Tag Archives: east village

Modern Mexican food comes to the East Village at The Black Ant

Black Ant, a modern Mexican restaurant, is slated to open in the East Village next month at 60 Second Ave. between Third and Fourth avenues.

The 2,800-square-foot location will have four different dining areas — a small lounge that seats 15 with an additional 15 seats at the bar, two dining rooms seating a total of 60 plus an open garden that will seat 40.

Black Ant also will feature a private dining room with 25 seats.

Owners Jorge Guzman and Mario Hernandez, the general manager and executive chief, respectively, are in talks to launch a Mexican restaurant in the West Village called Bacanora, which is named after a plant that grows in Mexico’s Sonora province. The duo also own Ofrenda in the West Village.

Veselka – great food anytime!

Veselka offers probably the best and most authentic Easter European food in New York, anytime of the day. Given their long operating hours, Veselka is great for breakfast, brunch, and late night snacks. Everybody loves Veselka for some obvious reasons: it is cheap, it is fast, it is non-pretentious, and it is absolutely delicious. I believe every New Yorker ends one day at Veselka. It can be for a very early omelet or for some pierogies at 3am. The vibe is great, and the crowd always surprising. So, do not be surprised if you get sited at breakfast next to a group of hip kids dressed as if they just stepped out of the club – because they did.

144 2nd Ave

New York, NY 10003

(212) 228-9682

The Bourgeois Pig – one sexy pig!

What a creative, sexy, and fabulous bar! The Bourgeois Pig brings a little bit of the Parisian chic in the heart of East Village. The décor is absolutely fantastic. The vintage furniture, the drapery, the dimmed light, and the red lamps, will make you feel as you step in the boudoir of a Parisian courtesan in the 1920s. And the French atmosphere is completed by a large selection of French wines on their menu. You will also not fail to notice a large red neon sign, which adds to the sexiness of this place. Therefore, I highly recommend this The Bourgeois Pig for a date, but a group will have just as much fun. The Bourgeois Pig is the intersection of sexiness, and mystery, with fun, and modernity.

111 E 7th St
New York, NY 10009
(212) 475-2246

Death and Company: Speak Easy and Drink Well

The story goes that during American prohibition bartenders were considered the walking dead – hence the name “Death and Company” of this prohibition style bar in Manhattan’s present day East Village. Here you will find old fashioned stirred and shaken drinks such as the Straw Dog – that’s Compass Box Asyla Scotch, Dolin Blanc Vermouth, fresh squeezed lemon juice, Bitterman’s Grapefruit Bitters, and muddled strawberry – and the Bella Luna which is Plymouth Gin, St. Germain Elderflower, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and Creme Yvette. There’s an abbreviated wine and beer selection but an intriguing list of Champagne cocktails and punches to make up for it. There’s also a “Bites” menu with a lobster roll and crispy pork belly. The scene is all marble and mahogany, quiet but lively. They don’t let more people in than there are seats for so it’s never too crowded but you may have to wait outside – though it’s no problem, the doorman is quite friendly.

deathandco

Tokio 7: Consignment Couture

Tokio 7 is the little 7th Street consignment shop that everyone goes to. The shelves and racks are always packed with lightly used – sometimes brand-new looking – designer clothes, shoes, and accessories at about half the retail price; and because the store sells so much, everything in there is always current. Looking for a pair of slick Paul Smith oxfords? Or a metallic Gucci minidress? How about a pair of Persol sunglasses? Or a Helmut Lang tank? They’ve got all that – but not for long. Next week it will be gone and in it’s place some Marc Jacobs cargo pants, Valentino motorcycle boots, a couple of Balanciaga handbags, and a Jill Sander shift dress. If you are lucky you may even find a couture Chanel jacket. Whatever you are looking for, Tokio 7 is wort checking out, especially now that it’s in its new location that is just a smidge bigger.

tokio7

New Museum’s Lisa Phillips Dines at Gemma

As the director of the New Museum of Contemporary Art, Lisa Phillips knows a thing or two about the “renaissance,” as she calls it, of Bowery Street. The New Museum, is after all, at the center of that explosion of art on Bowery with its Guggenheim-esque new building that opened on December 1, 2007.

Picture 6When Lisa isn’t at the forefront of all things innovative, she heads up a few blocks on Bowery to the New Museum’s antithesis, Gemma. “This is where I spend most of my time and eat most of my meals,” Lisa told citybuzz of the East Village area.

Gemma’s an Italian restaurant that’s as rustic as you can get in ultra-modern New York City. There’s the classic thatched red wine bottles, wooden table tops and copper covered bar that evoke a feeling that Dorothy is no longer in the East Village anymore. The menu is filled with tried and true favorites like delicious wood-fired pizzas and soft gnocchi with a hearty Bolognese sauce. The easy setting and reliable food leaves diners like Lisa Phillips with the impression that, as the New York Times stated,”Gemma has an unlabored panache that makes an evening go down very easy.”

*** Lisa Phillips has been the Director of the New Museum of Contemporary Art since 1999.

Guilty Pleasures at Momofuku Milk Bar

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Momofuku Milk Bar is restaurateur extraordinaire Chef David Chang’s sweet tooth answer to his hugely successful group of savory eateries in the East Village (and now Midtown as well). With the help of Pastry Chef Christina Tosi, the Milk Bar serves up wild delights like Peach Tea Soft Serve, the classic Cereal Milk Soft Serve, Corn Cookies, and Compost Cookies – which unlike the simple but tasty Corn Cookie has a lot of ingredients in it including pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, butterscotch, and chocolate chips. You can also get a bizarre variety of yummy and sometimes savory pies, cakes, breads, and buns here. And then there is the Crack Pie, which, as the menu informs, is made up of two components only: toasted oat crust and gooey butter filling. Seems a little vague, no? Though anyone that has tasted this confectionary delight knows that the title of the treat speaks volumes compared to the description. Coffee lovers will also be happy to hear that the only beans in house here – brewing and in the Compost Cookie – are Stumptown coffee beans.

Insider tip: visit the Milk Bar on a weekday if you don’t like to wait for your treats. Otherwise, come on a Friday or a Saturday night and wait in line with all the other Crack Pie addicts. The people watching is good and a couple of celebrities have been known to stop by for their fix too.

DJs, Bands & Art at Lit Lounge

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One part H.R. Geiger-esque gallery (the Alien designer’s art graced the walls at the opening), one part understated DJ bar and one part hype, Lit is smoking hot. Offering local artists a place to play, the lounge goes against mainstream ideals and is definitely not your average nightspot. The main attraction is the alternative glam crowd with the occasional B artists, actors and indie film stars. The gallery, frequently baring grim, nightmarish images, has limited hours, but can be seen anytime through its locked glass doors. Downstairs, in the dungeon, notable-named DJs do their thing. Created as an experimental punk music venue, this lounge is perfect for those who are tired of the typical chic bars.