Thursday, January 13, 2011

Tastes of Greenwich Village, NYC

Four fabulous things I ate as I meandered around Greenwich Village:
At Abraco Espresso Bar: Standing while drinking a perfect espresso and lavender shortbread cookie at Abraco, a coffee stand, of sorts. Upon returning home I purchased lavender to recreate these herbal cookies.
Ippudo Ramen: For lunch: a bowl of ramen that I could eat each day. I ordered the Tonkotsu Soup Noodle. What arrived was a broth was almost creamy with a havenly spell. It was an elixer, most likely made with gently simmered pork bones. Sitting in the broth: homemade noodles, pork belly, wisps of fresh cabbage, scallions and a fragrant garlic oil.
Otafuku: Sweet and Savory treats from Otafuku. Walking by Otafuku I suddenly was transported back to Kyoto, Japan. But instead, Otafuku is located right in the East Village.
You can have the savory: Takoyaki are creamy fritters either filled with octopus (traditional) or cheese. Or you can eat Okonomiyaki, a Japanese cross between a latke, pancake and omlette.
Finally, for the end: taiyaki: a waffle sandwich (in the shape of a fish of all things!) filled with sweet bean paste.
Otto Pizzeria and Enoteca: Save room, though, for the best of sundaes. At Otto I had an "Olive Oil Coppetta." The olive oil ice cream was fruity and creamy. What made the sundae, though, were the other elements: a sour passion fruit granita at the base with sweet/bitter kumquats on top. And gracing the top of the ice cream? Fresh strawberries and a basil syrup. And then, the one twist: sea salt on top. It had every element of a perfect dessert. And the good news if you are lucky enough to live nearby? They have other versions of their sundaes, such as one with sweet corn gelato and blackberry compote.

Tonkastu Soup Noodle, Ippudo Ramen
Espresso and cookies, Abraco, 86 East 7th Street
Treats, Otafuku, 236 E. 9th Street, NYC
Otto Pizzeria and Enoteca, 1 5th Avenue, NYC

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