On your way into the restaurant you first pass tables that are enclosed in a glass area. These patrons can easily feel they are eating outside. Great 72nd Street people watching as well! When I was first seated in the front I asked to move to the back part, I just had to have more ambiances and truly explore the place!
As I was led to the back of the restaurant you pass a lot of scrumptious desserts. This restaurant has a ‘tradition’ of having amazing desserts. Years ago they were called My Most Favorite Dessert Company. You can even buy the restaurant cookbook, which lines the shelves strategically before you enter the main dining area. Even though this is a pretty new venue, it has a longstanding history in Manhattan. In the small hallway on the way to the bathrooms the restaurant’s history is highlighted in reprints of Zagat reviews, newspaper articles, and other press clippings. The restaurant is broken up into three areas. The front which I just mentioned looks onto the street, and encompasses the take out area & counter bakery. The partitioned off middle section boasts bright orange booths with bright white walls. I love the modernity of the restaurant’s orange/white combo. They work the accent color so well.
The details are really noticeable in this sleek space. The leather bound menu holder, staff shirts, jazz music, dessert prints as artwork (yum), and the way the butter is presented (you’ll just have to go check it out yourself).
Last I’ll mention my favorite area, and the one I sat in. The back of the restaurant has exposed brick walls and a Garden Room feel. Natural sunlight pours in and you feel like you are outside since the overhead is all glass. A brick pillar separates the garden area from the middle area. Tiny lights are in the ceiling. I wonder how dark it gets at night, because the lighting is sparse in the back area.
The only negative to this space is that the sound echoes a lot in here since it is such an open space, especially if there are loud children. However I now know that is why they wanted us to sit in the front. I can’t wait to come back to see how romantic-ish the back can be with low lights. Also in the winter this will be a nice venue to frequent if I want to continue the eating outdoors feeling.
The front is all glass so you can peer inside for a preview – and I noticed a family photo blown up on the ceiling level, but at a height that allows an outsider to see. It’s the mix of new design vs. old world heritage that initially drew me inside. The waiter told me that it is the owner’s family in the photo. When you first enter you notice the sleek wooden raised tables. There are three in total with wooden stools to sit on. The rectangular tables have a glass top, and the wooden slabs in the wall are bordered by a white deli style tile, which is a nice mix of old & new. Lamps jet out of the walls echoing a urban street look.
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.
