When's the last time you've been to New York City?
I can't even remember the last time I've gone to the city because it's been that long. Ever since COVID struck hard, in New York especially, I haven't made my way back to the "Big Apple" yet. Almost every day, I see either a new, trendy restaurant with a killer brunch menu or a beautiful roof top bar with a great view of the city and yummy drinks, featured on TikTok or Instagram, and it makes me miss the city so much. It's especially hard since I am literally only a twenty-minute bus ride away and could usually go visit whenever. Ever since, I've been creating a running list of all the places I want to try so I don't forget about them, and I figured I would share some of them with you all right now.
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I came across this cute -PINK- restaurant on Instagram, and I was sold as soon as I saw what it looked like (if you don't already know, pink is my favorite color). Pietro Nolita is a healthy Italian restaurant located in the Nolita, New York area, Its' fun interior (and exterior) design was inspired by the pastel colors of the Italian Riviera and aesthetics of an Italian design and architecture group, the Memphis group.
Their menu sounds amazing, with fresh pasta dishes made in-house and specialty cocktails, as well as pink pancakes (which I must get when I go). I also love that they take reservations, which makes it so much easier to plan a trip in the busy city.
Pietro Nolita also has merch on their website for their phrase, "Pink As F***", and I may need to buy it if I like the restaurant...when I finally get there!
Solo Pasta Bar, located on West Broadway in Soho, is another Italian restaurant on my list, with farm-to-table ingredients and daily specials. They are definitely on the pricier side, but it'll be a treat to be back in the city soon.
I first fell in love with their outdoor seating, when scrolling through Instagram. One good thing that came out of social distancing is definitely the cute and unique outdoor dining set-ups that restaurants have come up with, and the outdoor dining that Sola Pasta Bar has is so cute, with all the flowers. Their indoor dining is also beautiful as well, with their open-air kitchen and modern design.
This restaurant takes reservations as well, which is great, and I am so excited to try it!
I am SO mad at myself because I remember when I was back in New York for a concert in May 2019, a Cha Cha Matcha was minutes away from my hotel near SoHo, AND I DIDN'T GO.
Even though this isn't a restaurant, it is still on my list, and I can't wait to go. It is def a must-stop on one of my mini trips in New York. They have four locations in the city, in Nomad, NoHo, Nolita, and Bryant Park, and two (soon to be) three locations in Los Angeles. And I do plan on going to California soon (-ish), so let's see which location I'll get to go to first.
I can't remember exactly when I started liking matcha, but now I am definitely obsessed. An iced matcha latte from Starbucks is great, but Cha Cha Matcha is definitely top bar when it comes to matcha, and I need to try it for myself!
SERRA by Birreria is a rooftop restaurant, located on the 14th floor of Eataly NYC Flatiron. Fun fact, "Serra" means "greenhouse" in Italian, and this reflects the restaurants design changes for each season. As you can see in some of the images, it goes from bright colors and tons of flowers to a woodsy feel and blue tones for the cooler seasons. Starting April 7th, they will have fully transformed their restaurant for the Spring season, and I hope I will get there eventually to see it!
I have been to the Eataly store on the first floor when visiting the city, and it is huge. Any Italian food, you name it, they have it. There's also indoor dining within the store as well which is pretty cool (pre-COVID times at least). When I was there with my friends, we actually tried to get dinner at the rooftop restaurant, but there was a long wait. Next time, we will definitely be more prepared and make reservations, which is an available option on their website.
Writing this blog, I think a goal for next year is to definitely visit this restaurant for every season! Who's coming with me?
If you have gone to any of these restaurants or have anymore food and drink suggestions in New York City, I would love to hear about them!
Xoxo,
Steph
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