La Portena, The Place, Cafe con Leche, Cafe Luxembourg, Papillion, Water Moon, Barbao

January 25th-

I have neglected to write about my restaurant experiences for a long time, as you can see by the title of this blog. So, since I happen to be experiencing a bit of insomnia right now, I am going to give a very brief word on everything and vow to do better next time.

La Portena-

This restaurant is actually not in Manhattan, but in Queens. It was recommended to us by Jessica and Ralph, would drive us there and back, which is the only way I will happily leave the island. The food was very good, inexpensive and plentiful. My favorite was the chimichurri sauce, which I not only took home from the restaurant, but also ate in some form for breakfast for about a month afterwards. Ooo.....I think I will have some right now.

Ok.....I'm back.

Cafe con Leche-

This place has the best coffee in all of Manhattan. It is the first place Nathan and I had breakfast after we moved here, and it is still my favorite. Top dishes are the eggs benedict, empanadas and rum cake. The condiments they offer are also delish! I put their garlic sauce on everything I can. Hmmm.....I wonder if I could get a jar of that, too?



Papillion-

This is our "go to" restaurant in an area of Manhattan where there aren't as many good options. It's a great place for a drink, since there are two huge gorgeous wooden bars, one upstairs and one down. The word seems to be out, because it is always crowded for happy hour. The food is pretty good, too, which is why we keep coming back.

Cafe Luxembourg-

This is my new favorite neighborhood French restaurant. I love the atmosphere. I love the food, and I love eating at the bar. They have good, classic, French food. Giorgio Armani himself was dining here one of the nights we went. I will be back.

Water Moon-

My favorite neighborhood place for happy hour! They have delicious sakitinis and yummy sushi which you can get for a great price at the bar before eight. We go here regularly.

Barbao-

Tonight, or should I say last night, since it is now six in the morning aleady, we meet the Geeters at Barbao for drinks before heading out for dinner on our own. It used to be "Rain". The interior is mostly the same as it was before, but more inviting and warmer. There are little couches and upholstered chairs in place of the tiny ottomans from before. It was great for drinks.

The Place-

This is where we actually went for dinner. It is the cutest, coziest little place- perfect for a cold winter's night, which is was. After having a glass of wine at the bar, we were seated in the dining room. Nathan ordered the short ribs with mashed potatoes, and I ordered the cod with celery root puree. We each ate half, then switched. Both dishes were perfect, but we favored the cod. For dessert, we had the creme brulee and espresso. I loved it. I had a wonderful time here. It's a great place to relax and have good conversation with the one you love.