For thirteen years, stepping into Buenos Aires in the East Village has been like entering a different world full of football (read: soccer if you’re from the US), steak, and Argentinian culture. Lucky for us, chef, owner, and Argentinian native Ismael Alba is now serving brunch at his fun and cozy spot on East 6th Street. Alba comes from a restaurant family in Argentina and worked his way through the New York restaurant scene with stints at the Waldorf Astoria and Victor’s Cafe. He has gotten to cook for Pope Francis, Donatella Versace, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, James Gandolfini, and many more notable names, and has an intense passion for Argentina that you can see as soon as you walk through the door.
The new pre-fixe brunch menu is a stellar addition to an already beloved restaurant. For $25 diners can enjoy a two-course meal along with coffee or tea. Another $10 gets you two mimosas, glasses of sangria, or beers. Brunch dishes include empanadas, homemade sausages, and USDA prime steaks. Some of our favorites are the choripan, a homemade chorizo sandwich on an insane slab of bread, and the breaded prime veal cutlet topped with fried eggs and served with mashed potatoes – mashed potatoes for breakfast!! Be sure to top each dish with their addictive homemade chimichurri sauce that will have you cheering en Español.
For dessert, try a caramel crepe, molten chocolate soufflé, or an alfajor, a sandwich cookie filled with caramel and enrobed in chocolate. Along with their main dining room outfitted with Argentinian flair, Buenos Aires has a private dining room that can accommodate up to 25 guests. If you’re looking for someone to validate your choice of french fries or mashed potatoes for breakfast or a meat heavy, delicious brunch, Buenos Aires is the place for you!
Buenos Aires 513 East 6th Street Sunday–Thursday: 12:00–11:00 PM Friday–Saturday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM Weekend Brunch is served from 12:00–4:00 PM
Risotteria Melotti comes to NYC via Isola della Scala, Verona, Italy and brings with it a menu of rice based dishes (like the name-giving risotto) that all happen to be gluten free. After ten years in the restaurant business in Italy, the Melotti family opened their New York outpost in 2013. Since then, they’ve been serving up more than ten types of risotto, also available as rice pasta, along with other Italian specialties and selling their rice and rice-based speciality products in the East Village.
What makes Risotteria Melotti so special is that all of the rice comes from the Melotti family farm in Verona. They specialize in two varieties of rice: Vialone Nano Veronese and Carnaroli. All of their rice and rice products are imported from the farm in Italy, which has been growing rice since 1986. Many of the recipes used at the restaurant are family dishes passed down from Mamma Rosetta.
Start your meal with fantastic rice-based bread, a luxury for gluten-free diners, before moving on to appetizers like arancini, polenta, and rice flour fritto misto. Take your pick from the long list of risotto varieties, which include Mamma Rosetta’s recipe for spinach and asiago risotto along with cacio e pepe and fig and prosciutto iterations, that can all be served with rice flour penne or tagliatelle as well. Our favorite was a lemony shrimp tagliatelle that you could barely tell was not fresh flour pasta.
The restaurant staff also collaborates with the Randall’s Island Association to offer Rice Classes at Randall’s Island Park. Taste their dishes and then see what goes into creating them yourself!
Risotteria Melotti 309 East 5th Street Monday–Thursday: 12:00–10:30 PM Friday: 12:00–11:30 PM Saturday: 11:30 AM – 11:30 PM Sunday: 11:30 AM – 10:30 PM
You’ve probably alreadyseenusrecommend cozy Taiwanese spot 886 in the East Village, but we’re excited to endorse their new lunch menu. Tuesday through Friday from noon to three in the afternoon you can get a small bite, a stir-fry, AND a main dish plus a drink all for just $15. Everything in this picture – just $15 at 886!
Photo by Ben Hon
Start out with the honey glazed popcorn chicken or vegetarian crispy silken tofu, move on to the charred cabbage and bacon or tomato and egg stir-fry, and finish up with scallion pancakes or the lunch exclusive Taiwanese sausage rice featuring Taiwanese sausage, cured egg yolk, and garlic lard served over rice. Enjoy your meal in 886’s dining room while sipping on a Coke or an Apple Sidra, a Taiwanese apple soda. All photos by Ben Hon.
886 26 St. Marks Place Tuesday–Sunday: 12:00–3:00 PM, 5:30 PM – 12:00 AM
Dreaming of visiting or returning to Spain but don’t have the time to travel? After the Galician dishes and abundant Spanish wine you enjoy at Nai Tapas in the East Village you’ll think you’re there! Nai Tapas originally opened in 2010, but has recently moved into a larger, two-story location on 2nd Avenue at 5th Street. The space, filled with mismatched chairs and metallic accents, was designed by fashion stylist and creative director Amy Mach in conjunction with the chef. Chef Ruben Rodriguez takes inspiration from his mother, or nai in Gallego, the language of Galicia, who raised him while running her own restaurant in Spain. After honing his skills in his homeland, Rodriguez came to New York and created a menu that pays tribute to Spain while allowing creativity and innovation to guide the way.
