Friends Don't Let Friends Eat Alone
Abigail Jorgensen, Publicist: "Tartine (253 West 11th Street nr. West 4th St.) is my go to spot in NYC and to this day is my favorite spot in the city to meet friends for dinner. It's also a great place to have a coffee solo and read a book. The restaurant is small, they don't accept reservations and there isn't a hostess so you form a line outside while waiting for a table, rain or shine. My favorite item on the menu are the mussels, but my friends always go for the spicy chicken with guacamole. They also have a warm tuscan kale salad which is dreamy and for dessert you can't go wrong with anything you choose." A very eclectic group of people work there and the energy is contagious: one of the waitresses bakes cookies in her spare time, sells them at Tartine & other bakeries around town, and sends 100% of the profits to Haiti. Another waitress is an amazing artist. [Tartine] is a must!
Matt Glazier, Financial Trader: A good group dinner spot is rare in NYC because it requires the right combination of three key criteria: food, atmosphere and price. Obviously the food comes first but when you think about balancing delicious food with a vibrant scene and affordable prices, the options start dwindling, but here are two that come to mind:
Schillers Liquor Bar (131 Rivington Street nr. Norfolk St.) Schillers is the right kind of loud; loud enough to give off the impression that you are fully immersed in the New York nightlife scene but just soft enough to hear everyone at your table clearly. The bar is expansive with a great list of specialty cocktails but I love the fact that they have wine on tap which is great for groups. They actually offer three types of wine; ‘Cheap’, ‘Decent’ and ‘Good’ which is both comical and genius because while you think you have a choice in the matter, 9/10 you end up ordering the ‘Decent’. In terms of food, I am a sucker for anything ‘Frites’ so I tend to go either Steak or Moules but the menu really has something for everyone with other highlights including the sizzling garlic shrimp, rotisserie chicken and a legit mac and cheese. With a lively Lower East Side crowd, entrée’s around 20 bucks and wine on tap, Schillers is in fact the perfect combination of food, atmosphere, and price.
By Sarah Mintz, Contributing Writer
Imagine this: you're out to dinner on a summer evening in a restaurant's back garden taking in the cool breeze. After a sip of your crisp and perfectly chilled pinot grigio, you take a bite of your al dente fusilli pasta with octopus and sundried tomato sauce. You savor every last bite. You want to tell the whole restaurant to order what you ordered. Unfortuantely, not only do you not know anyone else in the restaurant, but you're also out to dinner alone. No one says eating out by yourself is wrong, but any social scientist can tell you that there is far more to food than health benefits. Sharing your dining experiences, and maybe a few bites from each others plates, create some of the most joyful and long lasting memories and if nothing else aid in your mental health! See where some friends like to take their friends for meals around town:
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| Roger, left, and friends |
Roger Wilkes, Marketing & Sales Director: My friends and I love Peasant (194 Elizabeth Street nr. Spring St.) in SoHo because the dishes are just to die for. My two favorites are Osso Buco and the Suckling Pig. We met the owner-chef, Frankie, when it first opened several years ago when you couldn't get a reservation. He recently reminded us that we were among his first customers. He is a personable and fun guy who believes in staying involved in the creation of his food.
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| Abigail, far left, and friends |
Abigail Jorgensen, Publicist: "Tartine (253 West 11th Street nr. West 4th St.) is my go to spot in NYC and to this day is my favorite spot in the city to meet friends for dinner. It's also a great place to have a coffee solo and read a book. The restaurant is small, they don't accept reservations and there isn't a hostess so you form a line outside while waiting for a table, rain or shine. My favorite item on the menu are the mussels, but my friends always go for the spicy chicken with guacamole. They also have a warm tuscan kale salad which is dreamy and for dessert you can't go wrong with anything you choose." A very eclectic group of people work there and the energy is contagious: one of the waitresses bakes cookies in her spare time, sells them at Tartine & other bakeries around town, and sends 100% of the profits to Haiti. Another waitress is an amazing artist. [Tartine] is a must!
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| Matt, far left, and friends |
Schillers Liquor Bar (131 Rivington Street nr. Norfolk St.) Schillers is the right kind of loud; loud enough to give off the impression that you are fully immersed in the New York nightlife scene but just soft enough to hear everyone at your table clearly. The bar is expansive with a great list of specialty cocktails but I love the fact that they have wine on tap which is great for groups. They actually offer three types of wine; ‘Cheap’, ‘Decent’ and ‘Good’ which is both comical and genius because while you think you have a choice in the matter, 9/10 you end up ordering the ‘Decent’. In terms of food, I am a sucker for anything ‘Frites’ so I tend to go either Steak or Moules but the menu really has something for everyone with other highlights including the sizzling garlic shrimp, rotisserie chicken and a legit mac and cheese. With a lively Lower East Side crowd, entrée’s around 20 bucks and wine on tap, Schillers is in fact the perfect combination of food, atmosphere, and price.
Piccolo Angolo (621 Hudson Street nr. Greenwich St.) Google search Piccolo Angolo and the home page immediately says ‘The Best Italian Food in NYC’. I’m sure places like Scarpetta and Babbo have something to say about that but for pure Italian cooking this is one of the best. The restaurant itself is very unassuming with a small store front on Hudson Street and a cozy dining room with exposed brick wall and about 20 tables. With that description it probably doesn’t sound like the idea group dinner spot but the in true Italian style, the staff of Piccolo Angolo loves to fill up the restaurant with as many patrons as possible and offers an amazing ‘Family Style’ Italian dinner for parties of 6 or more. For 60 bucks a person you get unlimited red wine and a three course Italian feast with antipasti, a few specialty house pastas (both the lobster and bolognaise cannoloni are legit) and a few secondi like the veal saltinboca. It’s a steal based on the amount and quality of the food alone but when you combine the unlimited wine option and the fact that you feel transported to Italy, it’s a no brainer. This is perfect for a boys dinner or a large family gathering.
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