NYC Tastes

In search of another good happy hour spot we stumbled across The Lafayette; Andrew Carmellini's French bakery and bistro located on the corner of Great Jones and Lafayette. On weekdays from 4:00- 6:30 they offer a variety of wines and cocktails like the classic French 75 of gin, lemon and cremant & this delicious Ricky Rose made with rose wine, gin, creme yvette and creme de fraise. There's also a menu of small bites including Eggs Lafayette with smoked trout, thin salty Pommes Frites and a wonderful Beef Tartare Tartine with Tabasco aioli, celery and espelette.  For just $5 a bite and $8 a drink this may just be the best bar deal going in NOHO. The Lafayette 380 Lafayette Street New York, NY 1003

Remember that beer I just talked about- the incredible Goose Island Bourbon County Stout?  What I didn't mention was that I had to stand outside in the cold for 2 hours in order to get that beer.  Goose Island decided to do a Black Friday release and suddenly I found myself doing exactly what I said I would never do...waking up at the crack of dawn after Thanksgiving to buy something.   Well luckily that something was incredibly delicious and once the beer was secured we were done for the day.  Time to warm up with some breakfast!  We walked over to The Lafayette and and got a table inside the sprawling dining room.  I've always loved this space.  It's changed a lot since the Chinatown Brasserie days...the front door opens onto a bakery where the smell of warm bread permeates the air, the honey blue tiled walls shimmer in the sunlight that comes streaming in from the big windows overlooking Lafayette Street.  It's such bright, bustling place...