Move over Solo, Cafe Rieu is back at the Sony Atrium. Koshertopia has confirmed that Cafe Rieu (inside Sony Atrium) at 550 Madison Avenue is under the supervision of Rabbi Aharon Mehlman (National Kosher Supervision). Exclusively offering Illy Coffee, Rieu has a great selection of baked goods, pastries, sandwiches, paninis, soups, and pastas prepared by Chef Daniel Dorado.
The Italian café Noi Due is on the lower level of an Upper West Side building, so it may be easy to walk right passed it if you’re not paying attention. But once you descend the stairs to the restaurant, it feels nothing like the basement space it’s in. It has a warm atmosphere and manages to feel like both an Italian café and an Italian restaurant.
We were greeted immediately by one of the servers, and were seated in a seat right next to the window. I glanced over the menu and was impressed with how many dozens of options there were. I thought it would be fun to share a few smaller things. We started with the funghi ripieni – stuffed mushrooms with feta cheese, baked in marinara sauce and Parmigiano. They were served with a few slices of toasted bread. The marinara sauce was incredible. It had so much flavor, and complimented the earthiness of the mushrooms and the saltiness of the feta cheese.
Next we had the Mediterranean salad, which had romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, olives, feta, za’atar, and a lemon vinaigrette. The salad was was really good, but there was entirely too much dressing.
A lot of the pizzas on the menu looked great, and it was definitely hard to narrow it down. We finally decided on the Melanzane E Formaggi Di Capra pizza, with marinara, goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, eggplant, spinach, and oregano. The pizza was my favorite part of the meal. It had the fantastic marinara that was served on the mushrooms, but also had a great mix of toppings.
Noi Due means “the two of us” in Italian, and it is a great location for a date, whether it’s a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or a great Italian meal. But it is also a great spot for a group dinner, as long as you get there early enough to beat the crowd. I was there on the early side during the week and by time I left, the entire restaurant had filled up.
I couldn’t wait to eat at the Italian restaurant Noidue, (as everyone seemed to be raving about it, but I had to SEE the place for myself) and once I did, I have been back several times. The entrance is a bit misleading, as you have to walk down some stairs to gain access to the door. Noidue is still a fairly new establishment, so I’m ok with the fact that their sign is still a hanging banner. Once inside you clearly feel like you are in a unique underground space. Small arches with interspersed bricks and wooden planks line the ceiling towards the back wall. A gorgeous stone back wall with a wood burning oven is the focal point of the restaurant. The remaining walls are painted a soft lime green.
Noi Due
However, paying attention to the details when you first walk in the door, a decadent dessert cabinet catches your eye! The coffee bar takes up a large space on the right side of the restaurant and it’s wrapped in brick and wood. You are able to stop in and order an espresso drink, without having to sit down. While waiting for our table we were served a lemon spice tea. I thought that was such a nice touch to the ambiance and spoke volumes about the hospitality, since we had not been seated yet.
I happened to be there for dinner and noticed dim lighting, with candles lit on each table. There are mostly tables for two, but they are flexible to move tables together for larger parties. I really liked the lamps that extended from the ceilings. They seemed to be handpicked from the artist themselves. I instantly imagined myself taking over a table in the middle of the day here with my laptop. Seemed like it would be a nice place to just order coffee and get some work done. The restaurant is always full at night (not sure what type of patronage frequents during the day).
Being the graphic designer that I am, I was impressed with the layout of the menu and the logo of the restaurant. By the way, Noidue means (two of us) and Poco Ma Buono (means a little bit good) – I asked the waiter since they wear black t-shirts with the name and logo screen printed on them. The pictures on the back wall are of Italian scenes, but could also resemble Tzfat, which I thought was very interesting.
The wait staff is extremely friendly and may I add good looking. Their eagerness to please each patron adds a positive element to the ambiance of this restaurant. There is a definite buzz to this place, as it is usually full and everyone is chatting away at their tables. I usually don’t talk about the food, but there is no question how good everything tastes and is presented. My brother (a hospitality management major) accompanied me on one of my most recent meals and noted how impressed he was with this restaurant. Enough said.
Click Here for the NoiDue listing
Whenever I am downtown in the Nolita area I enjoy stopping by Wild Ginger. A cozy spot tucked away on bustling Broome Street. It’s a Pan-Asian Vegetarian café. On this particular visit a vase of sunflowers greeted us as we walked through the doorway’s fabric curtains, which are tasteful and inviting. Exposed brick surrounds you on two of the three walls and the back wall is painted a lime green. Lamps hang from the ceiling and at night the soft glow really intensifies the coziness of this place. It’s a quiet place to sit with friends or on a date. The music is atmospheric and adds a background layer to your dining experience. The restaurant boasts thirteen wooden tables with a long bench running alongside the right wall. Small pillows are spread out over the bench seating and tables can easily be pushed together for larger parties. It’s the clean, laid back, friendly attentive service that really makes my visit a memorable one. I was very impressed with the food presentation and I took some culinary visual observations to use during my own hospitality.
The restaurant quotes that their ‘evening dining atmosphere is pure café style—intimate and low key.’ I agree. It is unique that they have a few kosher meshuval wines (ask for the kosher wine menu) and we were able to view the bottles before ordering. So if you are in the mood for a nice glass of wine in a relaxed setting, and wholesome fresh food this may be your place.
Click here for the Wild Ginger listing
Café Classico truly is a classic café, with a menu so large and varied that there is bound be something for everyone’s tastes. The restaurant is located in the heart of Midtown on the second floor above The Great American Health Bar (also kosher), so be sure to take the stairway on the left up to the restaurant.
Given its location, Café Classico draws a very large lunch crowd, offering quick service and reasonable prices. During the evening, the dining room is much more subdued. If possible, ask for a table along the windows. It was really enjoyable watching the hustle and bustle of 57th Street from up above in a quiet, comfortable space.
I began to peruse the menu, and there were many items that caught my eye. The options covered a variety of cuisines: Israeli dishes like kabobs and falafel, deli sandwiches with pastrami or corned beef, and Italian dishes such as pastas and chicken.
I started with the Mediterranean combo platter, which featured hummus, babaganoush, pita, Israeli salad, and pickled vegetables. The hummus and babaganoush were both very tasty, but the Israeli salad lacked any seasoning whatsoever – rather disappointing.
I ordered the Chicken Scarpariello for my entrée, which consisted of pan sautéed chicken breast with balsamic and white wine. All portions of the entrees are all very large, and each one is served with three side items: wild rice, spring vegetables, and roasted red potatoes.
The pieces of chicken were extremely tender, and the sauce was very unique and flavorful. The potatoes were roasted nicely giving them a great crispy texture. The vegetables were straightforward, but the rice was cold and bland, unfortunately.
And finally, a few additional Miss Menu pointers…
Another midtown lunch option is set to open the week of October; Aroma Pizza Café is finishing the final touches to its large space on 36th St. (between 5th and 6th).
Aroma Cafe will offer the range of lunch options we have become accustom to – fresh salads, sushi, sandwiches, fish, pizza and hot lunch varieties, but is singling itself apart from the rest with a hummus bar.
Prices are set to be competitive – check it out!
Kosher-NY has confirmed that the new hummus cafe on 72nd St. is being supervised by Rabbi Yaakov Spivak.
Soom Soom is located on 72nd St. (Between Columbus Ave. and Broadway). They will be serving hummus, falafel and all the other vegetarian fare that these hummus cafes have to offer.
Soom Soom becomes yet another Kosher restauarant opening on 72nd St. – Maybe the return to 72nd Street is on.
