrey Lefcourt, owners of Corner Table Restaurants, who also owns Jane, an American bistro in Greenwich Village. All Corner Table Restaurants are committed to using local, natural, organic and sustainable ingredients.Located on 3rd Ave. between 10th & 11th Streets, The Smith offers seven amazing menus- one for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, drinks, Sunday brunch, drinks and delivery. I recently visiting The Smith for dinner and drinks with a few friends. The dinner menu has a great variety, definitely offers something for everyone from Mac + Cheese to Chicken Pot Pie. The menu is divided into six sections- Starters, Main Courses, Salads & Sandwiches, Steaks, Pasta and Sides. I ordered the Mediterranean Salad and really liked it but everyone else loved their entrees as well which included the Pork Chop (served with crispy potatoes, baby portobellos and bacon bordalaise) and Diver Scallops (served with asparagus, leeks, truffled, spring pea puree).
Also noteworthy are the drinks which included Muddlers, Fancy Cocktails, Long Pours, Bourbon/Whiskey, Draft and Bottled Beer. I loved both the Belini and the Blood Orange Mimosa.
The open atmosphere, casual classic American menu and late night hours reminded me of Cafeteria. (The Smith is open until midnight on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, 1am on Wednesdays and Thursday but open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.) FYI: Reservations are accepted and you may need them for dinner but not really needed for breakfast or lunch.

Poll Results: Meeting up with Friends...

When meeting up with friends the majority of Gossip Street readers prefer to go to dinner rather than brunch, lunch or happy hour. What's your vote? Make your vote count, vote HERE.
I've created a new poll (see left) asking what is your go-to drunk food? Vote HERE.

L'Orange Bleue

L'Orange Bleue is a Moroccan restaurant on the corner of Broome and Crosby Streets in NYC. And it's hard to miss with it's royal blue exterior and outdoor seating.A few girl friends and I met for a Sunday afternoon brunch. The prix-fixe menu is $12.95 and includes orange juice, mimosa, coffee and a choice of special brunch dishes like different types of eggs, sandwiches, crepes, and salad.
Besides brunch L'Orange Bleue offers fun evening events like Monday Drums with live Brazillian bands playing every Monday night at 8:30pm and again at 10pm. Monday Drums prix-fixed menu is $35.

Apizz

A new NYC hotspot, Apizz is located in the Lower East Side on Eldridge near Stanton Street (map). "Apizz" is Italian for pizza and is pronounced "ah-beets."I recommend making reservations a couple days ahead of time and be on time, especially if you want a good seat. I got lucky and got the last Thursday evening reservation after calling earlier that afternoon. But given the cocktail menu it's not a bad spot to have to wait at the bar and enjoy one of their concoctions. My favorite? The Blood Orange Mojito. My friend Rolland Berry and I went here a couple weeks ago and loved the food. Each meal starts off with a basket of rustic bread served with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce instead of butter. For an appetizer we shared the amazing APizz Bianca E Verde, a flatbread pizza topped with fresh ricotta, parmigiano-reggiano, buffalo mozzarella d.o.c. and sauteed spinach. For my entree I ordered the Insalata Di Formaggio- romaine hearts, drunken goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, croutons and I substituted the creamy sherry vinaigrette with the lemon-honey vinaigrette. The salad was good but did not stand up to the quality of the pizza appetizer. Rolland had the Lasagna Cinghiale- lasagna, ragu of braised wild boar and parmigiano-reggiano, which he apparently wanted to try since it was a unique twist on the traditional lasagna dish.
Overall, I enjoyed Apizz but would have liked to have sat in the main dining area of the restaurant instead of the tables by the bar. I've heard that Apizz is not only great for dinner but a wonderful weekend brunch spot as well.
John Lafemina is the owner and executive chef of Apizz and The Orchard as well as the author of A Man and His Meatballs.

