NYC Tastes

Friday night bites at Vini e Fritti; always a fantastic way to kick off the weekend.  This Roman style apertivo bar located in the Redbury Hotel was opened last year by my favorite restaurateur Danny Meyer.   The small space is adorned simply with a handful of four tops, a long marble bar and big windows up front perfect for watching the busy streets outside.  I always intend to just pop in for a drink but once those small plates of fritti start to stream out of the kitchen, its impossible to resist. Gnoccho Fritto con Prosciutto e Parmiginao; impossibly light fried pockets of pizza dough topped with layers of prosciutto and pepper dusted parmigiana cheese. Crostino di Straccistella con Pomodorini; some of the creamiest mozzarella cheese that ever existed drizzled with olive oil & preserved tomato on focaccia bread. My favorite spot is at the windows up front with a glass of champagne or a classic Negroni, slowly watching the evening slip...

In the never ending search for the city's best happy hour we stopped into Union Square's Tarallucci E Vino Friday night.  It was about 5:30 and this lively little wine bar was already jam packed with people at all of tables and bar stools in front. It was about 90 degrees outside so I'm pretty sure the usual patio goers had passed up those outdoor seats in favor of some cold AC.  In a move to beat the heat Mr. T and I went for our usual summer order of pink drinks; a dry Negroni and a crisp fruity rose. We were heading to dinner in a few hours but looking at their bar menu I started having second thoughts.  Eggplant Caponata with tomato and capers, Cashews, Peanuts and Pecans dusted with chili and sea salt, Blue Point Oysters; finally we decided to cave in and split an order of the Bufala Milk Ricotta. Creamy Ricotta cheese spread thick atop grilled baguette then dressed with roasted grapes and sweet honey.  This was the perfect little snack to comple...