A Brand New York

My sister is visiting from out of town, so I decided to take her to dinner in the west village. With cobblestone streets, beautiful townhouses, and small, candlelit restaurants, it’s definitely a grand place to walk around in on a crisp a fall night. We picked up a bottle of 7 dollar wine at Chelsea Market and waited in the line outside of Tartine, a bustling corner restaurant much like the others all over the neighborhood except this one has the distinction of being BYOB. We waited for about 45 minutes in a line of well-dressed New Yorkers sneaking swigs out of their bottles as they waited in the chilly air. It felt sort of like an impromptu block party. We all looked longingly in the windows at the tiny tables piled high with food, candlelight bouncing off the bottles of wine on every surface. A case of homemade deserts lights the back of the restaurant, with little model lighthouses ignited along the top edge of the windows. When we finally wedged ourselves into the place, I had spicy and fresh tuna tartar and grilled polenta with sausage, cheese, and roasted tomatoes. My sister ordered homemade croutons and goat cheese and a large bucket of mussels in a bubblin’ tomato sauce. We finished it off with a giant homemade chocolate macaroon and vanilla ice cream. The tables were wedged closely together, and packed with chatting, happy, people. I felt like we were all eating together. 

1. Wicker furniture, portholes, and a giant fishtank. 2. A Spicy Dark and Stormy served in a tall Easter-Island-Head mug. 3. Pretzel dogs. (Flaky, soft, and salty pretzel with a hot dog inside. Mustard) 4. Picklebacks 5. Sassy bartenders and a quieter spot for a Friday happy hour