Josie's

There are two Josie's restaurants in NYC, one on the West side (the original location) and one of the East side. but the owner and executive chef, Louis Lanza, is the man behind two other NYC establishments, Citrus Bar & Grill and Josephina. Lanza is known for his creative dairy-free menus that use all organic ingredients as well as free range meats. All of the restaurants offer amazing food for health conscious Manhattanites- Josie's and Josephina feature American cuisine while Citrus serves Latin dishes with an Asian flair.
Josie's restaurant serves healthy and wholesome dishes throughout the day- brunch, lunch and dinner. I have had lunch at Josie's East in Murry Hill and dinner at Josie's West (the original Josie's located at Amsterdam and 74th St). I was impressed with their lunch offerings like the Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Steamed Organic Spiced Edamame, Steamed Potato & Broccoli Dumplings, Pan-Seared Spicy Organic Black Bean Dumplings and the Vegetable Stir-Fry. However, I must admit that I had the most filling dinner dish I've ever had when I dined at Josie's West for dinner. I ordered the Veggie Plate Deluxe- wok sauteed greens served over a roasted winter squash, grilled vegetables, roasted beets and organic tamari brown rice.
I definitely recommend either of the Josie's restaurants and look forward to trying Josephina and Citrus.

Novecento

Novecento is the perfect European style bistro that just happens to have a presence all over the world- New York, Miami, Buenos Aires, Punta del Este, and Cordoba.
The New York bistro is located in Soho at 343 West Broadway (near Grand St) and serves dishes that are a combination of Mediterranean and Latin American cuisines. Novecento provides a very comfortable atmosphere and is perfect for a relaxing weekend brunch before hitting the Soho shops. All three appetizer salads interested me- the Ensalada de Queso azul (blue cheese, pears, mix greens, beets, walnuts, raspberry balsamic vinagrette), Caprese Tartain (warm mozzarella, tomatoes, diced olives served over a puff pastry), and Ensalada de Rucula (arugula salad, cherry tomatoes, shaved Parmesan cheese, truffle citrus vinaigrette). I also love the facet that they offer roasted or mashed sweet potatoes. If the wait is too long at Novecento there are tons of other great French bistros nearby that are also open for weekend brunch.

Elmo

Elmo is somewhat of a one-stop-shop, it's a place for New Yorkers to have brunch, lunch, dinner or even cocktails. A friend and I stumbled into Elmo on a rainy Sunday afternoon for brunch and were quite impressed with the extensive late morning menu. I found it difficult to choose between the Roasted Tomato Soup, the Toasted Granola and the Tropical Fruit Salad. I opted fro the Tropic Fruit Salad, served with a side of fresh yogurt. I've looked at Elmo's dinner menu as well and the dishes sound amazing from the Butternut Squash Soup, Roasted Beet Salad and the Spinach Ravioli. I haven't seen Elmo's cocktail menu but judging by the bar at the front of the restaurant I'd bet they can serve up some pretty tasty drinks.
Located in Chelsea at 156 7th Ave (btw 19th & 20th Ave)

Extra Virgin

Extra Virgin is a West Village neighborhood gem located at 259 West 4th St. (between Charles & Perry St). As one could guess from their name, the restaurant offers a variety of extra virgin oils from around the world. Aside from the array of olive oil, chef Joey Fortunato serves quality Mediterranean dishes like Roasted Artichoke Parmesan and a Greek Salad which is served with hearts of palm, feta cheese, tomatoes, chickpeas, kalamata olives, red onion, cucumber and hummus crostini. My cousin ordered the Mustard Crusted Virgin Chicken served with sweet pea risotto, cippolini onions and truffle broth. Even Whitney Port and her boyfriend have been seen eating at Extra Virgin in an episode of The City.
Check out this video of the restaurant.
Open for dinner every night of the week, lunch Tuesdays-Fridays and brunch on the weekends from 11am-4pm.

Friend of a Farmer

My sister and cousin came to NYC to visit me for a three day weekend during which time we ate at amazing restaurants including Butter, Spice Market, and Bottega Del Vino but after their visit the restaurant that they liked the most was Friend of a Farmer. A fabulous comfort food restaurant located at 77 Irving Place (btw 18th & 19th St.). that serves dishes that should be coming from your grandmother's kitchen.
The three of us ordered all very different entrees but all amazingly satisfying. My cousin had his most favorite meal, Fresh Roasted Turkey served with cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, fresh cranberry sauce and giblet gravy. Meanwhile my sister and I took the vegetarian route by ordering the Lasagna of the Day which happened to be potobello mushroom and artichoke lasagna, and The Gramercy Park Salad (organic mixed greens, bosc pears, fresh beets, toasted walnuts and goat cheese with an orange vinaigrette dressing).

Homemade desserts like pumpkin and apple pie were tempting but we had to pass it up since we had planned to go to Dylan's Candy Bar to satisfy our sweet cravings.

Apparently Friend of a Farmer is also a wonderful spot for weekend brunch. The restaurant is open Monday-Thursdays from 8am-10pm, Fridays until 11pm; Saturdays from 9:30am-11pm and Sundays from 9:30am-10pm.

