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· North America · united states · New York City

Bar Martignetti, Antique Garage etc.

Author: Eva Juhņēviča and Daiga Holma0 COMMENTS

How to distinguish a true New Yorker? He does not have a car! And in a city of eight million residents, with mega-traffic jams being a daily phenomenon, you hardly need one. Better take a stroll along the Broadway, starting from Soho, with its countless galleries, inviting restaurants and small shops, in other words - New York City fulfilling an intellectual European's taste. It offers abundant arts and culture opportunities and every single restaurant lures to come in. Yet, sticking just there, you might miss a taste of genuine New York.
Step by step the Broadway passes the University buildings and goes through parks, lush green in summer or reddish-purple in autumn, and when the first supermarkets and skyscrapers appear, it's already Times Square. If you pass a black beggar, waiting for another dollar, don't be too shocked to hear an exclamation "Racist!" Just get used to it, the same way as to bubbling life all around you. New York sizzles with vitality and is incredibly pricy, too, if you decide to settle in the very heart of it. Manhattan is so cluttered, however, that well-off people prefer to live somewhere outside it. Brooklyn, too, is not scorned any more. Not as stylish as Manhattan, although, a stereotype attitude "To live in Brooklyn?! Never in my life!" is a history already. It features parks, schools and even quite decent residential areas.
The New York City subway is the fastest, the cheapest and the most comfortable commuting option there. Even impressive distances are covered in just a few minutes. It is like a fascinating kaleidoscope of the New York's society, with its colors, contrasts and ceaseless changeability. Actually, each time returning, you discover another New York - new restaurants, new stores and galleries. And pretty often city guests, not the locals, know the very best spots. New Yorkers are proud of their city, great many of its gems, however, are still unknown to themselves.

The Modern

A fabulous restaurant located in one of the world's leading institutions of art - the Museum of Modern Art of New York (MOMA). If you do not manage to get a table in the Dining Room, overlooking masterpieces of the Rockefeller Sculpture Garden - no problem at all, as a nearby Bar Room offers even more charming atmosphere. Its modernistic design, created by Bentel&Bentel, seems to have absorbed the very essence of the contemporary style and elegance. The Bar's décor features a huge wall made of glistering glass, an artful set of lamps and lots of metal, leather and wood. Its visitors, a stylish mix of locals and foreigners, are connoisseur of art and life. Nevertheless, the Bar Room's atmosphere is perfectly democratic with no trace of snobbism in lively chatter of cheerful bon vivants. It offers a more casual dining than the Modern restaurant with its exalted white-clad tables and equally exalted prices. Do not ponder much - just immerse and enjoy its instant fascination, with small tables flocking close together, a fantastic service and the very best foie gras I have ever tried!
Servings, like in a bar, are not very big and a dinner for one costs about 50 dollars.
Opening hours of the Bar Room -
Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

The Museum of Modern Art
9 West 53rd Street (between 5th and 6th Avenue), NY 10019
Phone: 212.333.1220
www.themodernnyc.com

Balthazar

Although London born Keith McNally opened it only in spring 1997, Balthazar has already become a classic spot of the city. Nostalgia oozes out of every detail there - a scent and a taste of bygone days of New York - its mahogany bar and furniture, an old chandelier, its service and unthinkable noise all around. Chatter of foodies is so loud that you may find it hard to hear a person sitting next to you. Everybody is eating and talking. It strikes a familiar chord with The Godfather movie - if mafia bosses organized a small family get-together, Balthazar would certainly be their choice. Not for nothing its name has flashed on big screens in famous Hollywood creations.
And that is not all yet - if you have come to have a dinner, you will be delighted! Balthazar features an excellent French cuisine with servings so huge that eating too much is almost inevitable.
Although it's quite spacious - seating about 200 people - booking ahead is a smart thing to do.