The main menu consists of two sections: Tapas Modernas and Tapas Tradicionales. Dishes range from truffle-marinated portobello mushroom carpaccio and a Galician take on ramen to the more typical pinxtos, croquetas and patatas bravas. Don’t miss the pork belly, which is marinated for 24 hours, slow roasted for four and a half hours then pressed for an additional six hours before being plated with carrot puree, candied pecans and homemade yuca chips. Sure you could order one of everything on the menu, but you could also put yourself in the hands of Chef Rodriguez and his team and opt for a stunning tasting menu. At $89 with unlimited sangria and $110 with wine parings, this high quality, ten-course tasting is incredibly affordable.
Start off with the stellar champagne sangria and then just try to keep track of which exceptionally paired wine you should be drinking at any give time. The menu shows influences from global cuisines and techniques and combines Asian flavors, modernist techniques, and Spanish tradition with great results. The show-stopping dish is Pollo a la Brasa: sweet mustard marinated chicken thighs finished over lava rocks then served atop poblano-avocado puree artfully plated on butcher paper with squirts of aioli and chipotle sauces, tobiko, seaweed and Champagne-pickled shallots.
Between courses you’ll find your new favorite party drinks: wine marinated watermelon cubes and lemon-mint infused Cava. End the night with a chocolate filled churro while finishing off your now go-to wines from all over Spain. If you’re looking for a special occasion spot or just want to treat yourself to a wonderful experience, Nai Tapas should be at the top of your list. Need another reason to visit: they have Flamenco shows on Thursday and Saturday nights!
This past Sunday, a very special NYC bar celebrated its 25th anniversary. Coyote Ugly Saloon to be exact.
If you haven’t heard about Coyote Ugly Saloon yet, then now is most certainly the time. Though we’re betting you already heard of it — one way or another. The now famous bar had its humble beginnings back in 1992 when Liliana “Lil” Lovell drew up the business plan for the first of what would become many bars under the Coyote Ugly name. In 1993 she could open the first Coyote Ugly Saloon in the East Village.
“When I opened the bar I likened it to the Wild West. Now we have coined the term ‘organized chaos.’ It’s not quite as spontaneous as we were in 1993 but definitely just as fun if not more,” said Lil about the changes from then and now.
Coyote Ugly Saloon quickly established itself in the hearts of New Yorkers as the preeminent drinking establishment when it gained national attention in early 1997. Why? you ask. A little thing called “The Muse of the Coyote Ugly Saloon,” an article written by former Coyote bartender Elizabeth Gilbert — also the author of Eat, Pray, Love — for GQ. It wasn’t long before this resulted in Hollywood coming a-knocking and the movie rights to Lil’s story were sold. And thus the popular movie, “Coyote Ugly” was born, starring Piper Perabo and Maria Bello and a sublime soundtrack featuring LeAnn Rimes, among others.
But it’s not only the article and the movie that has kept it around for 25 years. There are a few different aspects to keep in mind when running a bar successfully in the big City.
“I think the key factor of being profitable is staying organized and controlling your costs. Then an operator needs to embrace the nuances of the current changes in the economic environment and culture. I am very lucky that the NYC bar has such a great community of loyal regulars,” explained Lil.
Now, the famous bar has 26 locations in 8 countries, with more locations opening every year, including Japan in February 2018. But it all started with that East Village location, 25 years ago.
To celebrate this special occasion, Lil packed the bar of family, friends, and the famous Coyote Ugly girls boot stomping on top of the bar. Justina Valentine of MTV’s Wild ‘n Out performed freestyle on top of the Coyote Ugly bar while roasting the crowd alongside two dancers. Continuing with their tradition of providing fans with the unexpected, a contortionist showed off her flexibility while a bearded lady hosted a beard contest, and New York City’s famous Naked Cowboy closed out the event while performing ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me.’
“It was so wonderful swapping stories and reconnecting with the people that helped my brand become what it is today. The current staff was so respectful of the former bartenders and it was really great to see them all in action,” Lil said about the night.
Located in the East Village, you’ll find Hanoi House. A darling Vietnamese restaurant with exquisite food; everything from decor to dishes is worth the visit. Owners Sara Leveen and Ben Lowell opened the restaurant in January of 2017, and it’s already become a neighborhood favorite in the busy area.
Chef John Nguyen is the mastermind behind the menu, where you’ll see appetizers like Banh Khot Nhim Bien (Little Uni Pancakes) andGoi Du Du (Papaya & Crispy Pig Ear) as well as main dishes such as Chao Hao (Clams & Congee) and Bo Luc Lac (Shaking Beef). The restaurant is also open for brunch and definitely worth a visit.
Downtown had a chance to ask Leveen and Lowell a few questions about the restaurant, why Vietnamese cuisine and working with your significant other.
Photo: Courtesy of Sara Leveen & Ben Lowell
When did your interest in food and restaurants begin?
Ben Lowell: I don’t remember ever NOT being into food. I always cooked with my mom and was the kid at all my friends’ dinner tables that would ask for seconds. When they were eating string cheese, I loved feta, when they were crushing gummy bears, I couldn’t get enough dark chocolate. I was a big eater and willing to try anything. When Sara and I traveled the world in 2013, however, is when my perspective on food evolved. I realized that with very little in the way of tools or technology you could still make incredible food with love and attention. That helped me to appreciate both ends of the NY restaurant spectrum from the amazing cheap eats to the gorgeous tasting menus available and everything in between.
