Rabbit in the Moon

47 W 8th St
New York, NY 10011
(212) 473-2800

I recently tried Rabbit in the Moon, a fairly new gastropub in the West Village. I was there for drinks a few days before and I wanted to go back because I thought the setup was so cool.  There are two floors, two bars, and every table is unique; tucked away in some corner or cove, kind of how I would imagine the local pub to feel like if one existed in Alice in Wonderland. A cozy, cool feel with just the right amount of creepy old-fashioned British. The drinks were delicious and strong too…

We shared a bunch of appetizers: roasted scallops, salmon belly tartar, and some housemade ricotta gnocchi.  It was all good.  The scallops were the best, perfectly cooked and finished off with caviar. We both agreed that they were some of the best in NYC.

I enjoyed everything at Rabbit in the Moon, the only gripe my friend had was some of the music. Billy Joel, MGMT, I liked it, but those of you who know me understand that my musical tastes are somewhat questionable, I’ll stick to food.  While the food on the menu sounds heavy, it was nice… The portions were appropriate and the ingredients were fresh. I’m definitely planning on going back and/or recommending Rabbit in the Moon to friends!

P.S. While the Internet has given it mixed reviews regarding bouncers, (
http://ny.eater.com/tags/rabbit-in-the-moon
), my friend and I thought it was awesome.  The food is great, drinks are tasty, and the people inside are pretty… yeah I said it.

BY: LAUREN BROWN

Balaboosta

214 Mulberry Street (Between Spring and Prince)

Last night my girlfriend and I really wanted to try something new.  Even after some heavy name-dropping at Kenmare, we were still going to have to wait 45 minutes, so we decided to walk around the corner to another new Nolita spot I have read a few good things about.  I’m glad we did; Balaboosta, on Mulberry between Spring and Broome was amazing.

When we went in, the Maitre de, Matthew, was warm, friendly, and we only had to wait a few minutes at the bar for a lovely table.  From the minute we got there the atmosphere was lovely like this; an open-air kitchen giving the small dining area a family feel and bookcases full of Greek stories, Mediterranean cookbooks, and kitschy trinkets adding to the effect.

Next comes the food, we had the daily ceviche (arctic char), seared scallops, fried cauliflower, and skirt steak with sweet potatoes.  The ceviche was delicious with little slices of grapefruit and cilantro, scallops perfect over an interesting Greek yogurt, and the steak melted in your mouth.  Basically, everything was amazing, cooked perfectly, light but filling.  The only thing I wouldn’t order again was the cauliflower.

Balaboosta has been open since March 2010, and made with mostly organic ingredients, the fare is “healthy” by NYC standards.  Come to find out, the word balaboosta actually means “perfect housewife” in Yiddish, a name chosen by its Israeli chef/owner Einat Admony, of Taim falafel.  Feminism aside, I have to agree, Balaboosta is pretty perfect, I will support this little lady anytime.

BY: LAUREN BROWN

Bar Bossa

232 Elizabeth Street Near Prince St.

212-625-2340

Saturday night my girlfriend and I were looking for a bite to eat before work; we were hoping to try Torrisi Italian Specialties after reading about it in NY Mag. It was a long shot; no surprise, there was a two hour wait.

So, in search for some new material for you and my (ehh-hem) 99 other readers, we tried something new and a little less crowded around the block on Elizabeth… Bar Bossa.  The atmosphere was really quaint and we sat down right away on a Saturday night- great.  Now we know why there was no wait.

We started by deciding to skip a main entrée and just share a bunch of small things:  seared tuna salad, baked cod and garlic dip, fresh calabreza sausage & onions, and spicy lemon shrimp.  All sounds amazing right? Not really.  The only stomachable thing was the sausage, and even that tasted more of the Oscar Mayer variety.  Everything just kind of tasted like cat food and slimy shrimp.  And isn’t it true that appetizers are always the best part of the menu? Not here my friend.

Oh yeah, and the caprioska tasted like it deserves a tax increase.

In all fairness, Bar Bossa is very cute, and on a hot shopping day in soho, this breezy joint is definitely an appropriate place to sit back for a minute over a nice glass of ice water.  And if you’re feeling grimy- go wash your hands- that was my favorite part of the night.

