Gottino 52 Greenwich Avenue NYC 212-633-2590 www.ilmiogottino.com Small Plates, Italian Wine, Manhattan Ah, Gottino. Something about this place just warms the soul. Perhaps it’s the Petit Verdot. Perhaps it’s the crostini or the robiola. Perhaps it’s the way the light hits the prosciutto across the bar. It’s magical. Gottino is an unassuming Italian wine bar on Greenwich Avenue in the heart of the West Village, with an array of Italian wines and small plates. The

Delmonico’s 56 Beaver Street, NYC 212-509-1144 www.delmonicosny.com Steak, Wine, Manhattan A classic… real old school New York!  This place has been around since 1837… that is unheard of!  The restaurant is located in the Financial District in a beautiful corner building.  Although bustling by day, come night time it is pretty desolate down there.  The interior is large and elegant with lots of dark wood projecting a fine dining feel, without being completely stiff. Start off with

DBGB Kitchen and Bar 299 Bowery, NYC (between Houston and 1st Street) 212-933-5300 www.danielnyc.com/dbgb French, Cocktails, Manhattan Celebrity chef Daniel Boulud’s downtown, industrial feeling kitchen and bar takes cues from fine French dining and mixes them with rustic American classics. The highlight is definitely the housemade sausages.  There are more than 10 varieties… loving snowboarding, we went with the “Vermont”, a smoked pork and cheddar sausage, with hash browns and red onion creme frache.  It

Convivium Osteria 68 Fifth Avenue (Bergen & St.Marks), Park Slope 718-857-1833 www.convivium-osteria.com Portuguese & Spanish, Wine, Brooklyn The pride and joy of a husband and wife chef/owner duo, we first stumbled upon Convivium Osteria on an impromptu Friday night search for something different. Since that first visit, our stomachs have dreamed about our return. Located on Park Slope Brooklyn’s restaurant row, Fifth Avenue, be prepared to experience a European inspired dinner with all the warmth

Citta Nuova 29 Newton Lane, East Hampton 631-324-6300 www.cittanuova.com Italian, Cocktails, Suffolk * Outdoor seating looking on to the bar Fantastic location and great people watching right in downtown East Hampton.  You will be surprised at the prices at this loungy, Italian cafe and bar- in a good way!  Food and drinks are well priced, creative and high quality. Stop in for lunch while shopping in town- the vibe is casual… but remember, you are

Chat Noir Patisserie and Tea House 230 Merrick Road, Rockville Centre 516-208-8521 www.chatnoirtea.com French, Wine, Nassau Our favorite new discovery. Located in the lively town of Rockville Centre, this place is a hidden gem. A tiny, low key, casual French tea house right on Merrick Road. The whole restaurant is a single cozy room with seating for about 30. The prices are terrific and prove that you don’t have to spend a fortune to have

Cafe Buenos Aires 23 Wall Street, Huntington 631-603-3600 www.cafebuenosaires.net Argentinean, Wine, Suffolk We have dined here at least 10 times… it is a staple! Located in Huntington Village in the center of the shops and nightlife, Cafe Buenos Aires is known for typical Argentinean style BBQ and Spanish tapas.  The place is always lively, with live tango dancing right in the dining room. Start out with a bottle of Malbec and then get ready to

Bistro Citron 1362 Old Northern Boulevard, Roslyn (there is a NYC location also) 516-403-4400 www.bistrocitron.com Parisian Bistro, French Wines, Nassau With all the trimmings of a true French Bistro, we had high hopes for this seemingly authentic place located in Roslyn, NY, with a Manhattan location as well. It is also a part of the Reststar Hospitality group, which has numerous restaurants across Long Island and New York City. There was a bizarre ambiance in