Employees Only

A few months ago wormwood absinthe was legalized for sale in the US. Now instead of trekking to Europe, we can openly sip the green fairy in a few reputable New York City lounges. Employees Only (fear not the psychic in…

Abraco Espresso

It’s actually Abraço, and I think it’s destined to be my favorite neighborhood coffee spot. I wandered in this morning, thinking I was on my way to Dunkin’ Donuts, and instantly my day started looking up. The barista, a cheerful,…

Beware the Muffin Man

I’m well into my morning commute by the time I breeze through the Union Square Greenmarket, but I don’t become conscious until then. Revived by a new landscape of radish-end hills, jam jar pyramids, and arugula forests, I start scanning…

Vertical Epic

I’m not a big fan of delayed gratification. I think there’s only one thing better than getting something you know you want right away, and that’s getting something you didn’t even know you wanted. This was pretty much what I…

Caracas Arepa Bar

Tonight, when I called Caracas Arepa Bar for takeout, there was no hello. Instead the receiver hovered within hearing-range of vague, delighted sounds–people enjoying buttery, cheesey arepas and beers. The second and third times: busy signal. This was not the…

Peeler Man

Today while wandering through Soho I happened upon my favorite New York street performer/salesperson, Peeler Man. I call this a performance because his impassioned schtick is a notch or two beyond your average QVC spokesman. I mean, not just anybody…

PDT Please Don’t Tell

The next time you’re pub crawling in the East Village with someone you really want to impress and they say “where to next,” here’s what you do. Head over to Crif Dogs on St. Mark’s Place, a high-traffic dugout peddling…

Grandaisy Bakery Pizza

I don’t realize what copious amounts of dairy I consume until I’m out with someone who can’t eat it without getting an upset stomach. I feel a reciprocal pang in my tummy as they scour a menu at some place…

ALT Coffee

ALT Coffee

While I was tied up with work and vacation, my usual East Village neighborhood coffee haunt/internet cafe, ALT.coffee shuttered, to re-open at some point as Hopscotch, a “family-friendly” establishment.