Sweetiepie
19 Greenwich Ave.
(10th & Christopher Sts.)
West Village
212-337-3333
Review
In a previous DateSpace of the Week, we recommended that you check out Hearth because, among other date-worthy reasons, that East Village establishment serves the medieval libation known as mead. Sweetiepie, a brand new dessert joint in the West Village, serves another obscure alcohol that is making a smashing debut in the U.S., now that it has been legalized…
Center Cut
44 West 63rd Street
New York, NY 10023
212-956-1288
Review
Vegetarianism is so 1998, making steakhouses en vogue for today’s date-minded individuals. And so, we recommend to you, our faithful DateSpacers, the latest creation from China Grill management, the firm that brought you such NYC staples as Asia de Cuba, Kobe Club, and Ono…and now, Center Cut.
L’Ecole
462 Broadway
Manhattan, NY 10013
212-219-3300
Review
Many native New Yorkers consider this Soho hotspot to be the best deal in town. L’Ecole is the restaurant arm of The French Culinary Institute, the heralded American cooking school. Since these top chefs are essentially students, prices remain astonishingly low despite the restaurant’s fancy neighborhood digs, haute cuisine, white tablecloths, and top-level service.
Whole Foods Market
10 Columbus Circle
Suite SC101
Manhattan, NY 10019
212-823-9600
Review
Think you can’t afford to go out on a dinner date anymore? Think again. You can transform the Whole Foods Market in Columbus Circle into your own private romantic dinner locale – and you can do it all for under $20. No joke.
The Columbus Circle Whole Foods, located underground as you walk in through the main entrance of the Time Warner building, boasts a large seating area. Buy a whole herb rotisserie chicken ($7.99), a loaf of delicious Stirrata ($2.99 – the butter packets are free!), and some pre-cut vegetables ($4.99) and you’ll be eating large on the cheap. Make sure you bring with you a white table cloth, and buy a bouquet a roses as soon as you walk into the supermarket. Once you’ve paid, head over to a table, set it, and enjoy!
Planet Sushi
380 Amsterdam Avenue
Corner of 78th Street
New York, NY 10024
212-712-2162
Review
A fellow DateSpacer recommended Planet Sushi to us after she read our review of Amber, it’s Upper West Side neighbor. So we decided to check it out. On the quality of food (never a dealbreaker when determining a great Datespace, but certainly of importance), it’s right up there with Amber. Large, fresh portions of fish. Creative presentation and variety too.
Century 21 Department Store
101 Second Ave
New York, NY 10003
212-979-1012
Review
Shopping — as a first date? Yeah, we know it sounds crazy, but now that it’s November — and that means it’s time to start thinking about holiday gifts — you may as well use the season to your advantage. After all, few locales present a more collaborative experience with lower pressure than department stores. And what makes Century 21 so wonderful is that a) the goods are high quality (not Saks high quality, but high quality), b) the selection is seemingly endless and c) the prices will not make a significant dent in your wallet. So after the day is over, you’ll look like a stud because a) you were willing to go shopping in the first place (a major plus), b) you presumably had much to talk about since you asked for your date’s opinion constantly, right, right? and c) you appear super-generous (which you are, of course!).
Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar
101 Second Ave
New York, NY 10003
212-979-1012
Review
Simply sensational. This tucked-away East Village sort-of-newbie, the latest from Jack Lamb of Jewel Bako fame, has all the makings for a great date. The joint is super-cozy, with only 22 table seats and 8 at the raw bar. The menu isn’t too big either, with just enough options that if you’re willing to go for the Tasting Menu (at $50, a superior value given the amount and quality of food), you’ll have tried basically everything the restaurant has to offer.
Ouest
2315 Broadway
Manhattan, NY 10024
212-580-8700
Review
Our number one recommendation for a fancy meal at a not-francy price belongs to Ouest (pronounced “West”). Mondays through Fridays, as long as you place your order before 6:30pm, you can experience a “25-for-food” in Zagats for only $34. The pre-fixe menu begins with your choice of soup or salad. For an entree, you can get a Salmon, Lightly Smoked & Roasted with Potato Puree and Chive Remoulade (get it at medium rare, just like the chef recommends — it will melt in your mouth), Grilled Free Range Chicken with Potato Puree and Roasted Carrots, or Marinated Hangar Steak with Creamy Polenta and Natural Jus. And for dessert, panna cotta, chocolate cake, or our personal favorite, the homemade sorbets. The sorbet trio includes a vanilla sorbet that you will swear is actually ice cream. It’s just that good. Also, if you can stretch your budget to $50 per person, be sure to order a drink, any drink. They may look pricey on the menu ($14 for a martini), but, trust us, one drink is all you will need. The cosmos are virtually bottomless, and a simple “Jack-on-the-rocks” contains a generous two-shots worth of Sour Mash. Your highball glass will be filled to its rim, so don’t spill when you toast to a fabulous evening with your sweetie!
Hearth
403 East 12th Street
New York, NY 10079
646-602-1300
Review
While you now may find yourself cutting back on dinner dates, not even Great Depression II should stop you from an occasional nightcap (shameless plug). And for a really unique experience, check out Hearth in the East Village. As far as we know, Hearth is the only bar or restaurant in New York City that actually serves mead. What’s mead you ask? It’s honey wine — that’s right: wine from fermented honey as opposed to grapes — and it also happens to be the libation that Beowulf and his crew drank heartily the night they kicked Grendel’s ass.
The City Grill
269 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10023
212-873-9400
Review
In these tough economic times, going out for dinner is starting to become more and more of a luxury, so finding hidden gems that are gastronomically recession-proof becomes a glorious quest for a DateSpacer. Sure, high-flyers across midtown are slashing their pre-fixe menus in half in an effort to bring back their clientele, but for those of us still on main street, a $60 pre-fixe that was once $120 isn’t going to have us banging the door down to get a table.
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