Flinders Lane - Antipodean Brunch

/ East Village (162 Avenue A)/
Flinders Lane - Antipodean Brunch

(East Village)

Flinders Lane

162 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009

Tel. 212-228-6900

I came to love Australian cuisine while I was living in London (check out the amazing Granger & Co if you’re ever in West London), it’s fresh and delicious, heavy on the avocado and those folks know their coffee (flat white, yes please!  See recent feature on Flat Whites at Happy Bones). Flinders Lane was the first proper sit down Aussie restaurant I’d seen in the neighborhood so we decided to give it a go for brunch with the tot and we were not disappointed!

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The Wren - Cocktails and Early Dinner

/ NoHo (344 Bowery)/
The Wren - Cocktails and Early Dinner

(NoHo)

The Wren

344 Bowery Street, New York, NY 10012

Tel. 212-388-0148

I got a Sunday afternoon text from a girlfriend who’d been traveling in Europe for three weeks for work (lucky wench) letting me know that she was back and wanted to meet up for some jet lag cocktails. She lives in NoHo (aka north of Houston street), which made The Wren the perfect equidistant spot for us to meet up and to indulge my love of gastropub food!

 

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Flat Whites at Happy Bones

/ Little Italy (394 Broome Street)/
Flat Whites at Happy Bones

(Little Italy)

Happy Bones

394 Broome Street, New York, NY 10013

Tel. 212-673-3754

It seems like these days, antipodeans are the ones who have seriously cornered the coffee connoisseur market – with flat whites being the word du jour (you know it'd a thing when even your local Starbucks serves it!).

FYI – a flat white = generally two shots of espresso + velvety, microfoam (with equal proportions of coffee and froth).  Check out the Coffeehunter’s post for a more comprehensive definition of a flat white.

So where to find a lovely cup of flat white in the hood, you ask?  Well, we were pretty stoked when a Kiwi coffee shop opened up not too far from us back in 2014 called "Happy Bones."  Besides flat whites, macchiattos, and teas – they also sell insanely delicious doughnuts from Dough (as if you needed any more convincing!).

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Early Brunching at Prune

/ East Village (54 East 1st Street)/
Early Brunching at Prune

(East Village)

Prune

54 East 1st Street, New York, NY 10003

Tel. 212-667-6221

I can’t even tell you how many foodie magazines and bespoke travel guides have raved about brunch at Prune, on 1st and 1st in the East Village.  Suffice to say, it seemed absolutely criminal to not check it out  ourselves, given that it’s just a few blocks from where we live.

So how about the experience, you ask?

For one – I would definitely go for brunch only, skip dinner (unless it’s super early and even then – chances are it might get too packed for a rambunctious and fatigued little one).

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Crosby Street Hotel – High Tea with my Baby

/ SoHo (79 Crosby Street)/
Crosby Street Hotel – High Tea with my Baby

(SoHo)

The Crosby Bar

79 Crosby Street, New York, NY 20012

Tel. 212-226-6400

High Chair

Hubby and I have been coming to the Crosby Bar for quite some time now.  Situated in Soho, it’s a lovely place to visit no matter what the season, and during the summer, the backyard garden is one of the loveliest places to take a break, meet a break, and grab an aperitif (or digestive, depending on your preference).

We actually stumbled upon their afternoon tea quite haphazardly, as we were cruising in the hood for a nice chill place to just sit down and put our feet up with the munchkin.  The Crosby Bar is quite perfect for the following 3 reasons.

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Antique Garage – Lunch and Lounge

/ SoHo (41 Mercer Street)/
Antique Garage – Lunch and Lounge

(SoHo)

Antique Garage

41 Mercer Street, New York, NY 10013

Tel. 212-219-1019

High Chair

Antique Garage, located on 41 Mercer street (between Broome and Grand), is situated in the heart of SoHo and possibly one of my favorite “afternoon lounging” spots. 

My first encounter was with a few girlfriends for a leisurely weekend “bachelorette brunch.”  Suffice to say, it was très packed and très  oh-so-very-very (also, we may have gone there right about noon, which was prime brunch time). 

