• Contact us
  • Our Story
  • The 5 Best

Food Reviews for Foodies

Food Reviews for Foodies

Category Archives: Date Spot

Spasso

14 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by Rob in American, Date Spot, Italian, Restaurants, Wine Bar

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

date spot, foodie, Italian, people watching, Trendy, west village


551 Hudson Street                     http://www.spassonyc.com

spassssso

Baller Spot. Always delicious. I’ve been here 3 times and it is always consistent. In my opinion, this is one of the top restaurants in the West Village.

It’s located on the corner of Hudson and Perry with great out-door seating in the summer. Also, the interior is rustic and inviting. All the times I went, the music and vibe was spot on. This is an Italian restaurant, but It’s modern, funky Italian, where the dishes are not necessarily traditional. There is a flair to all the food here.

We started the meal with the Beef Tartare Dijon, with vinaigrette, egg yolk, and house made pickles. This dish was so fresh. Hands down the best Tartare I’ve had…

IMG_5658The house made Straciatella Cheese is a must…It is basically creamy, stretchy mozzarella cheese. I think this is one of their most popular dishes because every table around us had it. They use a nice balsamic vinaigrette with pickled cherries which adds to its’ sweetness.

cheese spasso

The Grilled Octopus confit with olive-fennel purée has a nice unique taste. The fennel adds a distinct flavor that I haven’t had with octopus before. It would be nice if the dish was a little bigger, but maybe next time I will order 2.

IMG_5653

The Fusilli pasta with Spicy Pork Ragu, Goat Cheese, and Mint was also very tasty. The mint and goat cheese together in a spicy pasta is refreshing.

fusilli

IMG_5659

For me, the Pork Milanese stole the show. I don’t know of any other restaurants that make this dish. And putting a fried egg on it was perfect. This had a remarkable taste with the mix of salad, pork and egg. I’m not sure if this is a constant on the menu, but if not, it should be.

Overall, a West Village Staple, a perfect date spot…Put it on the list…Over and out…

spasso interioir

Blenheim

26 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by Rob in American, Coffee, Date Spot, Gelato/Ice Cream, Restaurants

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

brunch, coffee, food, people watching, Trendy, west village, west village food, West Village Restaurant


11111 283 W 12th St, New York, NY 10014    http://www.blenheimhill.com 

Blenheim is a new spot on West 12th, right next to Dell’ Anima, The Beatrice Inn, and Cafe Cluny. The location is money; and is arguably on one of the best corners in the West Village.

IMG_5608

I knew this place recently opened, and had heard amazing things from my friend Eric claiming it was “one of the best meals of the year”.

My friend Andrew came and met me for Sunday brunch and what a treat it was! The interior of the restaurant is very light, airy, and rustic. But we decided to hang outside and people watch.blenheim1

All their food is farm to table and comes from the Blenheim Farm in upstate New York; hence it was unbelievably fresh. You can tell when restaurants use really fresh ingredients. In addition, some of their preparation was among the best I’ve ever seen. To date, their Cream Cheese Panna Cotta desert was the prettiest thing I have ever eaten.

IMG_5616

I had the Blenheim scramble which is scrambled eggs, ham, and cream cheese. Delicate and delightful. And of course, I also had a side of bacon, which was nice and crispy.IMG_5602

Andrew said his herb omelet was bomb. Cooked to perfection.

IMG_5600

Who doesn’t get desert after brunch? The herb sorbet from their farm was the perfect way to end a nice meal.

IMG_5605Can’t wait to come here for Dinner 🙂

Add this to your list…DO IT

Italian Flavors at Perla

20 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by Inga in Date Spot, Italian

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

chicken, date spot, dinner, Italian, NYC, pasta, plate, rustic Italian meal, west village food


On the corner of Minetta Lane right off 6th Avenue lies the rustic Italian meal you have been waiting for. Think rich flavors, bold Italian notes all presented in a beautiful way on your plate. Nothing about the dinner felt stuffy or overdone – just a great dinner on a cool summer night.

Classic B&W

The space was pretty comfortable for a Thursday night when you don’t want to be surrounded by loud music and you prefer not to yell across the table to your companions. In this case, we sat at the raised prep bar towards the back where we had a perfect view of both the salad prep station and the busy main kitchen right to its right. Watching your plate get its finishing touches before it comes your way is definitely a treat for any diner.

