Roasted corn on the cob

All the beautiful NYC skinny minnies gorge themselves on the roasted corn on the cob at Cafe Habana. It's sinfully delicious.

Cafe Habana

17 Prince St (at Elizabeth)

For breakfast, I like to get good protein in the form of eggs and healthy carbs in the form of fruit. At Cafe Habana, almost miraculously, you can get two in one in the form of the "Omelette Caribe". This is a fluffy omelet filled with sweet plantains. For that extra Mexican flair, it is served with green tomatilla salsa. Also, try a big glass of fresh orange juice - sweet and pulpy - and piping hot coffee, and your morning will be off to a good start.

For lunch on a weekday, try grazing on their famous Mexican corn, grilled with chili powder and sprinkled with cheese. The butter and cheese seems at first a bit daunting for a grazer, but look around and you'll notice skinny minny models everywhere chowing down on this specialty. I'd skip the salads if I were you and order the "Chicken Diablo" sandwich instead: blackened chicken (bursting with flavor), roasted peppers, some greens, and chipotle mayo. It is huge but if you come with an appetite (or wait as long for a table as is typical of this place), you'll probably be able to get most of it down; it's that good.

And be prepared to wait since Cafe Habana is like the hottest spot in town. Especially on the weekends, hipsters stand on the corner puffing cigarettes and discussing art for hours while they wait for a table. The energy in this place is worth it though. The waitresses have so much fun and the bartenders seem excited to be here. Whether you go for the food or the crowd, its a hotspot worth waiting for.





- The Grazer

Lulu'

235 Mulberry St (between Prince and Spring)

Last night I had dinner at Lulu', a super chic new wine bar from the owners of bread, which is just around the corner. You could almost miss this new restaurant when you walk by due to its small storefront and very dark (albeit cosy) interior, but you shouldn't. Step inside and it's as if you are in a Prohibition-era cocktail lounge. Our bartender, Stephanie (who is also the owner's sister), shakes up unique cocktails like a Pineapple Margarita or a Cantaloupe Martini with fresh basil. The whole bar smells of her muddled mint and basil.

The food here is more refined than it is at bread. At Lulu', Exectuive Chef Eric Fleischer puts out carefully prepared "snacks" and entrees. The menu is short but covers all bases: a few salads, a couple of fish dishes, a pasta, a chicken, a pork loin, a steak and a burger. The snack list encompasses everything from roasted vegetables to risotto fritters to crab cakes, meant for grazing at the bar. Which I, of course, did. I opted for the long-stem artichokes and my friend had the risotto fritters. The portions were larger than I had expected for only $5 but, unfortunately, I think the taste can be hit-or-miss. My artichokes tasted like the ones that come canned in olive oil from the supermarket. But my friend loved his risotto fritters, which were large and fluffy and came with a side of fresh tomato sauce. And so I didn't allow myself to become disheartened just yet.

After our snack, we decided to sit at one of the intimate candle-lit tables lining the wall beside the bar. Our waiter was so friendly and helpful. Despite my reluctance to order a Chardonnay (I shy away from Chardonnays because I don't like that typically oaky taste), he promised we would love their bottle of steel-fermented Barboursville 2006 Chardonnay, and if we didn't he would take it back. But he was right. This wine had almost no smell but a surprisingly crisp and complex taste - first the taste of bananas and then apples. Best of all, it grew on me as we continued to drink it.

For di

nner I ordered the calamari salad, which is supposed to have frisee, calamari, proscuitto and sweet peppers. But I asked for it without the proscuitto and the waiter happily complied. It was delicious. The calamari was actually a touch floured and fried, but I didn't mind because the fresh lemon dressing was able to soak into the calamari giving it extra flavor. The frisee was light and the sweet peppers really complemented the lemony calamari. Overall, a great salad at a beautiful restaurant with a lovely staff. Definitely worth a return visit. Next time I'll just snack on something else.

- The Grazer

24Prince

24 Prince St

Considering its central Nolita location and reality show chef (Nikki of Top Chef fame), I had anticipated a long wait for a table at 24Prince. Strangely, there were plenty of tables available, both indoors and in the back garden. We got comfortable in a corner booth in the simple and tastefully decorated space and ordered two glasses of Moschofilero rosé, a wine from Greece, which happens to be one of my favorites.

