Butter

Don't be fooled by the name of this NYC hot spot, Butter is not a greasy food joint, it's actually quite the opposite. Butter is an amazingly chic establishment founded by Scott Sartiano and Richie Akiva in 2002. Apparently there are three dining rooms within the restaurant, the Great Room, the Birch Room and the Gallery Lounge. The upper level is more formal while downstairs the dining experience is a bit more casual.

Upon entering the restaurant patrons are greeted by the large photographic mural of a Birch forest on the back wall that illuminates the entire Great Room. We ate downstairs in the Birch Room where the lights are dim and the walls are covered in silver birch accented wallpaper with a floor to ceiling backlit wine-rack on the back wall. The bar downstairs is across from a DJ station where live DJs spin fun hip-hop music (lots of Justin Timberlake and Rihanna).

I didn't seen any part of the third dining area, the Gallery Lounge but apparently it's a destination for meeting and socializing. With four to six loveseats carved from blocks of Western Red Cedar, the Gallery Lounge is an ideal place for pre-dinner cocktails.

The menu at Butter is amazing, using local and seasonal ingredients the dishes are French in style and technique but use American ingredients. I ordered the Roasted Local Beet, Parsnip and Radicco Salad with white balsamic and cara cara oranges. My sister ordered the special Mushroom Ravioli which she loevd. For dessert we quickly devoured the Roasted Gala Apple- bread pudding, oat streusel and creme fraiche ice cream.

A few days after we ate here Paris Hilton celebrated her birthday at Butter with friends.

Reserve a table in advance via Open Table.
Located at 415 Lafayette, near Astor Place

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

Banc Cafe

This Murray Hill (30th and 3rd) hot spot is perfect for a drink during a game or an even out and about. No snobbery, pretty casual, friendly bar tenders, overall Banc has a chic appearance but an easy going attitude.