Breath of Cool, Fresh Air

So, it’s a given that there are a thousand and one bars serving bar food in Murray Hill. Some is good, some is just average. But, I am not a huge fan of the typical happy hour crowd at these places. That’s why Arctica feels like a breath of fresh air. Sure, it’s packed on the weekends, but after work during the week, there are just a handful of people in the bar, and even fewer in the back dining section. I’ve been here a few times for dinner and once for brunch, but all before Miss Menu came to be. Luckily my most recent visit was a good one as well.

It was a really nice day, and my friend and I were pleased to find out they had the back doors open. There’s a decent-sized deck that overlooks a small garden/courtyard area. It always makes me happy when I discover these little pockets of green in the midst of NYC concrete everything. The bar only opened a year or two ago, but very recently, they redid the interior…adding another bar in the back. With a ton of TVs, Arctica definitely has a sports bar vibe, but is a lot more upscale than some of the other spots along 3rd Ave. I think my favorite parts are the fireplace and the massive arm chairs that we were sat in. They are so comfortable, and on such a nice night, it was great to just sit back and have a relaxing and leisurely dinner.

The menu features some expected fare such as wings and nachos, but also features more atypical items such as fajitas and steak frites. My friend and I both ordered the veggie burger, which I had before and really loved. I added cheddar as my freebie topping. Other options were peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc. The veggie burger itself was really good, with visible vegetables inside, not just a patty of brown mush. The fries weren’t my favorite kind (small steak fries), but they were cooked well and came out nice and crispy.

The waiter was very friendly and attentive, which is always welcomed in my book. He was there when we needed something, but didn’t rush us to order or pay at all. Despite the bar's frozen arctic theme, there is nothing chilly about this place. It’s very warm and cozy, especially when the fireplace is going and good food is served in a comfy setting.

Arctica Bar & Grill
384 3rd Avenue
b/t 27th & 28th Street
website
Menu Pages listing

Make A Vezzo of This Place

In Murray Hill, there are a hundred and one pizza places. There are a dozen and one sit-down pizza restaurants. But, to my knowledge, there is only one brick-oven pizza place. It was a very welcomed addition to the neighborhood in my book! And, I was excited to finally try it out.

Aside from its brick oven, Vezzo stood out in a lot of other ways too. As soon as I walked in, I noticed how the restaurant has a very warm feeling with exposed brick and pipes and dim lighting. And that was even on a cool, rainy night. It has a vibe that is different from any of the other Italian/pizza places nearby. It felt more comfortable and authentic with people drinking Peronis and wine out of carafes.

There was a pretty long wait on a Saturday night and virtually no waiting area. So, when a few seats opened up the bar, my friend and I were happy to sit there rather than keep waiting. We decided to share a salad and a pizza. I almost never dine at the bar anywhere, so it was fun to change it up and to also be in the middle of all the action. The hostess was also playing the roll of waitress, bartender, and busboy, so things seemed a little frantic, but service was still very quick and attentive.

We started with the Greek salad that was served with black olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, yellow peppers, sweet red onions, and tomatoes. The salad arrived very quickly, but looked like it was completely dry. Soon followed bottles of extra virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. I had never heard of, let alone had, white balsamic vinegar, but I have since become a huge fan. It was similar in flavor to regular balsamic, but something about it made it better!

We looked over the huge list of pizza options and noticed how many creative combos there were: Chixpotle, El Greco, Spicy Garden. We ended up going with Fromaggio Blanco, which had fresh ricotta, fresh mozzarella, spinach, and basil. Even though it had no sauce, it was far from dry or bland. With a little dash of garlic powder, the pizza was delicious. There was a little too much fresh basil on top, but it was easy to pick off. The pizza was super thin, and the crust was perfect…not too doughy, but not too crispy.

