Featured Request: Special Occasion Lunch

Request: Special Occasion Lunch in Greenwich Village/Chelsea 

EE's Recommendations: 

Mario Batali's Babbo

1. ABC Kitchen 35 East 18th Street nr. Broadway This is hands-down one of the best restaurants in NYC for so many reasons - most of the produce comes from the Union Square Greenmarket down the street, everything from the roasted carrot and avocado salad to the pizzas are insanely fresh and full of flavor. Lunch is great for people watching (reservations are a must) and after lunch, you can head down to Union Square to check out the market! A fantastic option for tourists and locals, alike.

2. Babbo 110 Waverly Place nr. West 4th St. While dinner at Mario Batali's flagship restaurant will ordinarily set you back some major bills, lunch is an incredible bargain in comparison with many of the same dishes on the menu. They just started serving a lunch menu in May, so the secret isn't fully out! We recommend the favas and mint to start and share and the incredible beef cheek ravioli. If you are feeling extra indulgent, there is a 4-course tasting menu for $49 per person that changes every season. Mangia!

Hearth Stone pizza, Cookshop

3. Cookshop 156 Tenth Avenue nr. 20th St. This is an incredible lunch option especially when the weather is nice. Enjoy hearth stone pizzas, steak salads, fish tacos and more - there is something on the menu for everyone. After lunch, take a walk on The Highline, New York's elevated park, and then explore Chelsea Market, filled with NYC artisans wares. If there is time to spare, head west to the Hudson River and walk by the pier. 

Cool Off! Summertime Cocktails in NYC

Our favorite barkeeps around town have created some seriously worthy seasonal beverages. When that humidity starts to kick into high gear and you don't know where to turn, refer to this list for instant cooling effects. I can't think of a better way to fight off the humidity then sipping on a cold beverage of something...and I'm not talking lemonade. Sometimes, you just need a cocktail. Hop into one of our favorite watering holes and grab a seat - these tasty libations are sure to cool you off in no time.
By Joleen Zanuzoski, Editor

ABV's Piedmont Fizz
Photo: Kathy Blake, The Experimental Gourmand 

ABV, Piedmont Fizz $9
1504 Lexington Avenue nr. 97th St. 
This new uptown gem serves up one of the most refreshing libations around - the Piedmont Fizz is served in a generous highball and filled to the brim with a white aperitif Italian wine (Cocci Americano), fennel, lemon and club soda. Sit back on the patio and watch the world go by.

The Tippler, Top Cat $10
425 West 15th Street nr. Tenth Ave.
This recent Chelsea addition to the cocktail scene is mixing things up in a big way and the Top Cat is a perfect summertime fruity sipper to get the night started. Sicilian liquor Averna amaro, fresh strawberries, lemon and Fanta Orange soda. Hello, summer.

Apotheke's Fresh Start
Photo: Christina Garofalo, Robb Report

Apotheke, Fresh Start $13
9 Doyers Street #1 nr. Bowery
What could be more refreshing on a hot summer's eve than a libation called a Fresh Start? It's perfection all around - carrot, celery, gin, oregano essence, ginger, agave nectar and lime. It's even in the health & beauty section of the lengthy Apotheke menu - think of this cocktail as naughty juicing.

ABC Kitchen, Rhubarb Cosmopolitan $14 
35 East 18th Street nr. Broadway
Rhubarb straight from some New York farmer that has been muddled into your martini glass, mixed with comb honey vodka and cointreau. It will be difficult to swallow one of those diluted cranberry juice concoctions once again after you taste this seasonal version - we have to say it's far superior to the classic.

Red Rooster's Rooster Punch
Photo: Marcus Samuelsson 

Red Rooster, Rooster Punch $15
310 Lenox Avenue nr. 125th St. 
Sit out on the amazing patio in the middle of bustling Harlem as you sip on Chef Marcus Samuelsson's special punch concoction (red wine, brandy, orange liqueur and fresh citrus). Feeling saucy? Order the pitcher of punch for $56 and forget about any plans you made for the rest of the day. Yes, it sure does pack a punch.

Demi Monde's Gun Metal Cocktail
Photo: Scott James Teague

Demi Monde, Gun Metal $14

90 Broad Street nr. Stone St. 

FiDi - you're getting so hip we can hardly keep up! The much anticipated opening by Alex Day and David Kaplan (founders of Death & Co.) has finally arrived and we are that much better (and tipsy) because of it. Hands down, the most summery and refreshing (read: girly) is the Gun Metal - gin, watermelon blanc, bitters and absinthe mist. What could be better than an absinthe mist in the dog days of summer? Not much.


The Rusty Knot, Rusty Knot $8
425 West Street nr. W. 11th Street
This nautical-inspired dive on the West Side Highway serves up the most tropical of cocktails, all with a tiki theme. The signature drink of the house is a frozen Trinidadian mint daiquiri made with fresh mint, rum and a touch of sour mix. Sip on this tipple and then take a nice walk down the Hudson River - summer never felt so right.

Macao Trading Co.'s Bashful Maiden

Macao Trading Co, Bashful Maiden $15

311 Church Street nr. Lispenard St. 

Yes, you feel like you're in a Chinese brothel which may or may not be your thing in the hot summer months, but regardless the Bashful Maiden is there to cool you off. This drink has been a staple in my cocktail repertoire for many years - something about the mix of Hendrick's gin, St. Germain, Velvet Falurnun (an infusion of yumminess - spices, lime juice, sugar cane and rum), lemon juice and pureed striped melon just makes all things right in the world. It also makes me forget about the den of vice lurking downstairs - proceed with caution.