NYC Dining: SoHo/NoLiTa/Little Italy
My girlfriends and I love Soho and find ourselves heading back there frequently, for shopping, dining, and people-watching. Soho is lively and busy all the time, and a fun place to roam around day or night. Nolita has some great little boutique shopping, so you might find yourself in need of refreshment there. Little Italy is getting littler all the time and there’s not much left except for tourist trap restaurants; an exception is America’s first pizzeria, Lombardi’s, listed below.
Note: SoHo is one of those neighborhoods (Greenwich Village is another) with so many good restaurants that you really can just wander around, look at the posted menus, and make some discoveries of your own!
** Indicates Lipstick Getaways favorites
Aquagrill ($$-$$$) Seafood, American, Asian, French.
210 Spring St. (@Sixth Ave.)
212-274-0505
Subway: C,E to Spring St.
Open Tue-Sun for lunch and dinner (brunch on weekends), closed Mon.
www.aquagrill.com
Excellent food, service, lively atmosphere, outdoor dining in summer, superb raw bar.
** Balthazar ($$-$$$) French
80 Spring St. (betw. B’way and Crosby)
212-965-1414
Subway: N,R, to Prince St.; 6 to Spring St.; F to Broadway-Lafayette St.
Open 7 days: Sun 8am-midnight, Mon-Thu 7:30am-1am, Fri 7:30am – 2am, Sat. 8am-2am.
www.balthazarny.com
My girlfriends, my husband, my kids, and I – we all love Balthazar! Experience the aura, ambience, and cuisine of a Paris brasserie. Popular, busy, and often very noisy. Fabulous raw bar. (I’ve never ordered it but it is fun to watch them serve those multi-tiered seafood platters.) Enjoy breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon cappuccino or glass of wine, cocktails, dinner, or late night nibble. (p.s. The Parisienne ambience extends to the ladies’ room, so take $1 for the attendant when you go. You don’t have to, but it’s nice.)
**Cupping Room Café ($$) American, Mediterranean
359 W. Broadway (@ Broome St.)
212-925-2898
Subway: C,E to Spring St.
Open Mon-Thu 7:30am-midnight, Fri 7:30am-2am, Sat 8am-2am, Sun 8am-midnight
www.cuppingroomcafe.com
Cozy, antique-filled, long-time Soho haunt, busy especially for breakfast and brunch. Omeletes, French toast (made with fresh baked brioche!), pancakes, various eggs benedict (my weakness), etc. Good burgers, salads, sandwiches, and more. Live music (no cover) on Weds and Fri.
L’Ecole at The French Culinary Institute ($$) French
462 Broadway (@Grand St.)
212-219-3300
Subway: 6,J,M,Z,N,Q,w to Canal St.; 6 to Spring St.
Open Mon-Fri 12:30-2pm, Mon-Wed 6pm-9pm, Thu-Sat 5:30pm-9pm, closed Sun.
www.frenchculinary.com
Doesn’t a meal here sound like something worth trying? The food is prepared by (supervised) FCI students. Prix-fixe menus: 3-course lunch $20.05, 4-course dinner 5-7pm $31.50 (this one prepared by professional chefs, not students) and 5-course dinner 8pm-9pm $31.50.
Le Pain Quotidien ($) Belgian bakery/café
100 Grand St. (betw. Mercer and Greene Sts.)
212-625-9009
Subway: 1,6,a,C,E,J,M,Z,N,Q,R,W to Canal St.
www.painquotidien.com
A very fine Belgian bakery/café with several outlets in town. Fresh organic salads, sandwiches, etc., and of course lovely bread and pastries.
** Lombardi’s ($) Italian, Pizza
32 Spring St. (betw. Mulberry and Mott Sts.)
212-941-7994
Subway: 6 to Spring St. Open Mon-Thur 11:30am-11pm, Fri-sat 11:30am-midnight, Sun 11:30am-10pm.
CASH ONLY
www.lombardisoriginalpizza.com
America’s first pizzeria (established in 1905), and often ranked as one of NYC’s best. I go for the pizza and the history. They are also famous for clam pie, made with freshly-chucked top-neck clams on a crisp crust with garlic, herbs, olive oil, and Romano.
Lure Fishbar ($$$) Seafood, American.
142 Mercer St. (@Prince)
212-431-7676
www.lurefishbar.com
Subway: N,R to Prince St. Open 7 days, noon-11pm. Winner of several “Best New Seafood” awards. Very cool, sophisticated, “guest on a private yacht” décor.
Mooncake Foods ($$) Pan-Asian
28 Watts St. (betw. Thompson St. and 6th Ave.)
212-219-8888
Subway: 1,9 to Canal St., C,E to Spring St.
Open Mon-Sat 11am-11pm, closed Sun.
CASH ONLY.
Many repeat customers give rave reviews to this friendly, inexpensive, family-run eatery with creative, fresh, well-prepared offerings, like sandwiches, salads, spring rolls, chicken wings, and miso-glazed salmon.
Snack ($) Greek, Mediterranean.
105 Thompson St. (betw. Prince and Spring Sts.)
212-925-1040
Subway: C,E to Spring St. Open 7 days, noon-10pm (9pm on Sunday).
This tiny storefront restaurant serves not just snacks, but also excellent, creative, fresh lunch and dinner fare. Because it is so small, there is usually a line — but they say that the host will take your cell phone number and call when your table is ready – leaving you free to explore the neighborhood!
