What: French
Where: Soho
It’s always hard for a food diva to find lunch in an unfamiliar place packed with a million restaurants per square foot. “Food diva”, a nickname given to me by my older brother Matt, really tends to shine through when I’m given a plethora of food options. I want the best of the best. So yesterday I walked a few blocks from my office only to find a very European looking cafe/bakery. Le Pain Quotidien– a “communal table and organic cafe” was extremely spacious for NYC and a very pleasant and quiet spot to grab lunch or brunch. I chose a little table by the window (perfect for people watching) and ordered a hot tea for my scratchy throat. I loved the little tea cups and the way it was brought out to me in the tea pot.
I was feeling a healthy light lunch, so I went with the Quiche Végétarienne which consisted of gruyére, spinach, mushrooms and leeks. It was a perfect sized piece, and it came with a side salad with pesto. So refreshing and healthy! My only problem was it was really overpriced (what isn’t here in the city though?) and it took longer than I would have liked. Next time I go there I will stick with takeout.
What: Mediterranean/ American
Where: West Village
WOW. That’s all you need to know. WOW. I was told by my friend Lisa to head to Extra Virgin for brunch, but I went instead for dinner. Looking at my Four Square app after I checked in (yeah yeah I know..), I saw there were 50+ tips on Extra Virgin spanning from what to order to an overwhelming amount of comments praising the restaurant. It definitely lived up to all the hype it got on Four Square.
Conveniently nestled into one of West Village’s tree lined streets right behind my apartment, Extra Virgin is a tiny little space inside, but also has a few tables outside as well. To begin, we were given bread and an option of two different types of olive oil– spicy or sweet. I think we would’ve gotten a more in-depth explanation of their namesake olive oils had the man who served us the bread been able to speak English. I got the mushroom crusted virgin chicken. It was the best chicken I’ve ever had. It was served on a bed of melt-in-your-mouth sweet pea risotto, with cippolini onions and a truffle broth. The combination of flavors was incredible.
As a side, we couldn’t decide what to get but finally ordered the fries with gorgonzola fondue. Mmmmm the fondue was so rich and creamy. I’d definitely recommend it. Next time I’m going for brunch and trying more of their incredible sounding dishes.
Bon appétit,
ThatFoodieGirl
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