BY: LAUREN BROWN

Project Sandwich

105 Thompson Street (Between Spring and Broome)

Last week I had the pleasure of having lunch at my good friend, Han Kao’s, new business endeavor, Project Sandwich.  Project Sandwich, which recently opened in Soho, has a cozy neighborhood feel while delivering big international taste.  Creator, Jaime Sugino has come up with the menu and a unique concept for the shop.  Project Sandwich is meant to be a continual work in progress, encouraging customers to submit new sandwiches and inspirations.

Since I was lucky enough to be in the company of one of the creators, I let him choose what to eat and it was gooood.  We shared the Brazilian and the Korean.  From what the staff said, the Brazilian is more popular, (but isn’t everything Brazilian posh now?), but I preferred the Korean, just the right amount of spicy and an interesting taste that I’m not used to having.

I really like the simple décor at PS, its location is really pretty and I think Han and his gang have done a nice job in complimenting the neighborhood. With only three small tables this cute little sandwich joint is small but open and airy, it feels just right for a sunny day on Thompson Street.  And I like that it’s just off of the busy annoying part of Soho.  With everything priced around $8, PS is the perfect place to stop in after a long day of overpriced vintage shopping.

BY: LAUREN BROWN

Wildwood

212-533-2500

225 Park Avenue South (@ 18^th Street)

Last night I had dinner at Wildwood, the world’s only entirely “free-range” barbeque joint.  Wildwood has been around for almost two years and is part of the BR Guest Restaurants group (Blue Water Grill, Dos Caminos, etc.)… It was pretty good.  I haven’t had BBQ in years, so I’m not really sure what kind of amazing-ness I was expecting, but I definitely did not leave disappointed.

I started with the “Kentucky Cooler,” which was whiskey, vodka, white peach, lemonade, and delicious.  The whiskey list at Wildwood is pretty impressive as well a very classy beer list, one choice from Pennsylvania is simply called “Cold Ass Beer.”

My friend and I shared a pulled pork sandwich, a half rack of baby back ribs, green beans, and mac and cheese.  The mac and cheese tasted like Stouffer’s (good/bad??), the green beans were really garlicky and nice, and the meat was all very good.  I really liked all of Big Lou’s special BBQ sauces and spices.

One semi-complaint I kind of have about Wildwood is how quickly the food came out, everything we ordered was on our table literally less than five minutes after we ordered.  The service was kind of typical of a high-volume chain and the atmosphere was kitschy and fun.  I won’t be back soon, but then again, I probably won’t eat BBQ for another year.  My final opinion about Wildwood: it is a fine place to recommend to a tourist (as long as they’re not Southern).

BY: LAUREN BROWN

The Meatball Shop

84 Stanton Street (Between Allen & Orchard)

New York, NY 10002

212-982-8895

Last night I ate for the second time at Meatball, our new favorite spot on Stanton Street.  The first time I went there was last Saturday and it was so busy it was an hour wait for two people.  (Not that I’m really surprised: Saturday night, LES, new opening, UrbanDaddy recommendation, etc…)  Anyway, my friend and I both had to be at work so we were about to leave when some guys outside suggested take-out.  Awesome… When we went to order, one of the owners, Daniel, introduced himself and helped us order a perfect meal.  While we waited, we casually stalked one of the bartenders, a Bikram yoga friend from the neighborhood.  (It’s always awkward when you see someone out in the real world who you regularly stand next to for hours nearly naked, sweating, and not talking- right?)

For dinner for 2 with desert and 2 glasses of wine the bill was $45- not bad!

The food was delicious and the way you order is really fun too: a dry erase board lets you pick and choose different meats and sauces along with sliders, heroes, and for desert:  CREATE YOUR OWN CHIPWICHES.

The second time we went, we sat at the large family-style dining table and had another great experience, complete with another mild Bikram stalk session and another do-it-yourself ice cream cookie sandwich.

Overall, I think this cozy spot just off of Allen is perfect fun, convenient and cheap.  The staff is all really cool and the environment feels comfortable: but go on a slower weeknight, Saturday was too crazy.

Dinner and drinks at a cool spot for $20 makes puts Meatball in my “Fav-Five” for sure. My only suggestion for Meatball would be to lower the, a little bit too high, table about 2 inches and leave extra bread and Parmesan on the table.

