Last Post (Until Next Fall) COMMERCE!

(My view from our booth, the Cherry Lane Theatre, how fitting!)

Alex and I spent our celebratory dinner at Commerce, 50 Commerce Street! 

It is an upscale "contemporary restaurant in a historic space."

Personally, one of the best restaurants I've been to in my time here at NYC. Which is why I am saving the best for last!

I have been here twice with one of my dear friends Emma, but I never took pictures! Until now...

So the inside is very nice:

(Cute Bartender)

We began with "Bleeding Heart" Pinot Noir from Oregon. 

One of the best glasses of wine I've ever tasted. It starts smooth then has a kick and is beautifully complementary to any dish. Not too intense, but great flavor! 

The BREAD basket is the best bread basket I have ever encountered, and yes, encountered is the right word:

First of all, every single roll in that basket is homemade and DIFFERENT! Each bread had a different flavor or filling. Even the butter is homemade.

Here is a look at the bread with ham:

Gorgeous!

Then we shared the "Cauliflower Gratin with Bacon, Almonds, and Chives"

Incredible. 

Rich, yet a great side dish. 

The crunchiness of the almonds were a perfect match to the bacon and cauliflower. 

Now, on to the main course:

 This is not the best picture, but Alex had the Ricotta Gnocchi with Italian Sausage, Tomatoes and Scallions. 

It was impeccible. The light and softness of the Gnocchi paired with the sausage and sauce was a perfect mix!

 I had the fettuccine with "1 hour Tomato Sauce" and Ricotta.

It is honestly the best spaghetti I have had in my entire life. Big statement, especially since my mom lives in Little Italy, San Diego. 

 (Closeup of the goodness)

This dish is PERFECT: the homemade fettuccine, the sauce, the ricotta, everything melted together perfectly and the Parmesan added the perfect touch. I didn't waste one bite!

I was too full for dessert, so Alex opted for his favorite vanilla ice cream:

House made of course.

It was creamy, smooth, rich, flavorful.

Almost gelato like. 

Overall:

One of my favorite restaurants in NYC. Hands down. A great place to bring the family or friends or a date for a very special occasion. Excellent wine and food. Expect to spend some "dough."

Website:

http://www.commercerestaurant.com/main.html#/Menu/

See you in the fall! Thank you for reading!

H&H Bagels

 "Like No Other Bagel In The World"

 Perfect Bagels! 

Nuff Said.

Lombardi's Pizza

Alex and I finally made it to Little Italy!

We even found a fire in a trash can!

It was a gorgeous spring day and we did not have to wait one minute in line!

 Alex, being "Italian"

Me, enjoying the New York feel!

Look at this glory!

We ordered the basic cheese pizza.

It was INCREDIBLE!

This post does not need many words except, this was one of the best pizza experiences I have ever had.

Overall:

Authentic, New York Pizza. Some of the best.

Website

http://www.firstpizza.com/ 

KATZ'S

This is the ever-waited Katz's experience!!! 

My trusty sidekick Alex and I went to pig out one nice spring day in NYC! 

 Our feast:

I got the Chicken Noodle Soup and 1/2 of a Reuben and I was NOT disappointed one bit!!! 

The soup was perfect because I was getting over a nasty cold. The chicken was tender, the broth was hot, and the noodles were stringy and delicious. The Reuben was perfection. The bread was soft, the meat was juicy, the cheese was melted, the sauerkraut was  crunchy and the Russian dressing was tangy! Each bite kept getting better, and I did not think it was possible!

(LOOK AT THE GLORIOUS REUBEN)

Alex got the Pastrami and Corned Beef sandwich. Basic, just bread, meat, and mustard. But worth every bite!! He could not finish it but he did his best!!! 

Our meal also came with sweet/tangy homemade pickles! 

We also snagged the infamous "When Harry Met Sally" table!! 

We had some fun under the sign!

A VERY classic New York City experience!!!

Overall:

Very pleased!!! Everything was perfect and I did not want the meal to end!!!

Website:

http://katzsdelicatessen.com/

Bianca!

  

On a windy Saturday in New York City, Alex, his beautiful girlfriend Parrish and I went to a cozy hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant, Bianca.

Bianca is on Bleeker and Bowery. CUTE place.

This place is special, not only because there is a small seating capacity, but it feels like you are in a cute little Italian cottage. The decor is adorable!

 We started with the wine, that inevitably got Parrish and I a little sloshed, to say the least.

Then we tried the Gnocco Fritto which were puff pastries that you dip in Stracchino Cheese. 

Sadly we were disappointed with the cheese taste, so we ended up dipping the puffs in olive oil!

For dinner, Parrish had the VERY tasty Spaghettini Al Pomodoro. It was homemade spaghetti with tomatoes and basil. Simple, but extremely delectable. Did I say HOMEMADE spaghetti?!

Alex had Gramigna Con Salciccia which was pasta with sausage and peppers. He loved it and it had a spicy kick to it!

I had the BEST LASAGNA of my life!!!! Look at the layers! Look at the hearty meat sauce! Look at the basil! Look at the HOMEMADE pasta!!! I died and went to heaven, if there is one! This was a huge deal. I am still in awe over this lasagna.

By the time we stumbled upon dessert I had to pass. Alex had some boring Hazelnut ice cream (he wanted vanilla) and Parrish ordered her usual Tartufo which was chocolate ice cream (and vanilla?) and other great tasting things! 

Overall:

Best Italian I have had in the city. HANDS DOWN. Best lasagna.

Expect to wait at least 40 minutes on a weekend night. If you wait, you can go to the bar next door and George will come get you! 

Website:

biancanyc.com

BANGERANG!

During winter break one of my best friends in the whole world (Formally known as Brandi King) and I decided to have a cupcake masterpiece night.

The pictures explain it all:

Vapiano!

This place was amazing!!!

Vipiano is an Italian chain but it's so fun!

Here is what you do:

1. When you walk in, the hostess gives you a card.

2. You find a seat yourself.

3. You go up to the kitchen area labeled "Salad" or "Pizza" or "Pasta" and you order. If you order pasta you get to choose your noodles! AHA!

4. The chef has you tap your card on the machine.

5. Then you go eat.

6. When you leave, the hostess swipes your card and the total amount of $ is on there for you to pay.
6. You leave with a mini container of GUMMY BEARS! WIN.

SO FUN!

It is do it yourself style dining which is good for many reasons but a big one is that you have your own tab and you pay for your own food.

A plus for big groups!

So I started with the Strawberry Spinach Salad with goat cheese and berry vinaigrette.

Perfect.

Alex had the Ceasar! Not the best pic but you can see the card below and some olive oil for the amazing bread!

Then I had the alfredo with chicken and broccoli. Perfect. Not too creamy, not too light. 

Alex had the pasta with sausage and sauce. Somehow the pic doesn't show off the food, but Alex's reaction to it.

ha.

Somehow I managed to MATCH the color of my food. I didn't plan it.

The place looked cool.

We shared the cheesecake dessert. It was FREE because I signed up for the club online and I got a coupon emailed to me! woohoo!

And even the to-go containers were trendy

Overall:

I am DEFINITELY going back to Vipiano!! Affordable, yummy, and fun!

Website:

http://www.vapianointernational.com/vapiano/