09 Jun 12 Some Local Restaurant Favorites
I have lived in the Gramercy/Flatiron/Union Square neighborhood for the past 3 years and I love it. It’s convenient and lively and the nexus of a lot of fun places to eat.
View RT/PS – Gramercy/Flatiron/Union Square in a larger map
I’ve evaluated the top restaurants within a 5-minute walk from my place. How did I decide upon them? They fit in a matrix which I’m calling the RT/PS Matrix™.
It’s a 3×3 grid, thus 9 slots where I’ve managed to fit in 11 restaurants. The RT/PS stands for Rich & Trendy/Poor & Simple since the matrix spans that range (from top-left to bottom-right). Here are all possible combinations:
Sufficiently complex? Here’s the chart for my neighborhood:
The Rich/Poor scale is my inelegant way of denoting how much you should expect to pay. The Trendy/Simple scale is meant to denote how cool the place is and evaluate newness vs. incumbent status, not sophistication of the food (I like all of these places, so it’s not about good/bad restaurants — rather, it’s about price range and mood and your personality). Want to learn more? Excellent, away we go!
- Casa Mono - Grab some small plates, try a bottle of wine and keep them both flowing. This is a great spot and the fresh, creative tidbits from your waiter and sommelier will keep you at a small table in the corner for hours. Or sit at the bar and be enthralled as you watch your food cooked up to order in front of you.
- Craft - The dining room and food are beautiful in their simplicity. Execution defines the dining experience, too. For example, try the sea scallops and be deceived by the sea salt crystals lingering on the top of the perfectly seared pieces.
- Gramercy Tavern - It’s a boringly obvious choice but that’s because it’s the right answer. Do it. If you are feeling Rich & A Bit Less Trendy (and in for an amazing meal), Danny Meyer and friends will take care of you. The crowd skews a bit older (so A Bit Less Trendy) but the restaurant and food are anything but simple.
- Pipa - Pipa is built into ABC on 19th Street and has fun tapas and sangria. Patatas bravas are always good, here they do not fail to please. Mood lighting is provided by ABC Home’s inventory which means everything is, I think, technically purchasable. Regardless, the setting is #romantic and is a great start to a night.
- Eataly - Eataly is a market with 12 different restaurants and counters to choose from. Manzo is a formal dinner while Il Pesce and Le Verdure are more casual (they don’t take reservations) and specialize in fish and vegetarian options, respectively. Walk around the expansive floor and if nothing suits your fancy, head up to the roof to the Birreria, a year-round open air beer garden (with a roof for the winter) with food and drink.
- The House - Another #romantic spot, The House is in a free standing building on 17th Street and has plenty of charm (see picture below).
- Tarallucci E Vino – You’ll find a pretty decor (one friend kept saying she envisioned it as the ideal place for a wedding party) and with fresh pastries and warm drinks, it’s the place to go for a dependable Italian meal with flair. Of the pastas, I’m a big fan of the $16 paccheri with duck sauce and parmigiano reggiano.
- Coffee Shop – This is a coffee shop on Union Square West. It is what is sounds like. That’s what makes it in the “Poor” line. Why the “Trendy” column? It’s well-known that many cute models/actors (male and female) work here as waiters. Get a table outside and do some people watching. Try during the weekend during the boozy brunch hour and you will have fun.
- The Soft Serve Fruit Co. – Fruit, water, cane sugar. It’s like sorbet and it’s really refreshing, with strong and genuine fruit flavors. Plus, it’s vegan and gluten-free. For something more substantial, try one of their smoothies, with flavors such as PPJC: banana soft serve, hot natural peanut butter, chocolate or carob chips, fresh banana & strawberries.
- Dos Toros - Craving some Bay Area taqueria? Grab a chicken plato or burrito made to order, add on all the fixins and take it to Union Square to eat outside in the park. Can’t go wrong with some sour cream and guacamole on there, too.
- Maoz – This is not on the list simply because I needed to fill this box in the matrix. I love all of these places and Maoz is no different. Apparently part of a European chain, Maoz is really more about value than simply “cheap.” Pro Tip: get a falafel sandwich and then take advantage of the free self-serve salad bar with carrots, beets, greens and all the tahini and garlic sauce you could ask for.
- Maialino (RT)
- Shake Shack (PT)
- ABC Kitchen (RT)
Tags: abc home, birreria, burrito, casa mono, coffee shop, craft, danny meyer, dos toros, eataly, falafel, flat iron, food, gramercy, gramercy tavern, il pesce, le verdure, manzo, maoz, models, paccheri, patatas bravas, pipa, poor, restaurants, rich, simple, small plates, soft serve fruit co, tahini, taqueria, Tarallucci E Vino, trendy, union square, wine
