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I have a lot to update but lets start with my very late Greenwich Village food & cultural tour summary
The tour is through Foods of NY. We met at Rocco's Pastries, which was full of yummy looking desserts. We didn't try anything here, just a meeting place. Everything looked amazing though! The cool thing about this tour was that the guide has lived in the village for over 15 years. He has seen it change dramatically over the years. He told us a bunch of cool stories. It was awesome! Also, none of the restaurants pay to be on this tour. They are carefully picked by the tour directors and if quality starts to go south, they are taken off the tour. So, good stuff only!
First stop:
Joe's Pizza
7 Carmine St.
This place sells pizza by the slice. By far, the best pizza I've ever had in my life. No toppings, just plain cheese pizza. Apparently the way New Yorkers believe pizza should be. I didn't get any good pictures here but, again, pizza was awesome.
Second stop:
On our way to our next tasting, we stopped in front on this beautiful old home. Its an old stable, then turned into an auto repair garage in the 60s.
Look at those doors! Aren't they incredible. The place just sold for a bazillion dollars.
We also stopped outside of Le Gigot which is Country French Bistro. Tour guide said it was his fave.
Third stop:
Cornelia Street Cafe
29 Cornelia St.
We didn't eat here, just checked the place out. Downstairs, they had this old style theater where they have live poetry readings by underground artists. By far, the best "off off broadway" show in town, according to our tour guide. Look at this cute little theater. Its tiny but apparently gets packed.
Fourth stop:
Palma - Southern Italian & Provencal Restaurant
28 Cornelia St.
This place way beyond cute. Again, did not try the food here but trust that it is good since it is on this tour. The front restaurant just looks like a normal place, but then you go out the back and they have this adorable courtyard. In the far back, they have a small old house with a big table. This area can seat a large party and looks awesome! I would love to have dinner here. :) Also, the owners actually live behind the restaurant.
Fourth stop:
Murray's Cheese Shop
254 Bleecker St.
I love cheese so this was one of my favorite stops. We got to sample 3 different cheeses & some olives, all of which were delish! I still like The Cheese Store in Beverly Hills more though...
We sampled the cheese atop delicious homemade bread from a little shop next door to Murray's called Amy's Bread. I fell in love with Amy's bread because of the story behind the shop. Amy went to college, got her degree, and a big corporate job. She hated it and wondered wtf she had done with her life. She wanted out. Her friends encouraged her to open her own bakery since she had an amazing talent for baking. Amy's Bread was born...and it was delish!
Fifth stop:
John's Pizza - Brick Oven Pizza Restaurant
We didn't try John's Pizza (which was ok because I loved Joe's!) but this place has a cool story too. The current owner is John's grandson. Back in the day, John heated his ovens with coal (i think it was coal...). John eventually passed away and the restaurant was handed down the family. As time went on, NYC prohibited the use of coal in ovens. John's grandson fought to continue using coal at this pizzeria arguing that the use of coal is what makes his pizza what it is and if he was forced to stop using coal, it would put him out of business. He won the fight and this place is the only restaurant in NYC that uses a coal oven. Pizza only sold by the pie.
The underground coal:
Sixth stop (and by far, my fave):
Chumley's
86 Bedford St.
This place is an old Speakeasy. It was started during the prohibition and people would come here to drink & play cards with friends. The door does not have a sign as it was illegal to drink alcohol. There was a trap door that people would go through if the police were on their way. This is also where the restaurant term "86'd" came from - the address is 86 Bedford St. I guess when a restaurant uses the term "86'd", it means that they are out of something. I'm sure those of you who have worked in restaurants know this already. It was new to me. :) When the police were on their way to bust this place, they would get a phone call and the voice at the other end would just say "86". That was the bar manager's cue to evacuate the place. Such a cool place!!
This was on the wall. People who came through would sign it. Can you find Ernest Hemmingway's signature:
Seventh Stop:
We then had a falafal from a street vendor. It was yumsters!
Eigth Stop:
Pasticceria Bruno
245 Bleecker St.
We had a cannoli from this place that was TO DIE FOR. I hate cannoli's but this one was different. So amazingly yummy!!
Other stops:
Aphrodesia - Herbs, Spices, Scents & Oils (cute shop)
Risotteria - Italian Eatery (I really wanted to go have risotto here after the tour but I was stuffed)
Milk and Cookies Bakery - Yummy cookies!
Lobster Place - Seafood market (By far, the best clam chowder I've ever had. They had a lobster bisque that was very good too according to Ger.)
Hummus Place - Israeli Eatery
After the tour, Ger & I went to a nearby wine bar to taste some local NY wine. The tasting was included in the price of the tour. The tasting was at Vintage New York Wine Bar. We bought a few bottles. :)
Overall, great tour! So worth the money (I think it was like $50/person). The stories that are rooted in Greenwich Village are incredible, probably more so than the food. Only downside, it was freeeeeeeeeezing the whole time!!