An added bonus, this is a definitely both a date spot & dinner with the parents kind of spot in my book. Dim lighting, great wine choices and pleasant staff abound. Equally perfect for picky eaters who just want a little old-fashioned pasta and those who venture into squid-ink territory (yay for adventurous eaters).

Finally, I can’t let you go without a view of our plates.

grilled octopus over a bed of roasted tomatoes

One of our appetizers, nicely grilled octopus over a bed of roasted tomatoes

beef check, mushroom and brown butter

Rich and buttery beef check, mushroom and brown butter agnolotti

Juicy chicken

Juicy chicken with a spicy pepper rub, goat cheese and oyster mushrooms.

Have you been to Perla? Share and let us know.

 

 

40.730469 -74.001262

Restaurant Week(s)

15 Tuesday Jul 2014

Posted by Inga in American, Date Spot, French, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Restaurants, Seafood

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Dining, DINNER menu, food, LUNCH Menu, NYC, Our Picks, Restaurant Week, west village, West Village Restaurants


Need we say more?

Need we say more?

Fellow readers, it has officially arrived, and I’m not just talking about hot and steamy July. Restaurant week, or to be exact 3 weeks (!!!) of affordable pre-fixe lunch and dinner possibilities in some sweet NYC restaurants starts very soon. We did the hard research work for you, naturally, so have your pick of these 12 spots and think of us with each delicious bite. You’re very welcome.

Time: July 21 – August 15 2014
Location: West Village
Will my bank account be sad? No. Lunch is $25 for 3 courses and dinner is $38 regardless of where you go.

P.S We’ll be doing some eating and reviewing ourselves so check back soon to see what we’re up to and what we recommend. Full list of all participating restaurants can be found by clicking here.

Enjoy! – Inga

Barraca

Spanish/Tapas | West Village

M–F: LUNCH AND DINNER
SUN: LUNCH AND DINNER

menu

El Toro Blanco

Mexican | West Village

M–F: LUNCH AND DINNER
SUN: LUNCH AND DINNER

menu360

Empellón Taqueria

Mexican | West Village

M–F: LUNCH AND DINNER

menu360

En Japanese Brasserie

Japanese | West Village

M–F: LUNCH AND DINNER
SUN: DINNER

menu360

Left Bank

American New | West Village

M–F: DINNER
SUN: DINNER

menu

The Marrow

Italian | West Village

M–F: DINNER
SUN: DINNER

Melibea

Mediterranean | West Village

M–F: DINNER
SUN: DINNER

menu

Perry Street

American New | West Village

M–F: LUNCH AND DINNER
SUN: DINNER

360

Sant Ambroeus – West Village

Italian | West Village

M–F: LUNCH AND DINNER

menu

Spasso

American New | West Village

M–F: DINNER
SUN: DINNER

menu360

SushiSamba NYC West Village

Asian Fusion | West Village

M–F: LUNCH AND DINNER
SUN: DINNER

menu

Tertulia

Spanish/Tapas | West Village

M–F: LUNCH
SUN: LUNCH AND DINNER

menu

Sushi Nakazawa

02 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by Rob in Date Spot, Japanese, Seafood

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

foodie, fresh fish, jiro ono, nakazawa, New York City, sushi, Trendy, west village


23 Commerce Street        www.sushinakazawa.com

front sushi

After 2 long months on the wait list, we finally got to try the famous Nakazawa sushi restaurant on commerce. This place is so popular that it is literally booked solid for 2 months. Chef Daisuke Nakazawa was the chief apprentice for Jiro Ono, on whom the popular sushi documentary Jiro dreams of sushi was based.

nakazawa 1st pic

Many consider Jiro to be the best sushi chef in the world. So Chef Nakazawa is highly sought after and admired in the sushi world. Opening up sushi Nakazawa was a major addition to the West Village, and is the most talked about Japanese restaurant in New York City.

Also, there is no menu. The sushi chef and his team skillfully put together a remarkable array of imported and hard to find fish from such hard to find Japanese mackerel to Alaskan tuna to Oregon scallops.

feature-master-jeweler-sushi-nakazawa-1500x1000-i164

They opened up the scallops and their were on our plate within a few minutes.  My friend Andrew and I sat at the sushi bar, which is the way to go. We got to watch front and center the chefs at work. I know there is a seated part of the restaurant, but we never walked back. The action was all up front with the chefs.