In Italian, vezzo means "habit." They must have known they had a good thing going because I definitely would like to make a habit of this place. I am eager to go back and try some of the other pizza combinations. The other pizzas we saw on other diners’ tables all looked fantastic. Vezzo is the perfect kind of place to go with friends, sit back, and enjoy the great food, drink, and atmosphere.

Vezzo
178 Lexington Avenue
@ 31st Street
website
Menu Pages listing

Pizza Never Tasted So Good

Once a year, Passover rolls around and I clear all of the off-limits foods out of my kitchen. In past years, I’ve eaten out during the holiday, but just avoided all of the breads/grains/starches that aren’t allowed. This year, I decided to test myself and take it to the next level…not eating out at all. As Miss Menu, this was definitely a huge challenge! I usually go out to dinner at least 3 times a week, and pick up lunch during work a few times too. But, I figured that it would allow me to truly appreciate the Passover story and traditions, not to mention serve as the perfect way to go easy on my wallet and my diet for 8 days.

I tried to spread out my postings so Miss Menu wouldn’t go dark for 8 days. So, while it looked like I was enjoying dinners out, that was hardly the case. It was so hard packing my lunch and eating at home for all that time! So, it is safe to say that my first meal out again to “break” Passover was even more of treat than I would have thought! Along with all the holiday traditions and meals, my family started its own tradition of breaking Passover by binging on pizza every year. And this year, although I wasn’t with my family, I still kept the tradition alive….this time with some friends. I knew exactly where I wanted to go – my favorite neighborhood pizza place that I have ordered from numerous times, but have only dined at one time (also to break Passover 2 years ago).

Libretto’s is a family-owned pizzeria that sells slices out of the front and has a sit-down Italian restaurant in the back. There is always a great debate as to what makes a great pizza, especially in New York. I have my favorites for the authentic, brick oven pizzas (like Grimaldi’s), but when it comes to the more general New York-style pizza, Libretto’s tops my list.

Walking in, I already knew exactly what I wanted…plain cheese, and a lot of it. We decided to order one plain pie and one pepperoni pie. After we ordered, we got worried that we had way too much food coming. 16 slices for 3 people. I am proud (and slightly embarrassed!) to say that we finished all of it. I accounted for 4 1/2 pieces…a new personal record! But, after basically doing the South Beach diet for 8 days and losing 8 pounds, I felt like an absurd amount of pizza was more than justified. Maybe I should start marketing the “Passover diet!”

Back to the good stuff…
While I can’t speak to the pepperoni, the plain pizza was delicious, and even better than when it’s delivered since it’s straight out of the oven. I will note that their delivery comes very quickly. The crust was cooked perfectly leaving it a little bit doughy. The sauce and cheese both had such great flavors. All together…a perfect pie.

Another factor that scored major bonus points for me was fountain soda with free refills. In NYC, free refills are very hard to come by. There is nothing worse than getting a few refills only to see $12 worth of Diet Coke on your check. I have a minor caffeine/soda addiction, so refills to go along great pizza made me a happy camper.

In addition to regular pizzas with over a dozen topping options, Libretto’s has a huge list of specialty pizzas with really interesting topping/flavor combinations. One that caught my eye for my next visit was the Pizza alla Vodka. Pizza with vodka sauce and fresh mozzarella? What could be bad?! On my first dine-in experience, I had tried the BBQ chicken pizza, which was really good too. They also have antipasti, soups, pastas, heroes, entrees, and desserts. Suffice it to say it’s an impressive menu. I have a feeling, though, that no matter how good the other dishes may be, it would be virtually impossible for me to go to Libretto’s without getting pizza. I hope the family would take that as a major compliment!

Libretto's
546 3rd Avenue
b/t 36th & 37th Street
website
Menu Pages listing

Loving/Hating Penelope

While Murray Hill isn’t exactly known for its culinary wonders, it does have its fare share of ethnic restaurants, whether it’s Indian in Curry Hill, Thai, Japanese, and even Turkish. What it does not have much of (at least to my knowledge) is restaurants with comfort food. Enter Penelope – a home-style restaurant/cafe that I have a love/hate feeling towards. I’ll explain.

