The Good and the not so Good

The Good:
Les Enfants Terribles is off the beaten track in an intersection between Chinatown and the Lower Eastside. Excellent French/North African food at a low price.
Belcourt fabulous Gallic food at Downtown prices.
T Kettle a healthier bubble tea and yummy too!

Not so Good:
Annisa was neither flavorful in spices or ingredients. Instead, a bland and boring mixture in a "safe" setting.
Rue B good price and cute atmosphere but boring diner-ish food.
Crooked Tree Cafe not bad for a creperie in NYC but far from France.

Upper Eastside Restaurants

When I return home from downtown, I do notice how much cleaner and less crowded our neighborhood is relatively speaking of course. We live near one of the busiest intersections uptown. But it's comfortable living with your own kind, namely families, instead of chain-smoking, night-crawling hipsters. Also, a short commute to our children's school is paramount in the city. Hence, my list of favorite restaurants in the Upper Eastside (high end not included):

*Paola's - good Italian food in a lovely romantic setting.
*Nick's - good brick oven pizza in a more casual setting. Child friendly.
*B Cafe - decent Belgian in a cute European bistro setting. Burgers are pretty good.
*Cafe d'Alsace - romantic bistro setting. Food is decent.
*Yura - a staple for daily baked goods.

Restaurant Reviews

Some interesting restaurants Matthew and I tried recently:

Meatpacking
Fig and Olive - a beautiful space with food to match it. There are olive oil tastings and the dishes remind me of vacationing in Italy.

Chelsea
Klee - decorated in mid-century furniture. Food is quite good considering it's Austrian.
The Park - dine in the wonderful indoor garden.

Flatiron
Eleven Madison Park - beautiful neoclassical space, food is very well done by its new chef.
Boqueria - great Flatiron tapas bar.

West Village
Perry Street - clean, minimalistic space. Food appears to match the room but is more interesting than it appears.

LES
Kampuchea - casual chic Cambodian food. Delicious.
Core 191 - nice outdoor space, food is fun and simple.
Freemans - food was good in an interesting lodge setting, but we were the oldest ones in the room.
Stanton Social - very good food in a nice loft setting.
Teany - we frequent this drink place for morning coffee/tea.

Queens
Jackson Diner - better than 6th St Indian food and very child-friendly in Jackson Hts.

SoHo
Cafe Noir - great French-Morrocan restaurant, good tapas.


TribeCa
Chanterelle - Matthew took me here 10 years ago before he proposed on the Brooklyn Bridge. It's been a good 10 years, M...

Staples

Matthew and I rarely frequented the same restaurant twice. However, apres children, we go to the reliable:

Dimsum go-go in Chinatown for unique dumplings even our kids love.
La Palapa is the best Mexican restaurant in Manhattan. The sauces are rich and flavorful and the prices are good.
Ssam Bar is a very interesting Korean fusion restaurant. Kimchi in burritos and organic braised beef in rice has just the right balance of east and west.
Billy's has the best cupcakes in Manhattan. Much lighter and less sweeter than Magnolia's. Also, great Chelsea location.

Saints Alp

We love Saints Alp. We've been frequenting the Village location for the past decade. The staff has seen me through 2 pregnancies. This is along Andrew's favorite bus route, the M101.

'Wichcraft

One of our favorite sandwich places is wichcraft. The Flatiron location is a cool loft space with exposed brick and a 2nd floor.

Nearby 'Wichcraft is Andrew's namesake, the birthplace of Theodore Roosevelt.

Boating in Central Park

Two years ago, Matthew took Andrew on a boat ride and we filmed this accordingly. Since we no longer have TV, the kids watch our home movies rather frequently so Emma had a mission to also go on a boat with Dada. Her dream came true in September and she sat still the whole time. Afterwards we had lunch at the Boathouse restaurant with a table right next to the water. It was our first time eating there! The food was mediocre and overpriced but ambience great. Would recommend it just for the setting.

Gnocco and Ninth St Espresso

Matthew (my husband), Andrew (son), and I went to a wonderful Italian restaurant named Gnocco this past weekend near Tompkins Square Park. This is one of the closest restaurants in NYC (yes even NYC!) that tasted like the real thing in the Motherland. We devoured the panini, the homemade pasta was perfectly al dente, and the gnocco and cold cuts melted in our mouths. Gnocco is fried dough which is served with cold cuts. We will definitely be back!

Ninth Street Espresso has become one of our favorite coffee shops in New York. Unlike Starbucks et al, the coffee was smooth without any hint of bitterness. Located on Avenue C, the area has become quite upgraded. But I do feel a hint of remorse to see the East Village lose its radical flavor, the riots in Tompkins Sq Park, cheap rents so Keith Haring, Jackson Pollock, Allen Ginsberg and other creatives could live and flourish. Instead there are Bugaboos and luxury condos everywhere. New York has become rather mainstream in the past decade. While as a mother I love living in a city that's clean with lower crime and parks without drug dealers, I do miss the freer and cheaper days of the past when only those who were truly passionate about New York lived here.