I was excited when I saw that 24Prince offered five different salads on the menu. I chose the "Downtown Chopped". You can imagine my disappointment when the salad came out, well, not chopped. Add to that the fact that the vegetables (especially the yellow beets) were flavorless and the overall presentation a bit boring and you have a picture that is pretty bleak. Still, I ate my entire salad because it was light and healthy and the dressing, a simple oil and vinegar with some herbs, was pretty good.

- The Grazer

Epistrophy

200 Mott St

At Epistrophy, everything is simple. Simple food, simple décor, simple music, even simple and softly-spoken bartenders. The exterior has that country café look, with yellow sidewalk tables, huge glass windows (that open up during warm weather) and pretty green window frames. Inside, there are couches up front, wooden tables and chairs in back, and a corner bar where couples can pull up stools, taste wines and chat with whichever bartender happens to be working that day (they’re all quiet, quirky hipsters with dark intellectual-looking glasses). Singles, don’t be afraid. Epistrophy welcomes you to sit for as long as you like over a glass of wine or freshly roasted organic espresso and even invites you to pull out a laptop and use their free wifi.

The wine list is extensive, with reds, whites, rosés, and sparkling wines from around the globe. Particular attention is paid to Italian wines (the owners, Luca Fadda and Giorgia Zedda are Sardinian). Many wines can be ordered by the glass or carafe, while special Reserves are offered by the bottle. Personally, I really enjoyed the Orvieto Classico from Umbria, Italy, recommended by the bartender/waiter for its aromatic and clean taste.

Everything about Epistrophy is uncomplicated, especially the food. To start, try a plate of cheese and vegetables, fruit, or cold cuts. Otherwise, try the crostone, which receive endless accolades. From where I sat across the room, I could hear a girl at the bar talking about her delicious tomato and fresh oregano crostone. They also offer more interesting combinations like proscuitto, eggplant and fontina.

We tried the “toast” appetizer, thankfully to share. Don’t be fooled; this is a whole sandwich with proscuitto, fontina, avocado and tomato between two slices of toasted rye! If I have one complaint about this place, it’s that that sandwich was a little dry and in desperate need of some dressing (which the waiter happily supplied upon request).

For my next course, I had the chicken salad: a lovely mix of lettuces, a huge slab of avocado, poached chicken, grape tomatoes and sliced carrots. It was a perfect size portion dressed with the perfect amount of oil and vinegar (though they put extra O&V on the table in case you want more).

They offer half a dozen other salads, each with an interesting mix of fresh vegetables (like fennel or zucchini), fruits (pear or apple), protein (tuna or smoked salmon), and cheeses (mozzarella or parmagian). Some salads are even sprinkled with walnuts. There are also countless panini and fresh pastas, and some main dishes (roasted chicken, beef short ribs, or braised pork) offered at lunch and dinner for those who want to do more than graze.

At Epistrophy, you get just about what you expect: clean simple food in a no-pretense atmosphere. The food, the wine and the décor combine to make a place that is comfortably rustic and effortless chic too.

- The Grazer

Cafe Gitane

242 Mott St (nr. Prince)

Upon my return to NYC (yes, I'm back!), I did what any good grazer would do: I met my girlfriends for lunch at Cafe Gitane. Thankfully, it was a Thursday, so we didn’t have to wait. But come the weekend, plan on waiting, as Gitane is definitely a hotspot.

As usual, I ordered the hearts of palm and avocado salad. And as usual, it was grazer-worthy. I’ve had this salad five or six times now and it always lives up to expectations. First of all, it looks beautiful; a tossed mix of white, green, deep pink and orange (hearts of palm, endive, watercress, avocado, radishes and oranges). And second of all, it tastes just as good as it looks.
My friend E ordered the “French Moroccan”: a scoop of tuna, a side of endive, and a slice of baguette. She found it light and tasty. The tuna had capers and a mustard flavor and the baguette was perfectly toasted. On our last visit she had Gitane’s famous cous cous with a scoop of hummus on top. She found that dish even better and recalls, “it had really cool stuff in it” (lots of veggies: zucchini, peppers, eggplant, tomato). But she couldn’t finish it – so think about ordering it to share. Pair any of these dishes with a mimosa (like we do) and I promise you’ll have a perfect lunch.

- The Grazer