Cafe Cluny

Cafe Cluny was new to NYC in the Fall of 2006 and immediately become a West Village hot spot. The success of Cafe Cluny comes as no surprise as it is owned by Lynn Wagenknecht, Judi Wong, and Steven Abramowitz, the team behind The Odeon and Cafe Luxembourg.

The place is charming, with cream colored walls, crown molding a cozy bar in the front room and a larger dining area in the back room. There are several interesting and playful details about the restaurant like the giant wooden cockroach clinched to the ceiling above our table, and the portraits of Graydon, Ian, Diane, et al., sketched by a Central Park artist [source: Daily Candy].

Cafe Cluny does not take reservations so while we waited for our table we sat at the bar and sipped hot chocolate. I was impressed that they served three different kinds- fat free, soy and whole milk.

For brunch I had the Homemade Granola with berries and yogurt on the side, my sister had an egg white omelet with goat cheese and a side salad while my cousin had Brioche French Toast with berries and Vermont maple syrup.

Mondays thru Fridays Cafe Cluny is open for breakfast from 8am-11am, lunch from 11:30am-3pm, and dinner from 9pm-midnight. On the weekends it's open for brunch from 9am until 4pm and for dinner from 5:30-11pm.
Location: 284 W. 12th Street

Norma's at Le Parker Meridien

Located within Le Parker Meridien Hotel (on 57th St. near 6th Ave.), Norma's is definitely known as one of the best places to have brunch in NYC. Even though we had reservations the three of us waited for a good 30-40 minutes. Not to worry though, it was fun people watching.

I wanted to try a bite of almost everything on the menu which was categorized by clever headlines like "Mom Can't Make This" that included gourmet breakfast dishes like Caramelized Chocolate Banana Waffle Napoleon, PB&C Waffle 'Wich (chocolate waffle a peanut butter and toffee crunch filling), French Toast (super moist french toast with an orange infused Honey drizzle) and Breakfast Nachos (strawberry, banana and pineapple on tortilla chips drizzled with chocolate)- which, by the way, I do think my mom could make, in fact, I think I could make that and serve it at a breakfast and/or dessert party. ;)

(photo above is the Caramelized Chocolate Banana Waffle Napoleon)

"Somethin' Fruity" featured McCann's Irish Oatmeal Brulee (with sauteed green apples and red pears) which sounded pretty interesting and Crunchy Pecan and Macadamia Granola (with dried fruit and fresh berries) which I did have and it was probably the best granola I've ever had. It even kept me full all day and gave me plenty of energy for the Nike Human Race that evening.

"Benny Sent Me" lists five different style of Eggs Benedict while the "Egg Cellent" section showcased eleven different kinds of eggs including five different kinds of omelets and even The Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata which starts at $100 for the Regular 1 oz Sevruga Caviar and $1,000 for the Super size 10 oz Sevruga Caviar. (I seriously wonder how many people order this a year.)

If you're looking for an impressive someone with a memorable brunch I definitely recommend Norma's, just be sure to call ahead for reservations and be prepared to spend a lot of money. (On the plus side, it might be the only meal you eat all day. Haha)

Nolita House

This is a great spot for brunch, lunch, and happy hour!

I didn't have the Mac & Cheese but it looked fantastic and got rave reviews all around.

Also those who had the French Toast gleamed with excitement when the waiter served it and throughout the meal.

The Nolita House is conveniently located at the tip of Soho at 47 E. Houston Street. You can make reservations online at Open Table, check out the menus before hand and more!

Eatery

Eatery is a great brunch spot in Midtown West (53rd and 9th).Have a drink at he bar while you wait for a table. Once you're seated you're welcomed with a small bite of banana bread topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a little taste of nutella. The menu boasts some great sounding dishes like Santa Fe Sweet Potato Pancake and Homemade Granola with dried fruit. Whether you sit inside or out it's a fun place to meet up with friends for a weekend brunch.

The Neptune Room

Not having spent much time in the Upper West Side, I must say I was impressed with the calmness that filled the air. It just seemed so much more peaceful compared to the rest of Manhattan.

The Neptune Room is a fabulous place to dine. it's known to have the best Eggs Benedict but their fresh fruit and granola was just as satisfying. The waitstaff was friendly and the decor was appropriately cozy for such a large venue. My favorite part? The interesting bathroom doors angled behind the bar.