Sara Leveen: Always! My mom had us cooking as soon as we could read a recipe and our dad would take us all over NYC to mom&pop pop restaurants for authentic flavors of the world. I recall eating white borscht and blintzes for brunch at Christine’s Polish Diner as a kid. Mom was a small-town girl from New England who did everything by hand, made her owns jams and pickles and cakes from scratch. So my sisters and I developed penchants for both cooking and dining out from go.
How did you get into the restaurant industry?
BL: a friend of mine got me a job at Crabby Dan’s; a seafood restaurant with a retail seafood market. I learned how to receive a product, break down and butcher whole fish, prep and cook. The market allowed me to interact with people in a way most kitchen jobs don’t allow helping me realize how much I like the face to face part of the industry. After working that job for a few years, I realized it’s the industry I wanted to be in and went to the HRIM program at the University of Delaware in hopes of making a career out of it.
SL: I had worked in Italian restaurants growing up but didn’t consider it my career path until the summer after my Junior year of college. My sister convinced me to take an internship with her company in food and beverage management and I was immediately hooked. The internship provided the unique challenge of managing employees with decades of experience, having only been in the business for a few years myself. Once I learned how to manage, support and motivate restaurant employees, I knew I had found my calling!
How did the two of you meet?
SL: I was the project manager for Makoto, a new Starr restaurant opening in Miami, and Ben was one of the servers. I noticed him on Day 1; he was the know-it-all New Yorker who had all the answers about Japanese food.
Why Vietnamese? I read that you traveled there – but how did that end up in opening a restaurant of your own with Vietnamese cuisine?
BL: We just felt a certain way in Hanoi. After traveling to 17 countries and over 50 cities together, it was the place that really stuck with us. When we returned to New York, we found ourselves craving a place to relive the dining experiences that we had there.
Photo: Nick Solares
What has been the hardest partof opening your own place?
SL: We’re so connected to Hanoi House; it’s as though it relies on us to exist. There is a lot of pressure that comes along with that. Our goal in our second year of business is to transfer more responsibilities to our employees…to teach and empower them to run the business the way we would and in some cases, even better.
Working with your significant other can be challenging at times. What thoughts did the two of you do before going into business together?
Both: It was never “should we do this together?”, but rather “when are we going to do this?”. We spent every moment of eight months together and returned with no doubt in our mind that we would have a place together. It was never debated.
What are your best tips to couples thinking about doing the same?
Both: Carve out time to be a couple first and business partners second. You need one hour a day to maintain a sense of coupledom and keep your personal lives on track.
Hanoi House looks incredible! How did you go about decorating?
Both: We visited Hanoi a few weeks after signing our lease and gathered inspiration from shop houses, coffee shops, and open-air restaurants. Most of the furniture and finishes were ultimately sourced from antique shops in upstate NY and New England. It’s all about how the pieces made us feel and whether they could contribute to the transformation of this space into a home.
Photo: Nick Solares
How did you meet Chef John Nguyen?
BL: Craigslist! He was living in China but was visiting family in California when he saw our ad. He prepared a tasting for us and we knew on the 3rd dish that he was the one.
What are some of your favorite things on the menu?
SL: Bun Cha and Pho with oxtail.
BL: Beef Tongue Sandwich and Papaya & Crispy Pig Ear Salad.
How often do you introduce new items to the menu?
SL: We change the menu every month or two, or as product availability dictates. Chef John runs specials several times per week which keeps it interesting for our regular guests.
How did serving brunch come about? And how has it been received?
BL: Pho is often eaten early in the day in Vietnam so it was natural to open for brunch. Plus, we’ve all had that hungover craving for a hot bowl of noodle soup! It has been received very well. Guests young and old, families or friends…all love spring rolls and noodle soup any time of day.
Photo: Sydney Yorkshire
When not at the restaurant, what do the two of you enjoy doing?
BL: I enjoy starting my day with a trip to the gym, then having a big lunch to fuel up for dinner service.
SL: I enjoy coffee and eggs over my laptop, working at my own pace into the afternoon.
Both: Winding down with a great local beer or cocktail and a delicious cheeseburger. See it’s all about food with us!
What are some of your other favorite places in Downtown NYC for food and drinks?
The main menu consists of two sections: Tapas Modernas and Tapas Tradicionales. Dishes range from truffle-marinated portobello mushroom carpaccio and a Galician take on ramen to the more typical pinxtos, croquetas and patatas bravas. Don’t miss the pork belly, which is marinated for 24 hours, slow roasted for four and a half hours then pressed for an additional six hours before being plated with carrot puree, candied pecans and homemade yuca chips. Sure you could order one of everything on the menu, but you could also put yourself in the hands of Chef Rodriguez and his team and opt for a stunning tasting menu. At $89 with unlimited sangria and $110 with wine parings, this high quality, ten-course tasting is incredibly affordable.
