Balthazar 80 Spring Street, NYC 212-965-1414 www.BalthazarNY.com French, Cocktails/Wine, Downtown Manhattan Located in a prime location just above Houston, Balthazar’s front doors are constantly overflowing the patrons trying to secure a seat. Don’t even think about walking in without a reservation, unless of course you don’t mind waiting for a couple of hours. Inside and out, Balthazar is the quintessential French bistro. Complete with distressed mirrors, dark wood finishes and globe lights, the decor will

Veselka 144 Second Avenue, NYC 212-228-9682 (Additional location at: 9 East First Street with contemporary Ukrainian) www.Veselka.com Ukrainian/Diner Fare, Downtown Manhattan Open 24 hours! An East Village staple, Veselka has been a favorite of ours for more than a decade. Established in 1954, this corner joint is jumping for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We always tend to think of it as ‘diner’ like, but with an array of Ukrainian classics added into the mix. Typically

Abraco Espresso 86 East 7th Street, NYC 212-388-9731 www.AbracoNYC.com Baked Goods, Coffee, Downtown Manhattan Exceptionally small (in size) and incredibly good, we can’t stop thinking about Abraco! L stumbled upon this adorable, tiny coffee bar by accident, and brought A back for a morning visit on a beautiful sunshiny day. Nearly 75% of the one room establishment consists of their kitchen which astoundingly holds three people. Step into the front door and occupy the other

Stanton Social 99 Stanton Street, NYC 212-995-0099 www.StantonSocial.com Eclectic Tapas, Cocktails/Wine, Downtown Manhattan A true social experience, everything about this restaurant and lounge on Stanton Street is designed for mingling. Three levels of sexy design, a wall of wine and an extensive menu of tasting plates and exceptional cocktails. A collaboration between restaurant and nightlife royalty, Stanton Social has all your bases covered. Great for date night dinner, the Monday Night Social DJ dancing party

Supper Restaurant 156 East 2nd Street, NYC 212-477-7600 www.SupperRestaurant.com Northern Italian, Wine, Downtown Manhattan There is just something different about Supper. Although we love Italy, Italian food is not often high on our list due to the obsession that most places have with per-prepared parmigiano and buckets full of sauce. Eggplant starts to taste like chicken, and chicken like shrimp, all wrapped up in one soggy package. Supper is in NYC’s upper echelon of Italian

The Back Room 102 Norfolk Street, NYC 212-228-5098 no website Cocktails, Downtown Manhattan The unexpected makes everything more fun. NYC has hundreds of amazing bars, but it’s the full experience that makes a night memorable. We’ve heard the buzz about this place for quite a while and it was finally time for us to see it for ourselves. It’s no secret that we love the speakeasy. Typically serving a collections of serious cocktails with boozes

Jacob’s Pickles 509 Amsterdam Avenue, NYC 212-392-5407 www.JacobsPickles.com American Comfort Food, Cocktails, Uptown Manhattan House made pickles, preserves and biscuits? (No, your pregnant wife isn’t sending you out for a late night food run again.) Meat from sustainable sources and American beers? Jacob’s Pickles would seem fit more for Williamsburg than the Upper West Side. Looks like the UWS jumped up one level on the hipster scale. Bring on the plaid shirts and vintage bicycles. Stroll by

Wine and Roses 286 Columbus Avenue, NYC 212-579-9463 www.WineAndRosesNYC.com Wine, Small Plates/Brunch, Uptown Manhattan What makes a great wine bar? If you are sitting down and going through the list in your head, STOP. GET UP… call a friend or two and get yourself over to this place. SIT down at the bar, order a bottle of your favorite wine and some charcuterie. TAKE A SIP. HAVE A BITE. LOOK AROUND. At this point you