This neighborhood doesn’t have a ton of great brunch options aside from diners. So, that is part of Penelope’s appeal. It’s a cute country-kitchen atmosphere that offers more creative, country-style takes on traditional brunch items: Nutella French Toast, Pumpkin Waffles, chicken apple sausage, and homemade baked goods like granola, scones, and muffins. Because their food is so tasty and something different than the norm, Penelope attracts a huge crowd for weekend brunch. I went with some family one time and we were told the wait would be about 45 minutes, and it ended up being 1:45. It’s just too much. And, as a result of being slammed for so many hours on end, the service becomes pretty terrible. Clearly, this area is starving for more places like this, but until that happens, it is either miss out on Penelope or put up with an incomprehensible wait and non-existent service.

Another option is to go for dinner, and while you’ll miss out on the delicious breakfast items, you’ll still get the down-home feel and some great comfort food. That’s just what I did with two friends. Even on a Tuesday night, there was still a wait, but this one was much more manageable…only 5 minutes.

The dinner menu runs the gambit from mac & cheese to chicken pot pie to sandwiches served on hand-made organic breads. I had been to Penelope for dinner before and loved two of the sandwiches I had gotten. So, I decided on the Nice Chicken Meatball sandwich. One of my friends was torn between that and the Grilled Three Cheese sandwich, so we decided to go halfsies. Didn’t take much arm-twisting on her part!

The chicken meatball sandwich was phenomenal. It’s served on a hollowed out baguette with melted fontina, tomato and pesto mayo. The chicken meatballs were such a treat since I don’t eat regular meatballs, and were so flavorful. The pesto mayo had such a great taste too and complimented the sandwich perfectly. The grilled cheese was really good too, how can you go wrong?! Only problem was it had gotten a little cold by time it was served, but other wise the three cheeses were a great combo. It normally comes on sourdough, but the waiter was happy to accommodate my friend’s request to have it on 7-grain instead. All of the sandwiches are served with homemade French fries that sprinkled with fresh herbs…so good.

So, now you see why I have a love/hate approach to this place. It’s a really cute restaurant that feels comforting almost all around…to your eyes, to your stomach, and to your wallet. Problem is it doesn’t feel comforting to wait an hour for a table. I definitely recommend trying Penelope, but avoiding it for brunch on the weekends, unless it’s a nice day and you don’t mind standing outside.

Penelope
159 Lexington Avenue
@ 30th Street
website
Menu Pages listing

Run for the Border

To me, Mexican restaurants in NYC fall into one of two categories: great food, or great margaritas and crappy food. So, when you come across one that fits into both categories, it's worth making note of it. I had been to Rio Grande numerous times for drinks. The two large bar areas (and large patio areas when the weather is nice) attract a huge after-work crowd that comes for one thing, and one thing only...the margaritas. Ask anyone who works in Midtown, and they're bound to have had one of these small, but lethal drinks. They are available in different flavors such as strawberry and pomegranate. But, be warned, the flavored, frozen ones are much stronger than the regular flavor because the tequila is added by hand rather than pre-mixed.

Ok, so the drinks are great, but how was the food, you ask? Well, when I finally went to Rio Grande for dinner, and not just drinks, I discovered that the food is actually very good. And dinner there last week was no different.

The tortilla chips they bring out to the table are nothing special, but what turns them into fabulous are the two salsas that are served with them. One is a more familiar pico de gallo-style salsa. The other, though...I haven't been able to figure out quite what it is (my waiter didn't even know), but it has become my favorite salsa-type dip. What one of my friends and I have coined "the green sauce" could best describe it as a tomatillo, cilantro salsa. Pure deliciousness.

I ordered a chicken quesadilla, and it was delicious. Unlike some Mexican restaurants in this city, they actually use white meat chicken. It was marinated and cooked really well, giving it a great flavor. My friend ordered the Burrito San Francisco, and really liked it as well. It was a good size, but not overstuffed, and was served with rice and beans.