Right when you sit down the 21 course called Omakase begins. Each piece of fish is so uniquely crafted and tasted wildly different.  They use different techniques for each piece. They use a blowtorch to sear some of the fish, as well as chili, salt, and other secret ingredients.

IMG_5132

There is no soy sauce. We never asked for it as it seemed out-of-place. You just sit back, while they tell you which part of the world the fish came from, and enjoy the ride. You are not in the driver’s seat here… You are being driven.

I couldn’t possibly remember all the pieces of sushi but exquisite doesn’t give it justice.

The Japanese mackerel and the blue fish tuna were out of this world.

IMG_5136

I’ve never tasted sushi like this before. The trigger fish, sea urchin, the yellow tail were phenomenal. They crafted up fish from Alaska, Oregon, different parts of Japan, North Carolina; to name a few. Also, one rarely has the opportunity to eat 21 pieces of different fish from all around the world, at one restaurant.

This is also the freshest sushi spot I’ve been to. The scallops and the giant clams were opened up and cut out of the shell right in front of us.

clam

IMG_5177

IMG_5135The Service is amazing. The food and the experience was a 10 out of 10. I guess at $200 per person it better be. All in all, a decadent, and truly amazing experience.

 

 

← Older posts

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 6,148 other subscribers

WVF Directory

  • American (31)
  • BYOB (1)
  • Candy (3)
  • Chinese (2)
  • Coffee (2)
  • Cuban (1)
    • Cuban (1)
  • Date Spot (47)
  • Delivery (7)
  • French (7)
  • Gelato/Ice Cream (6)
  • German (1)
  • Italian (26)
  • Japanese (6)
  • Mexican (5)
  • Restaurants (3)
  • Seafood (8)
  • Steakhouse (1)
  • Tea (1)
  • Uncategorized (11)
  • Vegetarian (2)
  • Wine Bar (7)

Twitter Updates

  • RT @OlioePiu: Weekend dreaming on a Thursday. But wait! We serve breakfast every day of the week. Here is your friendly reminder courtesy o… 4 years ago
  • Tons! Joes pizza!! twitter.com/bdilo17/status… 4 years ago
Follow @westvillagefood

Tasty Treats!!!

  • DATE SPOTS
  • WHATS THE BEST?

West Village Posts

  • Spasso
  • Blenheim
  • Italian Flavors at Perla
  • You’re hot. Have a smoothie.
  • Restaurant Week(s)
  • Sushi Nakazawa
  • Potatopia
  • Olio e Piu Pizzeria
  • Press Tea
  • Whynot Coffee and Wine bar
  • UMAMI Burger
  • Left Bank
  • Ofrenda
  • 16 Handles…Are you kidding me with that graham cracker flavor?
  • Welcome to the West Village
  • Boy do I love Empenadas…
  • Landbrot Don’t turn yourself into a Pretzel…
  • Perilla
  • The novelty with Sandy…
  • Unique Boutique: Sockerbit
  • La Carbonara
  • The “hangman’s elm” of Washington Square Park
  • Chicken Milanese and Cheese Tortellini in a Mushroom Cream Sauce
  • Tortilla Flats
  • Sel et Gras
  • Gusto Ristorante e Bar Americano
  • Ido Sushi
  • Trattoria Spaghetto
  • Mappamondo
  • Whitehall
  • Vin Sur Vingt
  • Bar Pitti
  • Mas (farmhouse)
  • Mary’s Fish Camp
  • I Tre Merli Bistro
  • Low Country
  • Greenwich Village Bistro
  • Lyon
  • Morandi
  • Corsino
  • Gray’s Papaya
  • Pearl Oyster Bar
  • Abe and Arthur’s
  • Po
  • Crispo
  • The Mussel Pot
  • Dell’ Anima
  • Barbuto
  • Tanuki Tavern
  • Empellon Taqueria
The Foodie Blog Roll

American BYOB Candy Chinese Coffee Cuban Date Spot Delivery French Gelato/Ice Cream German Italian Japanese Mexican Restaurants Seafood Steakhouse Tea Uncategorized Vegetarian Wine Bar

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 6,148 other subscribers

Top Posts & Pages

  • Pearl Oyster Bar

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Food Reviews for Foodies
    • Join 68 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Food Reviews for Foodies
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...