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:

Mariella Pizza – Simple and Delicious Italian Restaurant – 180 3rd Avenue

Don’t be fooled by Mariella Pizza’s appearance – it may look like a run of the mill NYC pizza shop, but it is so much more!!  Mariella Pizza is located on the corner of 16th Street and 3rd Avenue (180 3rd Avenue)  http://www.mariellapizzanyc.com/main.html. 

Apart from great pizza, Mariella has great-tasting, classic Italian food.  Don’t expect anything fancy from this Union Square restaurant, but their large menu features every major Italian dish and I’ve yet to be disappointed! 

My personal favorites – chicken parm or baked lasagna.

Check out yelp for other reviews – http://www.yelp.com/biz/mariella-pizza-inc-new-york

New Restaurant of the Week – Chipotle – 117 East 14th Street

Earlier this year (March 2010 to be exact), Mexican fast food chain and fan favorite Chipotle (www.chipotle.com) opened up on the corner of 14th and Irving (117 East 14th Street). 

Despite mixed feelings about national chains moving into the area (see my TGIF post here – https://unionsquarenyc.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/tgi-fridays-opening-soon-in-union-square/), I think that Chipotle is a great new addition.  Not only is the food surprisingly good, but the storefront conforms to local neighborhood norms including signage that isn’t overpowering.

If you’ve never heard of Chipotle, it’s definitely worth trying.  I’m a fan of the burritos (especially their guacamole!), but I have tried and liked most of their menu as well.  Take a look at some other reviews (http://www.yelp.com/biz/chipotle-mexican-grill-new-york-7)

Let me know if you have suggestions for other “New Business/Restaurant of the week”!!

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.

New Restaurant of the Week – Pizza Bash – 42 Union Square East

New to the scene in Union Square, Pizza Bash is trying to vie for the title of Best Union Square Pizzeria.  After some VERY good reviews and some not-so-good reviews on Yelp (http://www.yelp.com/biz/pizza-bash-manhattan), I decided to try some for myself.  And the answer is?????

Not bad. 

I don’t think Pizza Bash deserves the Best Union Square Pizzeria award, but I think they deliver a solid slice.  Swing by to check it out for yourself.

Union Square – Summer in the Square

This summer, the Union Square Partnership (our local BID), has organized some fantastic events.  One of the fabulous programs that the USP has put together is called “Summer in the Square”.  Each Thursday throughout the Summer, there will be a host of various classes, concerts and entertainment – right in the middle of the park!

Courtesy of the USP website (http://www.unionsquarenyc.org/), here is a description of the event for this week (“The Line Up”):

Line-up for June 24th
Join us this Thursday for more Summer in the Square entertainment!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.




Kids in the Square kicks off in our new and expanded playground at 10:00 AM with Yogi Beans’ Mommy & Me Yoga and at 12:00 PM, get ready for the City Parks Foundation’s marionette show, Sleeping Beauty. Also, make sure and stop by the Baby Loves Disco tent to chill out and score great giveaways.



The day’s festivities end on a high note with Music in the Square. At 6:00 PM, Hank and Cupcakes take the stage with their infectious dance music, which is certain to make this a must-see summer performance.

ENJOY SUMMER IN THE SQUARE!!!!!!!!!!

New Restaurant of the Week – Kati Thai – 347 East 14th Street

Living in NYC, especially in Union Square, it is tough to keep catch of all the new restaurants, bars, and stores that open.  So I decided to highlight a new business each week to give you a stronghold on everything new and exciting going on in Union Square.

The first business I’m going to highlight is a relatively new restaurant called Kati Thai.  It’s located at 347 East 14th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenue).  Having been around for a number of months, Kati Thai seems to have its fair share of repeat customers.  Reasonably priced, good food and nice decor are some of the reasons cited for the solid ratings on yelp (http://www.yelp.com/biz/kati-thai-cuisine-new-york).  

Check out the menu and other reviews here also:  http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/kati/