80 Spring Street, NY 10012
Phone: 965 1414 / 965 1785
www.balthazarny.com

Bar Martignetti

Speaking of ambience, it somewhat resembles Balthazar, except being a bit more up-to-date. A slight touch of old New York is felt in its décor, too - white wooden furniture, a bar clock and almost antique mirrors. Exclusively locals hang out there, enjoying its easy going atmosphere. Just getting in might seem a bit complicated. Bar Martignetti's security guards do their utmost to combat excessive use of alcohol among juveniles - with no scruples they demand to present an ID, even if the age of 21 is already history for you. However, it's just a trifle - you will adore this place anyway. Bar Martignetti stands out among numerous Soho neighborhood eateries, offering matchless experience - not only thanks to the strict security.

406 Broome Street
Phone: 212 680 5600 / Fax: 212 680 5603
www.barmartignetti.com

Antique Garage

Strolling along the street, you leave behind numerous doors and windows of stores and apartments. And then sudden you hear a music and find yourself in front of a pulled up garage door! Some tables are set outside, while lively voices of swarming there people come from the inside. It resembles an old storehouse, yet, having acquired entirely new features. A stylish café features ancient candelabras and bare brick walls, with a bit dusty mirrors adorning them - a charming spot like many others in New York. It is not that cheap, yet, a peculiar atmosphere, instantly surrounding you, makes it worth the money. And when the closing time is there again, the metallic door of "the garage" goes down again and a casual passerby would not even notice a gem of New York, hidden behind

41 Mercer St (between Broome St and Grand St), Soho, NY 10013
Phone: (212) 219-1019
E-mail: info@antiquegaragesoho.com
www.antiquegaragesoho.com

Rice To Riches

It's a truly unique spot! Everything being plastic and everything being fat, it still seems like made in Heaven! And I am not speaking of hamburgers, steaks of French fries. Rice To Riches is a rice pudding paradise. Guests, like little kids, are drooling over delicious puddings with variety of flavors - vanilla, caramel, chocolate, coconuts, raspberries and many more...They are as tasty and rich in calories as only you can imagine and you can try any of them. Slender figures seem to be the least concern of pudding magicians. And their promotional motto is well fitting, indeed - "Eat all you want...You're already fat!" Or else - „Big is beautiful!" And it really works! Rice To Riches has been even featured in a movie about New York.
Slick oval shapes of rice grains are in entirely everything there - tables and chairs included. Even a building itself resembles a huge, bright orange rice grain. Rice puddings are available also for take-out.

Sunday to Thursday: 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fridays, Saturdays: 11:00a.m - 01:00 a.m.

37 Spring Street (between Mott and Mulberry St)
Phone: 212.274.0008
www.ricetoriches.com

Village Vanguard

It's the oldest jazz club in New York and it makes you catch a groove even if spur-of-the-moment rhythms are not your favorite ones. Enter a small door and a narrow staircase step by step leads you down into a cave-like basement, with walls oozing 70 years old history. Village Vanguard was founded in 1935 by Max Gordon and over a hundred of jazz albums have been recorded at the venue, with participation of such stars of the style like Bill Evans and John Coltrane.
The place seems to have never seen any proper maintenance - everything being quite old and battered. Yet, what an ambiance! It features a small, intimate and dark room, seating no more than 50 jazz lovers. Sipping wine or bear, they gather at small tables, while jazzmen themselves settled in front of the room. Do not expect to have a proper meal there, the same way as a nonchalant chatter. A triangular-shaped room of Village Vanguard resembles a small concert hall with excellent acoustics - visitors immerse into sounds and savor rhythms of music. This classic spot of New York swarms with tourists and is a must-to-visit for true jazz lovers!
Concerts take place every night with tickets available (and advisable!) for booking in advance - online www.villagevanguard.com or by phone (212) 255-4037). Moreover, a price includes one drink, too. Program on the website is available several months ahead.

