del posto

new york, ny

website

this is one of my favorite restaurants in new york city. it's really sad that the only photo i have is of the extra desserts that they gave you. yes, this is just the extra desserts. served at the end of the meal. after you've consumed countless mini baguettes slathered in rich butter (or lardo if you're feeling porky). after you've eaten some delicious appetizer. after you've eaten at least two plates of pasta (trust me, you haven't had pasta until you've had mario batali's pasta - that man knows what he's doing). after you've eaten a few bites of some random meat dish that you ordered because it seemed like the thing to do (don't do it). after you've eaten your actual dessert. then they bring you this crazy contraption with a hidden drawer and even more sweet treats that you can't resist. expensive, yes. but if you think of it as three hours of delicious debauchery, it's worth eating packaged ramen for every meal for the rest of the week. mm, packaged ramen.

10/12: updated with a better picture.

pastis

9th ave (little w. 12th)

website

there was a heat advisory in nyc this past weekend. but derek and i finally had a weekend day off of work, so nothing was going to stop us from participating in our favorite pastime - exploring the streets of manhattan by foot. it was surprisingly quiet and peaceful in the city - the streets were pretty empty, restaurants were completely empty. walking through the meatpacking district, derek and i decided to go into pastis for brunch.

turns out everyone was at pastis. the placed was packed! noisy and crowded with fashionable people (this is another one of those "see and be seen" places in manhattan). derek and i settled into a cozy corner table and reviewed the menu. typical french bistro fare with higher-than-typical prices. derek ordered an omelette with herbs and a side of fries. i ordered the smoked salmon with scrambled eggs. good fries, good food, but nothing spectacular. it's a good option if you're in the meatpacking and you want to have people check out what you're wearing (why the fascination with derek's sperry topsiders?) - but there are better places for brunch in the city.

the standard grill

washington/ 13th

website

the standard grill opened up pretty recently under the southernmost tip of the high line park. it's super trendy right now - the kind of place to see and be seen, and you may occasionally spot a celebrity. the decor is cool - the first part of the restaurant appears to be a sunroom, maybe something similar to what you would see in a beachfront restaurant. the second part of the restaurant looks like a standard old-school new york city grill, but with a few hints of whimsy - like the pennies glued to the floor and the salt & pepper shakers shaped like kissing dogs.

ryan made reservations for everyone for brunch at 11 am. a great time to visit the restaurant, which is usually packed. we were seated in the quiet dining room in the book at a cozy booth. and the food? i highly recommend the carbs and the bacon. the carbs: ryan enjoyed his brioche french toast with buttered rum, walnuts and bananas. i loved the cinnamon sugar doughnuts which were delivered to our table hot and fresh (baby m was also a huge fan of the doughnuts). cindy loved the muffins. everyone loved the sweet bread that is served complimetary. mom, ryan, and derek each raved about the bacon in their dishes (turkey club, french toast, and a burger). stick with the carbs and bacon and you'll be good.