Meatball is brought to us by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow, both experienced NYC restaurateurs.

BY:  LAUREN BROWN

Rye House

Rye House

11 West 17^th Street

New York City

212-255-7260

Last night I went with a good friend from The Box to Rye House, a new spot just off of Union Square.  It was awesome.  When we went in, co-owner Julio Herencia sat us… He was really friendly and hospitable.  He told us all about how they have only been open for 55 days, how well things are going, and even all about how everything on the menu is made fresh and in-house.  Not only did he hook us up with a Creole Daiquiri because we “had” to try it, but he even told us a cool story about meeting Tito from Tito’s Vodka when we noticed it on the list. (Tito’s Vodka is probably the best vodka ever if you’ve never had it- tastes like water and there’s no hangover…)

The drinks we decided to try were The Mansfield, Apple seed Cobbler, and the Creole Daiquiri, all of which were awesome.  The Creole Daiquiri was our favorite though, Julio recommended having just one… we had about six.

The menu at Rye House is very American, “Pittsburg Style” according to Urban Daddy.  Now, while they do have a Pittsburg Sandwich on the menu, with bites like boiled peanuts, corn dogs, and a crayfish po boy, I would consider it more of an east-coast American place rather than just Pittsburg.

To start, we shared the Sloppy Joe Sliders and the Rye House Corn Dog.  Both were really good and the presentation was, with a little improvisation, ummm…. Entertaining?  I also think it is a really cool move to have a corn dog on the menu.

Next were some boiled peanuts and an onion tart.  The onion tart was ok and the boiled peanuts were just really fun, a treat I last had on the side of a highway in South Carolina.

We finished with the Pittsburg Sandwich, a Sausage and French Fry combo that was new to me but also pretty tasty.

The décor of Rye House is modern but cozy.  The front seems like just a bar but the back opens up into a full dining room, complete with high-sided banquette booths, which make eating feel a little more private than usual.

I will definitely go back to Rye House and definitely recommend it anyone who wants to try a new place.  It’s a great spot and around Union Square, where, in my opinion, there aren’t many other new/trendy/different options.  Our entire experience was so nice. The atmosphere is welcoming, the food is a really nice interpretation of things we’ve all grown up with, and the drinks are delicious. We left feeling really happy and satisfied.

Drinks and dinner at Rye House: yessss please.

BY: LAUREN BROWN

Kanoyama

Kanoyama

NYC

175 2^nd Avenue (@ 11^th Street)

212-777-5266

Last week I had a lovely dinner at Kanoyama in the East Village.  I went there because I thought it was a new restaurant, in the space where Pita Grill used to be on 2^nd avenue, between 11^th and 12^th.  (It now looks like a heavy wooden door, with no sign, so I was really curious…) However when I went inside, I realized the existing Kanoyama, which has been around for about two years, has just extended their space, just about doubling the dining area and adding a really big additional bar with an open oyster display.

The décor of Kanoyama is in my opinion, the decor of a typical semi-expensive Japanese spot in NYC.

I sat at the bar in the new part of the restaurant and was planning on just having a drink and an appetizer to check out the space, but everything looked so good, I ended up ordering way too much and had a huge amazing dinner.

When I sat down at the bar, the bartender was super friendly and spoke near perfect English.  He let me taste a few sakes before I decided on the Tengumia Yamahai, which was really good even for being on the lower priced end of what Kanoyama has to offer.  (A masa, or box, of Sake at Kanoyama ranges from $12-$30).

To start I had Kaki Gomaae (fresh persimmon with sesame paste), which was a first to me, but an awesome sweet, fresh, and interesting recommendation from the bartender.

Next was the rock shrimp tempura, which was decent, but I have kind of decided that once you’ve had it once, unless you are at Nobu or Bond Street, rock shrimp anywhere else will probably be a let down.

I also had the Black Cod appetizer, which came broiled and marinated in saikyo miso sauce…  Another dish that when done right should melt in your mouth like butter… Kanoyama does it right.

Finally, because of my inherited love of blue crabs, I had to finish my meal off with the blue crab miso soup.  The presentation was really cool, and the soup was good, however it kind of reiterated the fact that the only way to really eat blue crabs is when they are covered in Old Bay, a cold beer is close at hand, and you’re sitting outside at a picnic table covered in newspaper.