Whether you are looking for a fun place to grab a drink cold drink on a hot day, or a restaurant serving quality, tasty Tex-Mex fare...Vamos al Rio Grande!

El Rio Grande
160 East 38th Street
b/t 3rd & Lexington Avenue
website
Menu Pages listing

Ali Nada

As a food blogger, and someone who dines out a lot, I'm bound to have some less than pleasant dining experiences in NYC. I know not every meal is going to be top notch and receive high praise from me. But, I always feel a sense of disappointment and regret when the experience rates anywhere from mediocre to downright awful. Sometimes this is a result of poor service, ordering the wrong thing, or just bad food.

Dinner last week at Ali Baba was a combination of a few of those things...much to my chagrin. I had been there before and really enjoyed my first experience. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for this most recent one. I have been craving Middle Eastern food a lot recently, and was looking forward to Ali Baba. After the fresh, flavorful pita came out, it was all downhill from there. The service was spotty, either making us feel rushed or neglected. We were seating right next to the area where the waitstaff lingers in between tables, barking orders at each other and bumping into the back of my chair.

Then came the food. I ordered the falafel dinner, imagining falafel, hummus and maybe some salad/veggies to go along with it. What came out was like a massive appetizer and was hardly entree worthy. There was a plate covered in hummus, topped with 6 falafel balls and 3 tomato slices. Disappointing. The falafel was really good...crunchy on the outside and flavorful on the inside. But, I would have been much better off ordering the falafel appetizer and a salad or a side of vegetables.

It wasn't much better for my friend, who ordered chicken kabobs. Can't go wrong with that, right?! Wrong. The chicken was good, but it was served with straight-out-of-the-box rice pilaf...ya know, the kind that your mom has undoubtedly prepared for you at some point in your life. (And the kind my friend coincidentally had left over in her fridge from dinner a few nights before!) There was zero attempt to try to cover up the fact that it was anything but authentic. Neither of us remembered rice pilaf being served the last time we had been to Ali Baba, so we were both pretty shocked when we saw it showing up on everyone's plates. Don't get me wrong...I love rice pilaf, but just not in a restaurant setting, especially in a cuisine that features great sides like couscous.

Ali Baba had always been such a reliable, neighborhood restaurant, but we both left feeling a pretty frustrated. We hoped it was because we just ordered wrong, but when a restaurant skimps on things that much, I'm led to believe that they're looking out more for their bottom line than for their customer satisfaction.

Ali Baba
212 East 34th Street
b/t 2nd & 3rd Avenue
Menu Pages listing

Feel at Peace with Josie's

To me, there are two kinds of brunch experiences. One is a greasy spoon (usually a diner) serving massive portions of eggs, bacon, pancakes, and french fries. The other is a exact opposite, serving egg whites with low fat cheese, fruit, and whole wheat bread. On most weekend mornings (or should I say early afternoons), I head to the first option, the diner, especially after a late night out. But, sometimes it's nice to change it up and go the healthier route.

Yesterday I had a late lunch at Josie's with a friend and her mom. While Miss Menu didn't pick out the restaurant, it definitely was a good choice. Josie's is definitely a much more appropriate atmosphere for lunch with a mom than a diner filled with hungover 20-somethings!

For those of you who aren't familiar with Josie's, it's basically a health nut or vegetarian's dream. Almost everything on the menu is all-natural/organic, and many items have a "vegetarian" designation on it. Low fat is always an option, as is whole wheat and brown rice. The dishes is interesting (I've been for dinner as well), and allows you to leave not feeling the least bit guilty about cleaning your plate.

For lunch, I had an egg white omelette with feta cheese, roasted red peppers, vidalia onions, and baby arugula, served with a side of roasted regular and sweet potatoes. It was pretty good, even though it was a little heavy on the arugula. They also bring around bread that falls somewhere between a crumb cake and whole grain muffin...very tasty though.