178 7th Avenue South
E-mail: email@villagevanguard.com

té casan

A New York find number one! A fantastic women shoe shop in Soho neighborhood. Only seven designers - Niki Robinson, Gaetano Perrone, Fay Baldock, Gianluca Soldi, Zoe Lee, Hector Rubio and Manuela Filipovic - offer their limited number creations there. Each pair of beautiful high heels, created for strolling along the streets of New York has a serial number and is absolutely exclusive. Not for nothing Vogue and Ella glossy pages have featured masterworks of these collections.
Three floors of modern, tasteful and elegant interior, with every single detail perfectly elaborated. Even shoes and boots are part of the décor there and it seems like a gallery! Moreover, anxiety that you might feel out of place there vanishes as soon as you step in. Every single customer receives an individual attention and pampering. A shop assistant - a guy, wearing long lady boots, a modest make-up and overflowing with enthusiasm receives you, shows around and tells everything about collections. You are offered to sit down, rest your feet and have a cup of tea. Moreover, to try on a pair of footwear from a famous American actress Natalie Portman vegan shoes collection.
The shop features unique originals for every taste and occasion - casual and festive one. And no extreme extravagance either - all of them are suitable for wearing. If you manage to hit the sales (50% off the price), you may acquire exclusive shoes or boots for just about 125 USD! A dreamlike deal, indeed!

382 West Boradway, NY 10012
Phone: 212 584 8000 / Fax: 212 584 8001
E-mail: nyc@tecasan.com
www.tecasan.com

Dean&DeLuca and Gourmet Garage

Dean & DeLuca is one of the oldest upscale gourmet stores in New York. Today it has several locations in the Big Apple and elsewhere in the USA. The company has some stores across the ocean, too - in Tokyo, Taipei and Nagoya. Yet, beginnings of this famous chain, selling fantastic fresh fish, shrimps, vegetables, fruits and spices is to be found here - in New York's Soho area.
Gourmet Garage, however, not so rich in traditions is a great place to stock up your larder with products that you certainly will not find in any supermarket. It may seem a bit pricy, yet the superb quality makes up for that. And it's a genuine pleasure after a lengthy fast-food week! Currently there are five Gourmet Garage stores in Manhattan neighborhood locations. The one in Soho, the same way as Antique Garage restaurant, is settled in a former garage premises.

Dean & DeLuca
560 Broadway (at Prince Street), Soho
Phone: 212.226.6800
www.deandeluca.com

Gourmet Garage
453 Broome St. @ Mercer, Soho
Phone: 212 941 5850
E-mail: information@gourmetgarage.com
www.gourmetgarage.com

Crush Wine Shop and Cru Wine Bar

Crush is the very best wine shop in New York. If you wish to stock up your wine collection with superior quality wines from America, this is the right place to go. In fact, finding some of those wines in Europe would be next to impossible. Also Cru wine bar is a destination number one for wine connoisseurs. The wine list is truly impressive, containing some pretty rare samples as well.

Crush
153 East 57th Street, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 980-Wine (9463) / Fax: (212) 980-9468
www.crushwineco.com

Cru
24 5th Avenue, New York
Phone: 212 529 1700 / Fax: 212 529 6300
E-mail: robert@cru-nyc.com
www.cru-nyc.com

adidas Originals

A garage door goes up and a whole range of adidas Originals unfolds before your eyes. And, indeed, a full collection of this lifestyle brand reaches far beyond already familiar triple stripe sweatpants. This time it is displayed in a quite an exotic setting - a former storehouse in New York's Soho neighborhood.

136 Woosterstreet, New York
Phone: 212 673 0398
www.adidas.com

Great Jones Spa

Someone may ask - harmony and relaxation almost in the very heart of downtown Manhattan? Why not...Great Jones Spa located in Soho area offers a very intimate and a pretty high-priced VIP service. A subtle, darkish interior, personnel wearing beige overalls and absolutely no extravagance. Every detail is designed for comfort of clients. Everybody speaks softly and seems walking on tiptoes. It's impossible not to enjoy it! Especially that finding a beauty parlor in New York City is not an easy task at all.

29 Great Jones Street, NY 10012
Phone: 212.505.3185
E-mail: info@greatjonesspa.com
www.greatjonesspa.com

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