On the other hand, as I discovered two years later… if you just go a little bit on the later side (say, right after munchkin’s nap time), you’ll find that it’s a fabulous place to bring the little ones! 

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Sant Ambroeus -- Elegant Italian in SoHo

/ SoHo (265 Lafayette Street)/
Sant Ambroeus -- Elegant Italian in SoHo

(SoHo)

Sant Ambroeus

265 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10012

Tel. 212-966-2770

My first introduction to Sant Ambroeus was in Southampton, followed by the Upper East Side, all of which are indicative of its undeniable stamp of family friendliness.  So imagine our happy surprise when a Sant Ambroeus SoHo opened right in the neighborhood on 265 Lafayette!  It’s literally kitty-corner to Delicatessen (also a good family dining spot), but without the hustle and bustle.  

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Dinner On Ludlow – Comfort Food and Chandeliers

/ Lower East Side (95 Delancey Street)/
Dinner On Ludlow – Comfort Food and Chandeliers

(Lower East Side)

Dinner on Ludlow

95 Delancey street, New York, NY 10002

Tel. 212-228-0909

Believe it or not, our first introduction to Dinner On Ludlow was via their Sunday Vanilla Sky/White Party – which is truly a sight to behold (think throwbacks to P. Diddy, with lots of white on white on white, and loads of booty… everywhere).

Not that that’s a bad thing necessarily, it just doesn’t scream “baby friendly.”

So imagine my surprise when one Sunday morning, we cruised over to the restaurant (not sure the exact reason… proximity?), and were met with a pleasant surprise.  It wasn’t crowded (in fact it was nice and tranquil), the food was simple and delicious, and above all – beautiful chandeliers all over the place.  I mean, who doesn’t love a nice, glittering chandelier?

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La Palapa - Dinner Date With the Monkey

/ East Village (77 St. Mark's Place)/
La Palapa - Dinner Date With the Monkey

(East Village)

La Palapa

77 St. Mark's Place, New York, NY 10003

Tel. 212-777-2537

High Chair

After a crazy Friday at work I forged home in the snow desperately wanting: 1. Spring to (finally f-ing) get here and 2. A massive margarita to take the edge off a long day. Husb was working late and I hadn't planned dinner so I grabbed the monkey and hopped over to La Palapa (77 St. Mark's Place).    

La Palaps (as I call her) was a favorite for happy hour in my mid-twenties...the margaritas are delicious and potent and the food (in my Arizona born and bred opinion) is one of the best upscale Mexican options in the city. When we moved back to NYC with the babe I was pleasantly surprised that my old haunt was very child friendly as well! 

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Edi and the Wolf – Playdate in the East Village

/ East Village (102 Avenue C)/
Edi and the Wolf – Playdate in the East Village

(East Village)

Edi and the Wolf

102 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009

Tel. 212-598-1040

For years, we’ve been going to the Edi and the Wolf (Austrian restaurant in the East Village, 102 Avenue C) for their fantastic schnitzel and apple strudel (okay they make some pretty delicious fare in general, but schnitzel is where it’s at!).  So why should it be any different with baby? You ask.

Well – the long and the short of it is – it shouldn’t. 

Edi and the Wolf is just as fantastic with baby.  Though word to the wise, you may want to come here either for a late brunch or early dinner, so as to avoid the maddening crowd (but I would argue that this fits within my general preference irrespective of babies).

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Nelson Blue – Seaport Dining with Bubs

/ FiDi (235 Front Street)/
Nelson Blue – Seaport Dining with Bubs

(FiDi/ Battery Park)

Nelson Blue

235 Front Street, New York, NY 10038

Tel. 212-346-9090

High Chair

Nelson Blue is one of my favorite gastropubs in FiDi – hubs and I have literally been coming here for years, as it is one of the few New Zealand restaurants in NYC (in fact I believe the only Kiwi one in Manhattan?).  The restaurant suffered tremendous damages as a result of Hurricane Sandy, but thankfully is now making a comeback.

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