Three words – Bread.Butter.Cheese.

In a unique twist on the New Business of the Week, I want to feature the hottest, newest, underground restaurant/food delivery service in Manhattan – “Bread.Butter.Cheese.”  (Phone number is 917.727.6643)  If you can’t tell what the cuisine is by the name, it’s the new-school Grilled Cheese sandwich! 

Started by a young upstart chef (and actually one of my good friends from College), each day there is a new type of Grilled Cheese that he hand delivers throughout the area.  Although he is based in the East Village, it’s just a hop, skip and a jump from Union Square.  Check out a couple pictures of ”the goods”…

Bread.Butter.Cheese. is delicious – I can attest to it!  If you want to try it, just give him a call at 917.727.6643 and check out his facebook page, which is where he outlines the sandwich of the day (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/breadbuttercheese?ref=ts)

Here’s an article that highlighted Bread.Butter.Cheese. recently also: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/around-town/food-drink/East-Villages-Secret-Cheese-Dealer-99764119.html

Sukkah City – NYC 2010

As the summer begins to wind down and thoughts of Autumn come to our mind, the Harvest is one of the themes.  I bet you’re thinking I’m going to highlight Union Square’s immensely succesful,  Harvest in the Square, right?!?!  Nope… I’m talking about Sukkah City – NYC 2010.

http://www.sukkahcity.com/

The sukkah is a temporary structure, outlined in the Bible, to share food, drink and entertainment.  Only Sunday, September 19th through Tuesday September 21st, 12 radically temporary structures will be built in Union Square!

Should be a very interesting event – I hope you come check it out!

Here’s a quick rendering of a Sukkah:

Summer in the Square – July 8th, 2010

Today is Thursday, so that means it’s time for Summer in the Square!!!

Over the last two Thursdays, there have been some outstanding concerts in the South Plaza and lots of people have come out for all of the other programs as well.  People, this is Union Square at it’s best! 

Courtesy of the USP website (http://www.unionsquarenyc.org/), here is this week’s Line-up (July 8th):

Fitness in the Square begins at 7:00 AM with the Basics of Running 101, followed by an All Levels Yoga Class with OM yoga at 8:00 AM presented in partnership with lululemon athletica. Then at 9:00 AM join Brooklyn Bridge Boot Camp for our Low Impact Cardio Class.




Join Yogi Beans in our new playground at 10:00 AM for Mommy & Me Yoga, followed by Hot Peas N Butter, back on the South Plaza at 12:00 PM. Winners of the 2006, 2008 and the 2009 “Parent’s Choice Awards,” this band is set to get the kids movin’ with their unique elements of traditional Latin music, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, jazz and folk. And stop by the Baby Loves Disco tent to chill out and score great giveaways.



Don’t miss The Stephen Beasley Project, a four man Rock & Soul experience, when they hit the stage at 6:00 PM and bring some cool to the summer heat.

Don’t be scared by the hot weather and come ENJOY SUMMER IN THE SQUARE!!!!!!!

NYC Restaurant Week – Summer 2010; Union Square Style

As a friendly, neighborhood reminder, Restaurant Week is set to start next week (July 12 – July 25th – http://www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek).  Prix-fix lunch is only $24.07 and prix-fix dinner is only $35.00, so get out there and start making reservations before it’s too late!

Here is a list of Union Square restaurants that are participating: Blue Water Grill (see picture below), Devi, Maialino, Olives, Rosa Mexicano, Tocqueville, and Wildwood BBQ. 

Sidebar = Satisfaction (120 East 15th Street)

After yet another great experience at Sidebar last night, I thought I should do the watering hole justice by letting everyone know about this great Union Square Bar.  Sidebar (www.sidebarny.com), located at 120 East 15th Street (corner of Irving Place), fronts as a Sports Bar.  Don’t be fooled though, Sidebar has much more to offer….

Walking by Sidebar on a normal day, you will see the HD TV’s blaring World Cup, Baseball, or Football, depending on the season.  The main area is the perfect size, not too big and not too small.  By night, Sidebar transforms itself into a lively bar/lounge/club perfect for birthdays, celebrations or a night out on the town.  It is then that I discovered the main bar area is just 1/3 of the space of Sidebar.  Behind the main bar, there is a large room with couches along the edges and another large bar.  Adjacent to the main room, there is a saloon-style area and large bar as well. 

I don’t know about you guys, but I tend to like versatility and Sidebar has it.

And here’s the best part.  Despite the fact that this place is a “Sports Bar” and turns into a “Club/Lounge” at night, it still maintains the local bar feel during the week.  On Monday nights, they host a Trivia night (with the Top 3 getting free drink vouchers).  And last night, they gave out free drinks just for “Liking” Sidebar on facebook. 

All in all, Sidebar is a great place, has a wide selection of booze and is always a ton of fun.

TGI Fridays Opening soon in Union Square

In just a couple days, TGI Fridays (http://www.tgifridays.com/home/welcome.aspx) is going to open on the east side of Union Square to everyone’s delight (or dismay, depending on your opinion).  The TGI Fridays will occupy part of the first and second floor of 34 Union Square.  The remainder of the space in the building is leased to coffee and donut shop, Tim Hortons (http://www.timhortons.com/ca/en/index.html) (from Canada, nonetheless).  The store replaces the space formerly occupied by Zen Palate (the vegetarian restaurant). 

This is what happens when an area becomes increasingly popular – Zen Palate couldn’t stomach the significant rent increase, while TGI Friday’s (and Tim Hortons) were glad to pay top dollar to get the Union Square location.

Anthony Bourdain – Coming to Union Square 6/8 at 7pm!

This evening, famous chef and TV personality, Anthony Bourdain, will be coming to the Barnes & Noble on 17th Street to sign copies of his new book:

Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook.

The event begins at 7pm and is free of charge!

If you have any interest in cooking, eating, or television entertainment, this should be a great event!

Welcome to the Union Square NYC blog!!!

Welcome to the Union Square NYC blog – the official blog of New York City’s Oasis on 14th Street. 

As a Union Square NYC resident, I want to share with the world all there is to do in the Union Square area.  You can feel the vitality the minute you walk into the area….. with all the events, restaurants, bars, charities, protests, galleries all over the place!!! 

Check back frequently for news about anything Union Square themed!!