A mellow vibe at the Gramercy Park Tavern.

“We need to go celebrate,” she said.  “This is such an exciting time for you!”

I was in New York City for my book launch.  My first book launch, such that it was.  DIRTY MINDS: HOW OUR BRAINS INFLUENCE LOVE, SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS had come out a few days before.  And I was definitely in the mood to celebrate.

So why not hit the Gramercy Tavern–a place that has been consistently rated as one of the city’s best restaurants?  I was all for it.

We were seated in the Front Room, the place to see and be seen for lunch.  I arrived 15 minutes early.  At first, I was the only patron, quietly sipping on iced tea and staring out the window.  I took the opportunity to snap a photo.  But by 12:30pm, the joint had filled up.  It seemed to happen in the blink of an eye–folks just appearing until there was not an open seat in the room.

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A mac'n'cheese for everyone!

Imagine, if you will, a restaurant that serves only the best of hangover remedies.  And by hangover remedy, I mean mac’n'cheese.  Yummy, creamy, cheesy mac’n'cheese.

Imagine a place that is tucked away in the midst of the big, bad city–New York, perhaps–and would likely be missed by the casual observer.

It’s a small restaurant with only a few tables.  All orders are made fresh to order.  You can grab your favorite iteration of mac’n'cheese, made with only the freshest, local ingredients, to go or hope for a seat to open up.

You can munch on hot, creamy noodles mixed with lobster, ground beef, duck or veggies.  Any way you want to play it, really.  It’s all about you.

It sounds like a dream come true, no?  Yet, this is no fantasy.  This is the wondrousness of Macbar, a small restaurant cum food stall on Prince Street.

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New York City pizza...can't you just taste it?

Pizza, pizza! In New York City, it’s an easy food to find, and it’s even easy to find good pizza. What makes a good pizza though? It’s an incredibly personal decision and an often hotly debated topic. Thus, the following recommendations are based on the type of pizza that I enjoy most — thin crust/Italian Style. New York City’s West Village neighborhood has a plethora of pizza joints to choose from, and you can’t go wrong with most. Here’s a short summary of the places you shouldn’t miss during your next visit.

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The patio at Vermilion.

Sometimes you go out for a big meal in New York City.  Perhaps you grabbed some incredible meatloaf at Eatery NYC.  Or enjoyed the cheese plate at Artisanal.  Or maybe, just maybe, you ate your way through an entire 5 Napkin Burger.  You are full, sated and very happy.  But, as it’s only 8:30pm or so, you just aren’t done for the evening. In the summertime, it’s still light out and you just don’t want to go home.

You could go out to one of the many rooftop lounges that now dot the New York City sideline.  Many are lots of fun.  But if you prefer to escape the crowds and do some people watching at street level, I recommend Vermilion on Lexington.

Sit outside.  Start off with a drink.  The restaurant offers “Latin-Indian” cuisine.  But don’t let that scare you away from the Sangria.  Though it was said it had a bit of Indian spice to it, it tasted mostly like regular old Sangria to me.  And, as ever, excellent. Now sit back, sip your drink and enjoy the show.

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