Marisa Tom | November 28, 2011 11:31 amI admit, I'm a bit of a Frank Prisinzano loyalist, and this isn't the first time I've professed my restaurant-related adoration. But trust me, I'm doing you a huge foodie favor by urging you — most politely — to beeline straight for Sauce (78 Rivington St., 212-420-7700), his latest take on Italian home-style cookin'. The Lower East Side restaurant is spacious and warm, smells like grandma's kitchen (that is, if your grandma happens to prepare meaty pastas all day long), and meets high ragu expectations.Read More
Marisa Tom | November 11, 2011 2:17 pmIt's been an action-packed month for the 14th Street stretch between Second and Third Avenue. First, pancake chain IHOP moved in, causing a mild neighborhood uproar, and just two weeks ago, chef David Martin's answer to the Meatball Shop craze set up shop in the former Nathan's Hot Dog/Pizza Hut corner space.
The Meatball Factory (231 Second Ave., 212-260-8015) seems, by all appearances, to offer the same hearty meat options — meatballs galore, comfort food favorites mac 'n' cheese, fries, and "sammies" — along with a plethora of beer and wine to pair with your plate of protein.Read More
Marisa Tom | October 24, 2011 2:40 pmLast week, I finally crossed off ABC Kitchen's (35 E. 18th St., 212-475-5829) brunch from my NYC dining bucket list, and boy was it worth the wait. Editor-in-Chief Adam Rapoport of Bon Appetit hosted a Belvedere Bloody Mary brunch at Jean-Georges's Flatiron restaurant, and I definitely wasn't the only one excited to sample the vodka purveyor's Bloody Mary concoctions and chow down on the local, organic fare.Read More
Marisa Tom | October 17, 2011 2:30 pmThere's a new brunch in town and it happens to be a two-parter. We warned you of its impending existence, and now CO-OP Food & Drink's Lost & Found brunch is all systems go. Located at street level within the Hotel at Rivington (107 Rivington St., 212-796-8040), the deco pop restaurant has launched a new share-happy menu to complement its split personality weekend brunch.Read More
Marisa Tom | August 25, 2011 10:15 amCan you believe that Bubby's Pie Company (120 Hudson St., 212-219-0666; 1 Main St., 718-222-0666) has been around for more than 20 years? Without revealing my age, let's just say that's a huge chunk of my lifetime. In a city where restaurants are a dime a dozen, I find it wholly impressive when an eatery can hold its ground and then some.Read More
Marisa Tom | August 12, 2011 9:00 amHaving moved into the old Orologio space only three months ago, The Beagle (162 Ave. A, 212-228-6900) has already seemed to hit its stride. The Matthew Piacentini-owned East Village spot straddles a handful of moods; it reminded me initially of a restaurant I frequent in Brooklyn then, as time passed, I felt more and more like I was in a bar-restaurant hybrid in London's Hoxton Square area.Read More