The tour is through Foods of NY. We met at Rocco's Pastries, which was full of yummy looking desserts. We didn't try anything here, just a meeting place. Everything looked amazing though! The cool thing about this tour was that the guide has lived in the village for over 15 years. He has seen it change dramatically over the years. He told us a bunch of cool stories. It was awesome! Also, none of the restaurants pay to be on this tour. They are carefully picked by the tour directors and if quality starts to go south, they are taken off the tour. So, good stuff only!
First stop:
Joe's Pizza
7 Carmine St.
This place sells pizza by the slice. By far, the best pizza I've ever had in my life. No toppings, just plain cheese pizza. Apparently the way New Yorkers believe pizza should be. I didn't get any good pictures here but, again, pizza was awesome.
Second stop:
On our way to our next tasting, we stopped in front on this beautiful old home. Its an old stable, then turned into an auto repair garage in the 60s.
Look at those doors! Aren't they incredible. The place just sold for a bazillion dollars.
We also stopped outside of Le Gigot which is Country French Bistro. Tour guide said it was his fave.
Third stop:
Cornelia Street Cafe
29 Cornelia St.
We didn't eat here, just checked the place out. Downstairs, they had this old style theater where they have live poetry readings by underground artists. By far, the best "off off broadway" show in town, according to our tour guide. Look at this cute little theater. Its tiny but apparently gets packed.
Fourth stop:
Palma - Southern Italian & Provencal Restaurant
28 Cornelia St.
This place way beyond cute. Again, did not try the food here but trust that it is good since it is on this tour. The front restaurant just looks like a normal place, but then you go out the back and they have this adorable courtyard. In the far back, they have a small old house with a big table. This area can seat a large party and looks awesome! I would love to have dinner here. :) Also, the owners actually live behind the restaurant.
Fourth stop:
Murray's Cheese Shop
254 Bleecker St.
I love cheese so this was one of my favorite stops. We got to sample 3 different cheeses & some olives, all of which were delish! I still like The Cheese Store in Beverly Hills more though...
We sampled the cheese atop delicious homemade bread from a little shop next door to Murray's called Amy's Bread. I fell in love with Amy's bread because of the story behind the shop. Amy went to college, got her degree, and a big corporate job. She hated it and wondered wtf she had done with her life. She wanted out. Her friends encouraged her to open her own bakery since she had an amazing talent for baking. Amy's Bread was born...and it was delish!
Fifth stop:
John's Pizza - Brick Oven Pizza Restaurant
We didn't try John's Pizza (which was ok because I loved Joe's!) but this place has a cool story too. The current owner is John's grandson. Back in the day, John heated his ovens with coal (i think it was coal...). John eventually passed away and the restaurant was handed down the family. As time went on, NYC prohibited the use of coal in ovens. John's grandson fought to continue using coal at this pizzeria arguing that the use of coal is what makes his pizza what it is and if he was forced to stop using coal, it would put him out of business. He won the fight and this place is the only restaurant in NYC that uses a coal oven. Pizza only sold by the pie.
The underground coal:
Sixth stop (and by far, my fave):
Chumley's
86 Bedford St.
This place is an old Speakeasy. It was started during the prohibition and people would come here to drink & play cards with friends. The door does not have a sign as it was illegal to drink alcohol. There was a trap door that people would go through if the police were on their way. This is also where the restaurant term "86'd" came from - the address is 86 Bedford St. I guess when a restaurant uses the term "86'd", it means that they are out of something. I'm sure those of you who have worked in restaurants know this already. It was new to me. :) When the police were on their way to bust this place, they would get a phone call and the voice at the other end would just say "86". That was the bar manager's cue to evacuate the place. Such a cool place!!
This was on the wall. People who came through would sign it. Can you find Ernest Hemmingway's signature:
Seventh Stop:
We then had a falafal from a street vendor. It was yumsters!
Eigth Stop:
Pasticceria Bruno
245 Bleecker St.
We had a cannoli from this place that was TO DIE FOR. I hate cannoli's but this one was different. So amazingly yummy!!
Other stops:
Aphrodesia - Herbs, Spices, Scents & Oils (cute shop)
Risotteria - Italian Eatery (I really wanted to go have risotto here after the tour but I was stuffed)
Milk and Cookies Bakery - Yummy cookies!
Lobster Place - Seafood market (By far, the best clam chowder I've ever had. They had a lobster bisque that was very good too according to Ger.)
Hummus Place - Israeli Eatery
After the tour, Ger & I went to a nearby wine bar to taste some local NY wine. The tasting was included in the price of the tour. The tasting was at Vintage New York Wine Bar. We bought a few bottles. :)
Overall, great tour! So worth the money (I think it was like $50/person). The stories that are rooted in Greenwich Village are incredible, probably more so than the food. Only downside, it was freeeeeeeeeezing the whole time!!