Lupa

Yum!! Maybe you've heard of Lupa already--I'm sure you've heard of Babbo. Lupa is one of Mario Batali's less expensive restaurants. It's right nextdoor to delicious Tomoe sushi on Thompson street. You have to make your reservation like a week in advance, and even then it might be at 9:45--so plan ahead. I went with my boyfriend after Christmas and we got what I would consider the best table, by some stroke of luck. We were in the quieter back room in a corner banquette, so we were next to each other but looking out on the room. We had rosemary focaccia and yummy olive oil to start. I had the Buccatini all'amatriciana which was AMAZING. Definitely get it! He had the ricotta gnocchi, which was also great--light and fluffy, putting the usual heavy potato gnocchi to shame. I was too full for dessert, but I almost got this amazing looking ball of icecream covered in chocolate and rolled in hazelnuts. While writing this I'm kicking myself for not trying it. Next time! But definitely try Lupa--it's great.

Little Branch

I was out to dinner at some random sushi place on Prince--Nagomi, not bad but nothing to write home about, we went there because the line at Tomoe was way too long--and stopped at Little Branch on the way home. (It's is on the corner of Leroy and 7th and it's super easy to miss--it's through an unassuming door with "Little Branch" lightly etched on a plaque.) It was a Monday night, so I expected the underground cocktail bar to be somewhat empty. To my surprise, as I descended the narrow stairs I was met with a live jazz band and a slew of fellow Monday-night-revelers. If you're looking for a fun Monday night, this is the place to find it. On the cocktail menu flanked by "Perfect Manhattans" and other alcoholic confections, was one that intrigued me: bartenders choice. Little Branch is famous for its "mixologists" so I thought I'd see what they could cook up. He asked me what I liked, I told him vodka or rum, and then I watched him add drops of this and shots of that, and even an egg white, to a shaker, followed by a blur of vigorous shaking. Once in the glass, he topped it with little droplets with some unknown substance and swirled them into a heart. I'm not sure what was in it--some sort of sour--but it was great. Next we each tried a dark and stormy, which was spicy and gingery--not as big of a production as the Bartender's Choice, but equally unique and yummy. So head to Little Branch for live music, great cocktails, and a kind of pricey bill.