Miss Lily's, Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria: two unique spots very worthy of mention
Photo found on Tasting Table: gourmet shop
Miss Lily's
Location: 132 W. Houston St. (at Sullivan St.), NYC 10012
If it's Jamaican food that you crave - with a side of trendy and a dash of eye candy - look no further than Miss Lily's. Think: hip, retro 'diner' aesthetics, familiar reggae tunes, an incredibly sexy staff, and solid eats/drinks.
PS: Miss Lily's is also home to a bake shop and sandwich counter, Miss Lily's Favourite Cakes - Melvin's Juice Box, for all of you health nuts out there - and Miss Lily's Variety, a West Indian record store-themed gallery and boutique.
Le menu: pretty damn legit
It’s not truly Jamaican if there’s not a bottle of Pickapeppa Sauce on the table…
Miss Lily's does not have a FULL bar, so the "alcohol" used to make mixed drinks is some form of rice wine. License of not, I loved my cocktail: the "Pressure Drop" sung with notes of fresh lime juice and mint.
Ackee Dip & Plantain Chips: we got the night started with this delicious "chip and dip" appetizer. Ackee, the national fruit of Jamaica, was used to create a dip that tasted relatively similar to hummus, in both flavor and texture. Freshly-fried plantain chips accompanied.
Grilled lobster: my entree plate included dressed organic greens - an ear of 'Jerk Grilled Corn' with toasted coconut - and an ample amount of fresh, grilled lobster that was accompanied by an addictively delicious garlic-butter sauce. This dish was delightful, filling, exotic, and relatively healthy. I enjoyed every bite.
Coconut cake: between each of the four coconut cake layers was a ring of thick, coconut pudding. Sweet, meringue icing and toasted coconut nibs enveloped the cake. Fabulous!
Homemade 'Grape Nuts (the cereal, people!)' Ice Cream: as odd as this flavor sounded, I simply could not pass up ordering it for the table. And, believe it or not, all three of us enjoyed what tasted similar to a bowl of sugared Grape Nuts Cereal that had been sitting in milk for a wee-bit too long. Trust me on this one, folks, you don't want to miss this!
Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria
Location: 53 Great Jones St. (btwn Lafayette & Bowery), NYC 10012
Note: I only have one picture from this meal and, because of that, this review is relatively compact. All of my writings are reliant on my photos, as they evoke memory.
I was always familiar with the name, "Il Buco," because of the long-standing Italian restaurant that resides in Manhattan. Personally, I had not been, nor had I heard of its recently-opened wine bar/gourmet food counter/restaurant, Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria. That was, of course, until last night...
In honor of Theresa's visit from Dallas, Stacey booked a table for the three of us, plus her beau, for dinner. After having read the menu online...and the 3-star review that the restaurant recently received from the NY Times...I was highly anticipating our meal.
When I arrived, my first impression was "bustling space that resembled more gourmet products shop than wine bar or restaurant." However, as I inched my way further inside, I spotted both a bar and a proper dining room.
Photo found on Tasting Table: gourmet shop
Photo found on Tasting Table: dining room
Our bountiful meal included: a gorgeous bottle of red - house-baked, crusty Italian bread (accompanied by olive oil and sea salt) - Crispy Artichokes with preserved lemon - Ricotta with roasted beets, white grapefruit, and pistachio - Seared Vermont Quail with persimmons, farro, yogurt, and watercress - Roasted Lamb Ribs with romesco and smoked salt - and individual entrees (Stacey and Theresa split the Salt-Roasted Branzino, and Kevin went with the Creekstone Farms' Spit-Roasted Short Ribs). And, for the table: Broccoli Rabe, and Organic Umbrian Beans.
Being the die-hard, starch-loving, carboholic, I could not pass on the "primi," or pasta section, of the menu. The house-made Gnudi, with sage and brown butter, is what ultimately sang to me.
What I received, however, was beyond even my wildest dreams...
Unfortunately, I snapped this photo with my phone, so it's not nearly as attractive as it was in-person. Or as attractive as it could have been, had I brought my camera. Regardless, this dish was as close to perfection as any "pasta" I've ever had.
Supple, melt-in-your-mouth gnudi pillows (made from ricotta cheese, flour, parmesan cheese, eggs and, perhaps, cream) sat atop a shallow bath of olive oil and sweet, aged balsamic vinegar. Parmesan shavings and drizzled balsamic crowned the top.
This outstanding marriage of sweet and savory warrants a return visit to the restaurant, in and of itself. Yes, folks, it was that good.
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Until we eat again,
Lindsay, The Lunch Belle