Some guys joke that this is a total "chick" restaurant. And, admittedly, I have to agree completely. I can't really imagine guys deciding to dine there, unless being taken by their girlfriends/wives/mothers! It has a modern decor that I would be willing to guess is some how feng shui. Would only seem fitting for this healthy zen-like restaurant.

Josie's
565 3rd Avenue
b/t 37th & 38th Streets
website
Menu Pages listing

When the Moon Hits Your Eyes...

If you've ever walked around near the Kips Bay movie theater, you may have seen Christina's. But, that is dependent on one thing: what season it is. During the summer, there are dozens of tables set up outside in the courtyard area out front. Tables are filled with people eating dinner or having a glass of wine. It almost feels like a European cafe. During the winter, however, these tables obviously aren't set up. I was slightly disappointed when I realized on Wednesday night that the ambiance is quite different when dining inside the restaurant.

Christina's feels like one of those neighborhood restaurants that's been around forever, and is frequented by a much older crowd. I wouldn't be surprised if these people dine there every week, and order the exact same thing at every visit. There was also a group of grey-haired men sitting at the bar...a very weird site for this neighborhood.

Fortunately, this is where my criticism ends. The menu is very extensive, ranging from pizzas and pastas, to veal and fish. Of course, this makes it really hard for me to figure out what to order. The prices were all pretty reasonable, and the portions were definitely big enough to bring home leftovers.

I decided on a pizza and ordered the Pizza Champion. After it was brought out, I felt like I would have made my mom proud...I was a true vegetable eating champion. For someone who used to be able to name the veggies I ate on one hand, this pizza was definitely evidence that my palate had finally matured!

It was delicious...with mozzarella, eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, broccoli, and feta cheese. The flavor was great, and the crust was nice and crunchy. I brought half of it home, and it made for a fantastic lunch the next day at work.

So, if it's cold and rainy out, stick to ordering in from Christina's, or maybe go with another Italian restaurant all together. But, if you're looking for a great place to enjoy a meal when the weather is nice, Christina's is, well, that's amore!

Christina's
606 2nd Avenue
b/t 33rd & 34th Streets
Menu Pages listing

Only A Little Windex Needed

The Murray Hill neighborhood isn't exactly known for its fine cuisine. Don't get me wrong, there are some great restaurants, but there are also a lot more not so great ones. These not so great ones are made up of the following: dozens of frat bars, chinese and sushi spots only worthy of take-out, and pizzerias. I feel it is my civic duty as a Murray Hill-er to spotlight the good ones!

Ethos is located on 3rd Avenue on a block with 5 other restaurants...and is definitely the best of the bunch. The atmosphere is really warm and comfortable that creates a Greek vibe without making you feel like you're on the set of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." The tables can get a little tight on a busy night, but they are always prompt at seating you. In the summer, the front windows open to make it feel like you're dining at a Mediterranean cafe...even if it just Murray Hill.

I've had a number of the appetizers in past trips to Ethos. All were excellent, especially the tzatziki and portobello mushroom saganaki. But, on this visit, I shared two dishes with my friend. We split the Greek salad and the (say it with me now!) Kotopoulo Giouvetsi, which is a chicken dish baked in a pot, along with orzo, feta, and tomato sauce. It's fantastic...the chicken is so tender because of how it's prepared, and the flavor of the sauce is great too. They also have a huge variety of fresh fish that are served whole. Not my cup of tea, but for those of you who like that, other diners really seemed to enjoy it.

Now, I am a big fan of this restaurant, but I have to point out that the service is just so-so. They rushed us to order twice, but then when it came time to ask for the check, we waited about 20 minutes to get our waiter's attention. I'll chalk it up to eating in the European style...nice and leisurely. I wouldn't cross Ethos off my list because of this, but I would make sure that I don't have anywhere to be after the meal.

