Union Square Cafe

Twenty five years ago this month, a twenty seven year old Danny Meyer showed up in the New York restaurant scene. You know, the guy who (along with his partners) went on to open Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Blue Smoke and Jazz Standard, The Modern (as well as Cafe 2 and Terrace 5) within the MoMA, the relatively new Mailalino, the closing-at-the-end-of-the-year Tabla, and the expanding phenomenon that is the...(pause for effect)...Shake Shack. It all had to start somewhere, and that somewhere is Union Square Cafe.

Mr. Meyer's restaurants fall under the umbrella of his Union Square Hospitality Group, and the name alone gives a clue as to what it is like to dine at his restaurants - the staff is hospitable. Duh. From friendly hostesses to a waitstaff that actually consults the kitchen when you say you have a food allergy, you get the impression everyone is happy to help. Whether or not that's true, I don't know, but I'm fine with the smoke and mirrors.

Ok, so you're here. What can you expect? Well, the Union Square Cafe is a deceptively spacious restaurant comprised of several sections. Upon entering, you stand beneath a soaring ceiling and approach the hostess stand. The main dining room is to the left of this area down a short flight of steps. Back on the entry level, there is space beyond the long bar where tables are tucked around different corners and nooks. Finally, there is a mezzanine at the very rear of the restaurant, which overhangs one of those aforementioned nooks. Framed pictures decorate the main dining room, while a watercolor mural creeps up the back wall toward the mezzanine. The whole space is tied together, however, by hunter green trim. It's the kind of green women named Celerie, Bunny, or Dale have used to decorate the smoking rooms of the husbands they've outlived named Field, Burton, or...Dale. All in all, it's a space that's both casual and buttoned-up. Though jeans may be worn anywhere in New York these days, men might reach for khakis first.

Ok, you're seated and hungry. What do they have? Well, it's predominantly American food with Italian nuances. Thanks to the convenience of the restaurant's location to the farmers' market in Union Square, the menu varies from day to day. You might, however, expect the likes of a puree of cauliflower soup with brown butter and walnuts. Honeycrisp apple and escarole salad with toasted walnuts, rosemary and pecorino. Pan-seared sweetbreads with crosnes, cippolini onion, and a concord grape emulsion. Then there's the pasta, which comes in half and whole portions and may include ricotta gnocchi, saffron pappardelle, butternut squash tortelli, or duck raviolini. Entrees cover grilled pancetta-wrapped shrimp, New Zealand venison loin chop, smoked shell steak, and grilled swordfish with caponata and arugula.

The menu also includes a section called "Weekly Classics," where a different dish is the special each night of the week. Stop by Monday for the Maine lobster and sweet corn risotto with oven-dried tomatoes. Thursday brings the rib-eye for two. Saturday is your night if you are a pork chop fan. No matter what night you go, though, save room for dessert. Greenmarket plum upside down cake with spiced rum ice cream? Yes. Flourless chocolate cake with salted caramel sauce? Sure. Mint semifreddo with brownie pieces and milk chocolate sauce? Can I get a vat of that to go? No? Then we're fighting.

Make a reservation at Union Square Cafe for lunch or dinner, though walk-ins may try their luck for an open table or a spot at the bar. You will want to plan ahead, however, for your son-in-law's birthday, that business meeting with the St. Louis office, or your aunt's visit from Connecticut. Hey, Bunny's got a hankering for some lamb chops.

Union Square Cafe - 21 East 16th Street, between 5th Avenue & Union Square West

Mizu

So he says to me, he says, "Hey! Fresh Pepper!" Though you know it sounded like "Peppah."
And I'm like, "Word?"
He goes, "I'm ten blocks south of Mishima, and I ain't tryin' to walk for no sushi."
So I'm like, "Oh yeah?"
And he's all, "Yeah! What you got?" But it comes out like, "Challenge!"
With my brightest Colgate smile, I go, "Mizu, homes!"

I hope you enjoyed my entirely fictional and unnecessarily affected dramatic sketch. The moral of the story is: there is a Japanese restaurant in Gramercy called Mizu, which is worth checking out if you are in the neighborhood. The food is fresh, the service is prompt, and the atmosphere is a touch trendier than the previously discussed Tomoe and Mishima.

Whereas the other two restaurants are sparse in their decor, Mizu's design elements include exposed brick (along one wall), slate tiles (along another wall), and illuminated rice paper (throughout the room and most noticeably in a palm frond formation on the ceiling). Even the wood-framed glass door and floor-to-ceiling front windows are ornate in that each panel is comprised of multiple glass panes in varying geometric shapes. However, plastic tabletops, plastic-cushioned metal chairs, and exposed air conditioning units render the overall feel of Mizu casual. The loud crowds and music are contributing factors as well.

So how does Mizu measure up against my sushi restaurant test? The california roll was $6.50 at last check, which indicates prices are not particularly low. Regular rolls range from $4.00 (cucumber roll) to $8.00 (tuna/avacado/caviar roll) with an average of $6.00. Special rolls range from $6.50 to $15.00 with an average of $11.00. This is by no means outrageous, but it is not a bargain either. As for my spicy scallop roll, they have one, it is tasty, and it costs $9.00.

I recommend Mizu for one of those fun Thursday nights that feels like a Saturday after several after-work flutes of champagne at the aptly-named Flute across the street, for a double date with that couple who both wear fedoras on a regular basis, or for lunch with your nephew - he's already in the neighborhood and unwilling to walk the ten blocks to Mishima anyway.

