Quick Bites: U Cafe

The Basics: U Cafe is a little kosher spot on the Upper East Side with sandwiches, salads and such crafted with great attention to detail. A haloumi salad came in an artful display with shish kabobs of grilled cheese rubbed in za’atar spice with grilled peppers, onions and tomatoes. A sandwich on crisp Jerusalem toast (think a flat, toasted sesame bagel) was creamy and sharp, filled with feta, cheddar and tomato.  For your sweet tooth, go for the challah French toast with berries and whipped cream. Beware, some prices seem inflated for a casual cafe. Unfortunately it’s often par for the course at kosher restaurants.
Cuisine: Kosher (Dairy)
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Value: Good
Average App/Entree Price: Around $15 for a salad or sandwich, $26 for an entree.
Location: 1436 Lexington Ave, (between 93rd and 94th)
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.

Apropos Cafe

Apropos Cafe is a quaint little wine/panini spot in Park Slope. I checked it out last week when visiting a friend who recently moved there. Overall, I wouldn’t travel far to get to Apropos but if you find yourself in the neighborhood it’s not a bad place to know about. The restaurant is casual with exposed brick walls, a handful of tables, and a small bar. The menu consists of small salads, pizzas, bruschettas, and paninis with Italian influences. We started with a meat and cheese plate consisting of sopressata, montrachet, and piave vecchio (an Italian cow’s milk cheese). The platter was rather meager with four tiny crostinis for the three of us and a smatter of each cheese and meat. Honestly, it felt a bit cheap to me and the crostinis had nothing to offer in terms of added flavor. Someone should tell these folks to spring for some nicer bread. Afterwards we shared two personal pizzas: a portabella with garlic-shallot puree and pecorino fresco then a gorgonzola with caramelized onions and arugula. The pizzas were tasty enough but once again seemed lacking in flavors- the arugula was thrown on top without any seasoning and added nothing to the pizza. The wide open spaces between toppings didn’t add anything either. We shared an espresso- banana bread pudding to round out the meal (and fill ourselves up) which was nicely made though the ground espresso beans thrown on top seemed a bit silly. Just call it a banana bread pudding! They did have a thoughtful selection of wines with a decent assortment by the glass which I appreciated. I do have to say that the meal was incredibly affordable, a nice departure from a typical meal in Manhattan in that aspect.

Apropos Cafe- 186 5th Avenue at Sackett , Park Slope Brooklyn
Cuisine- Italian, Small Plates
Food- Good
Service- Good
Value- Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Not even worth a doggy bag.

Casellula Cheese and Wine Cafe

Casellula is the brain child of proprietors Joe Farrell and Brian Keyser who had one simple goal: allow people to enjoy artisanal cheeses, wines and freshly prepared small plates in a casual environment. After working in some of the top kitchens all over the world, they decided to break away from the stuffy mold (no pun intended) to start a cafe built on passion rather than attitude. Casellula is brand spanking new- having just opened this May- but is already filling its tiny walls with the cheese heads of the city. After reading Casellula’s site complete with a “spread the curd” blog and bios of the wacky people involved, I knew I was in for a special experience.

Casellula is very quaint and rustic with a handful of tables, a dark wood bar and a tempting cheese case. Smells of grilled cheese and smoked bacon from the open air kitchen travel freely throughout the room. My one complaint about the atmosphere is the acoustics are very poor. On a Tuesday night at 7PM the place was full and we were yelling to hear each other- a cramp in Casellula’s style. Our waitress Perri was more than willing to help us select cheeses from the selection of 35 frequently changing options. The list is grouped by characteristics: Fresh, Bloomy, Pressed, Washed, Blue and Flights. We ordered five cheeses for the table to share- an ashy aged goat, a smoked gouda, a mild camembert, a Cayuga blue and a podda classico. The cheeses were accompanied by condiments such as pesto, pickled ramps, and figs to marry with each. With Perri’s help, we ended up with a great variety.

The wine list left a bit to be desired- too brief for a cafe that calls itself a wine and cheese cafe in my opinion and overpriced. They did have some very exotic offerings from Hungary and Macedonia but I would have appreciated some more modest options as well. I am hoping they will expand on the wine in the future.

Following the cheeses we had a mac and cheese with fol epi, comte, chevre, lardons and caramelized onions to share for the table. This was mind blowingly delicious- by far the best mac and cheese I have ever had. The trio of cheeses were perfectly creamy and sharp and the caramelized onions added a unique honeyed sweetness to the mac. Entrees around the table were: pig’s ass sandwich with ham, cheddar, fol epi, pickles and chipotle aioli; fig flatbread with proscuitto, pecorino and micro greens; wild mushroom flatbread with laura chenel chevre and herb salad; and rogue creamery smokey blue flatbread with applewood smoked bacon and hard cider apples. The sandwiches came in overflowing piles of melty goodness with greens on the side. Though mere sandwiches from meets the eye, the attention to detail on every dish did not go unnoticed. The bacon on my smokey blue flatbread had the most intense smokiness and I loved the contrast of the sweet cider apples with the other flavors. Absolutely sublime.

I will be running back to Casellula as fast as my feet can take me and I recommend that you do the same. Added bonus: they offer a Monday night summer series of cheese classes for continuing education. Who’s comin with me ?

Casellula: 401 W 52^nd and 9^th Ave
Cuisine: Wine and Cheese, Small Plates
Average App/Entree Price: $6/$12
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Value: Very Good
You Gonna Finish That? Every last bite.

Three Places to Dine Al Fresco for Under $30

The weather is getting warmer and what better way to enjoy a beautiful day than with a lovely meal outside? This weekend I checked out a few restaurants with outdoor seating which were all delicious and very affordable. From a bustling sidewalk cafe to an intimate meal in a garden, Manhattan offers a lot in the way of dining al fresco. Here are three picks that I recommend paying a visit to on the next sunny day:

Revel
In the space that was once a bar-aptly named 10 Little West 12^th- comes a new member of the meatpacking district restaurant scene. Revel has a large dining room but it is the open air courtyard complete with heat lamps that draws the appeal. Unfortunately Saturday was a bit too chilly to be dining al fresco so my friend and I enjoyed our salmon cobb salad and omelette with goat cheese and spinach, huddled under the lamps. A brunch at Revel for just $24 (including tip) will get you a delicious entree, complimentary bread basket with muffins and pastries, a beverage, and perfect service. That’s pretty tough to beat in the uber-pricey and fashionable meatpacking district.

Revel: 10 Little West 12^th Street (between 9^th Ave and Washington)
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian

Tree
If you blink you just might miss this French, East Village gem. At first glance, Tree appears to be a small cafe, but walk towards the back and you will be handsomely rewarded. The back door opens to a lovely garden with picnic tables and canopy umbrellas. The brunch menu is traditional with such classics as French onion soup, frisee aux lardons, eggs sardou, and mussels with frites. The service was not the best but for $20 and a beautiful setting with delicious food, I would run back to Tree any day.

Tree: 190 First Ave (between 11^th and 12^th )
Cuisine: French

Agave
A charming West Village Mexican restaurant, perfect for people watching while the sun sets. I washed down my post-trapeze class excitement on Sunday evening with a margarita and dinner here. The guacamole comes nicely accented with a perfect amount of spice in a crispy tortilla shell. Whether you order a grilled skirt steak quesadilla with mushrooms and cheese, fire grilled gulf shrimp tacos with corn, or a masa crusted chicken salad with picquillos, queso blanco and avocado ranch dressing, the meal will cost you a solid $30 or less.
Agave: 140 7^th Ave South (between Charles and W 10^th)
Cuisine: Mexican