Two things to note...they bring out a dessert on the house that I can only describe has delicious. It's a filo dough pastry with cinnamon and apple, covered in honey and powdered sugar. Great way to end a good meal! And also, my friend has ordered take-out from Ethos and said that every order includes fresh pitas and this dessert.

The father in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" always said how Windex will cure anything. Ethos may need a little Windex on its service, but none is needed for its food. To that I'll say "Opa!"

Ethos
495 3rd Avenue
b/t 33rd & 34th Streets
website
Menu Pages listing

Duke of Earl

For those of you who haven't been, Duke's is an American restaurant with a twist, offering BBQ and other Southern comfort foods like mac & cheese, Chattanooga chili, and even collard greens. In a typical attempted-kitschy style, it's decorated with old license plates and other knick knacks that are often seen in BBQ restaurants. I've been to Duke's (fka Earl's) countless times...but only for dinner.

Yesterday was an unexpected chance to change it up a bit and try it for brunch. Right away, they bring out a basket of fresh mini biscuits, blueberry and corn muffins with a strawberry butter. Perfect for tiding you over til the food comes. The full lunch/dinner menu with all of its standbys is still available, but they also have a brunch menu. I was torn...I am very partial to Duke's french fries, but the brunch items were served with home fries. Lucky me, I was able to substitute them, and get the best of both worlds...fries AND brunch!

I got the All-American Breakfast Special, which was entirely too much food...but for someone who is extremely indecisive when it comes to ordering at a restaurant, it was perfect...a little bit of everything. The eggs were cooked perfectly, which is all too often a rarity at brunch spots in NYC. It also came with two small, but delicious, buttermilk pancakes, home fries (or in my case french fries), bacon, and toast. I forwent the bacon (since I don't eat pork) and the toast, and was still plenty satisfied.

If you're looking for a nice change of pace from the usual East Side brunch spots (like Josie's and Penelope), I'd highly recommend Duke's. With dozens of TVs, it's also a great place to watch early footbal or basketball games.

Duke's
560 3rd Avenue
@ 37th Street
website
Menu Pages listing

Blast from the past

If you've lived in or visited NYC, you most likely have been to or heard of 2nd Avenue Deli. It's one of those iconic New York Delis...like Katz's or Carnegie. Sadly though, they were forced to close over a year ago because of an outrageous rent increase. Fortunately for all of us, they decided to re-open in a new location, and even better (at least for me), they opened in my neighborhood: good ol' Murray Hill! How can you go wrong with 2nd Avenue Deli being open 24/7 only 3 blocks away...even if it is on 3rd Avenue now?!

I went for dinner on its second day. I was prepared for a lengthy wait, but never thought it would have been as long as it was. While lined up on the sidewalk on E. 33rd St., the host came out to say that there was a private party taking up a large portion of the restaurant, and that the wait would be around an hour. Who could possibly be important enough to take over all these tables and force all of us to wait in the cold for hours? Tony Bennett...a New York icon himself. Seeing him walk in for his birthday, along with guests like Michael Stipe of REM made the wait slightly more bearable.

After 2 hours, we were finally seated, and the pickles and coleslaw quickly followed. OK, it was SO worth the wait now! I already knew what I was going to order, and could not wait for the matzah ball soup to arrive to help me thaw out. After a few more deli staples and a shot of chocolate egg cream on the house, I was definitely a happy camper.

So, a few suggestions:
- Go at off-peak hours. 2nd Ave Deli is open all day, every day, so instead of grabbing a slice at Pizza 33 at 4am, go for a pastrami on rye or a potato latke instead!
- Avoid the fried chicken skin they bring out. Despite the rule that anything fried is delicious, I am pretty sure the exception may be fried chicken skin that still has feathers on it. Yuck.
- The coleslaw they automatically bring out is vinegar-based. If you like it with more dressing, just ask. That's available too.
- The cheese blintzes (even though it's really tofu) are fantastic.

2nd Avenue Deli
162 East 33rd Street
b/t 3rd & Lexington Ave
Menu Pages listing