Mizu - 29 East 20th Street, between Broadway & Park Avenue South

The Grey Dog

There is a cafe in Manhattan that looks like it belongs just off the water in Seattle. Confession: I've never been to Seattle, so maybe that last sentence was 100% false. It's just that there's a quaintness to The Grey Dog, which I'm associating with harbors and seaside towns, with friendly dispositions, and with a solid cup o' joe. Rumor has it Seattle boasts these qualities - thanks to The Grey Dog's three Manhattan locations, New York does too.

The Grey Dog is a casual eatery with hearty sandwiches, salads, soups, desserts, and more. The sandwiches are made with thick cut bread and served with potato chips and pickles, the salads are portioned generously, the soups vary daily, the desserts are enormous, and the "more" includes many breakfast items, burgers, quesadillas, and fish tacos. Beverages include myriad coffee and tea options, juice, soft drinks, smoothies, beer, and wine. They even offer happy hour specials, which surprises me for no valid reason whenever I see the sign. Mayhaps it's just that I like their coffee so much, I can't fathom opting for reasonably priced booze instead? The world may never know.

So here's the rundown on how The Grey Dog works: You walk in. You stand on line at the counter. You ever-so-subtly pump your booty to the Otis Redding playing overhead. You read the menu on the back wall. You order from the super friendly person at the counter who prepares your drink and dessert order, takes your name, and rings you up at the register. You pay. You pick up silverware, napkins, and condiments from the hutch on the side of the room. You find a seat. If you struggle with that last bit, someone who works there may assist you. You sit. You scroll through your cell. You take a sip of your drink and glance at the pictures on the wall (photos at the Carmine location; comics in Chelsea). You hear your name called. You wave to the guy walking around with your entree and that lost puppy look. You smile at each other and say "Thank you." You eat. You enjoy.

The Grey Dog (also known as "The Grey Dog's Coffee") has three locations, but all offer the same quality food and service. Speaking of that service, it is laid-back to the point it is sometimes slow. However, when you are ordering at the counter and seeing how much individual attention each customer is given, you understand. and hopefully forgive.

All three locations have the same general look and feel - weathered wood, makeshift signs, exposed brick, knickknacks, and colorful tabletops (some with pictures of boats, some with maps, some with dogs - all cute). The difference between the three locations is size - Carmine Street is the smallest, University Place is somewhat larger, and Chelsea is the biggest.

Now, whether this is really the look and feel of Seattle is your call. Considering some of the menu items are designated "Michigan Sandwiches," maybe it's more reminiscent of that part of the country. I wouldn't know, as I haven't been there either. What I can say with absolute certainty, however, is that I like it.

The Grey Dog's Coffee - 33 Carmine Street, between Bedford & Bleecker Streets
The Grey Dog's Coffee - 90 University Place, between East 11th & East 12th Streets
The Grey Dog Chelsea - 242 West 16th Street, between 7th & 8th Avenues

'wichcraft - For Dinner?

UPDATE - 'wichcraft no longer serves dinner. So...remember the whole point of this post? Well, scratch that. Wah waaah.

So by now we all probably know about Tom Colicchio and his many culinary endeavors. He is one of the head judges on Bravo's "Top Chef," and his restaurants in and beyond Manhattan include - but are not limited to - Craft, Craftbar, Craftsteak (though no longer open in NYC), Colicchio & Sons (that which replaced NYC's Craftsteak), and 'wichcraft. What some may not know, however, is that of the twelve Manhattan 'wichcraft locations to date, the one in the Flatiron District is currently the only outpost that serves dinner.

'wichcraft is Colicchio's (and partners') more casual eatery focused predominantly on sandwiches (get it? sandwiches? 'wiches? 'wichcraft? yeah, you get it) and salads and soups and general lunchtime fare. The location on East 20th Street additionally offers...(anticlimactic drumroll)...dinner. So what is it like? Well, eager reader, allow me to explain.

When you enter, you are greeted by a host/hostess at the base of a flight of stairs. To your left is a counter, and well beyond that is the bathroom. We're not here for counter service tonight, and we just used the bathroom before we left our office, so up the stairs we go.

The second floor is lined with tables - most along a banquette to the right, and some by the south facing windows at the back. The decor is sparse with exposed brick walls, dark wood floors, and a huge ass canvas of a huge ass knife. During my several visits, the room, though small, was never packed with patrons. The noise level is therefore typically low, unless you are lucky enough to be dining at the same time as a party of shrill talkers with grating laughs. Side note - those are always the ones that find everything funny.

So what's on the dinner menu? Open face sandwiches (a hearty slice of grilled bread topped with generous portions of varying delicious toppings...chopped liver with sliced gherkins and whole mustard seeds? Yes, please), salads, miscellaneous vegetable side dishes, and relatively small entrees. The portion sizes vary from plate to plate, but the friendly waitstaff can guide you in ordering the appropriate amount for your appetite. A wine and beer list is also available at reasonable prices with decent red and white house wines for only $5 a glass. Oh, you wanted delicious desserts? They have those too.

This is a great spot for a relatively inexpensive meal proximate to Union Square. Dining is casual but refined, making it a lovely choice for catching up with a friend, meeting your brother's new girlfriend, or the sixth date with that nice girl from Brooklyn - hey, you're going to the movie theater on 19th & Broadway anyway, so why not? 'wichcraft does not take reservations, but I am yet to have to wait for a table. Fingers crossed that's the story going forward as well.

'wichcraft - 11 East 20th Street, between 5th & Broadway

UPDATE - 'wichcraft no longer serves dinner. So...remember the whole point of this post? Well, scratch that. Wah waaah.