Overall I think Kanoyama is great.  Oysters aren’t really my thing, but they seem to have a great selection as well as a really extensive raw bar.  Besides being steps away from my house, the food is great, presentation awesome, and service impeccable.  I’m not sure I will go by all the time for “just a drink and appetizer,” because my bill was $88 by the time I got out, but its definitely a great local spot when Bond Street is too busy and you want something better than a St. Marks street sushi joint.

BY: LAUREN BROWN

DBGB Kitchen and Bar

229 Bowery (@ Houston)

212-933-5300

NYC

On Sunday night I went to DBGB Kitchen and Bar, the newest in the string of gourmet French restaurants brought to us from renowned chef Daniel Boulud. DBGB is one of the more casual of Boulud’s other restaurants, which include Daniel, Café Boulud, and DB Bistro Moderne.  It specializes in beer (22 on tap) and sausages ranging from sweet to spicy.  The menu also includes many fish and burger options.  My girlfriend and I tried tuna crudo, spicy crab cake, and the toscane sausage.  We finished with a cheese plate.  Both the tuna crudo and the crab cake were very good, however the portions were small.  The sausage was nice as well, but again an appetizers worth portion.  All of the cheese at the end was nice and smelly, but it was served with raisin bread, which on its own was great, but not the best for tasting the cheeses.  The bottle of wine we chose, a Muscadet, was the cheapest on the menu at $28, was very nice… Actually the drinks menu was pretty impressive… it started with a table of contents.

I think my friend and I made a few mistakes when we went to DBGB… First of all we saw everyone being served burgers, which looked fantastic.  While everything that we chose ranged from $10-$20, burgers are in the same range, but you only need one.  Instead of us trying to be fancy, drinking wine and eating raw fish, I think the best way to do DBGB is an $11 burger and a beer… get out full for 20 bucks vs. being just kind of satisfied and spending $60.

I do like the atmosphere at DBGB… The open-air bistro feel is somehow warm and cozy, and the bigger tables (for 6-8) people are really cool private booths.  While French food isn’t always my favorite, I like the French themed décor… even the bathrooms were wallpapered with authentic looking French cooking themes.

The restaurant is set up with two separate areas, the front being the bar and open seating eatery and the back is the main dining room, but it’s all pretty open and while it is a big space it doesn’t feel like a cookie cutter restaurant.

Overall, I would give DBGB a 3 out of 5 in good company… The food was fine, the service was fine, and I like the décor and location.  I will go back for sure, but I definitely think the only way to do it is if you’re feeling like feeling fancy while having a burger and beer.

BY: LAUREN BROWN

Sushi Uo

NYC

151 Rivington Street

(between Clinton and Suffolk)

The other night I checked out Sushi Uo, a new sushi spot in the LES.   It was lovely.  Discreetly located just above Bar 151 on Rivington Street, Sushi Uo is a small cozy sushi bar worth checking out in a neighborhood where sushi is scarce.  Former Morimoto sushi chef, David Bouhadana, serves up tasty appetizers, similar to choices from places like Nobu and Bond Street.   Our favorite was the spicy sweet and sour rock shrimp.

The sushi itself was all super fresh.  The rolls were interesting as well… Creations like Salmon Tempura Asparagus and creamy mustard sauce and Lightly Broiled Whitefish with asparagus and enoki went over very well at our table.  Also, it’s nice to leave the East Village once in a while and have a crabmeat roll made with real crabmeat.

After reading a few reviews online I have to admit that I was expecting a bigger, “trendier” space… However, I was not at all disappointed with Sushi Uo.  Walking into what looks like an apartment building, Sushi Uo is a small, tranquil space.  While Sushi Uo is not my favorite restaurant in this area, the food was nice and fresh, the servers were knowledgeable and spoke perfect English, which is hard to come by when we’re talking good, affordable sushi.  And, the atmosphere was just right for three girls to catch up on a Sunday night.  I think Sushi Uo would be a great date spot any other night, and its convenient location on Rivington and Clinton is perfect for after dinner drinking binges.

The prices are fair also, for about $40 each; three of us split two appetizers, three rolls, and had two drinks each.

BY: LAUREN BROWN