Buvette - French Charm in the West Village

French style charm and an upbeat vibe abound here.

A couple of years ago a friend and I stopped in at this lovely little restaurant after attending a wine tasting nearby. It was the late afternoon, too early for dinner and too late for lunch, but never the wrong time for a snack!  My friend ordered a beer and I (always hungry!) ordered grilled octopus. We had a delightful time sitting at the beautiful white marble bar, catching up with each other and saying hello to other friends who had also made their way to this cozy haven on Grove St in the West Village.  Afterwards, I made a mental note to myself that I must make my way back for a full meal.  I finally returned to Buvette last week with a friend for lunch.  And what a lunch it was!  The food here is rather simple French bistro cooking with Italian accents, but every dish we ordered was just bursting with flavor!  We started with the steak tartare, served with grilled slices of crusty bread sprinkled with a delicious olive oil.  Alongside the steak we enjoyed carrots julienned with fresh cilantro and dressed with a citrusy vinaigrette.  All the flavors were so bright and fresh and left us wanting more.  We then shared a garlicky chicken salad as well as the "Cr'q Madame", a sunny-side egg on toasted bread, covered with oozing gruyere cheese.  We ended the meal with a delicious, perfectly caramelized slice of tarte tatin and some strong coffee. This is the type of place you can settle in with friends for the morning (or the afternoon or the evening!) and drink some coffee, sip some wine, eat some comfort food and feel like you've crossed the Atlantic and are sitting at a cafe on the left bank of the Seine.  What to drink here?  I had a French lager beer from the selection on tap but there are also cocktails and an all-French wine list with some interesting bottles at decent prices.  Do yourself a favor and go to Buvette.  Bon appetit!! 

Steak tartare went perfectly with a French lager beer.   The raw steak, dusted with freshly cracked black pepper, was on grilled bread on top of a bed of Boston lettuce tossed with a flavorful vinaigrette.

Cheesy Cr'q Madame, topped with a slice of prosciutto, some grated parmesan and a couple pieces of deliciously pungent fried sage hidden underneath the egg.

The tarte tatin had perfectly caramelized apples.

5 Reasons to Love La Sirena at the Maritime Hotel

The latest NYC hotspot from Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, La Sirena, is located in the heart of Chelsea at 88 9th Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets.  The restaurant will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The Wine Chef is giving this restaurant a BIG 👍!

#1) THE BAR -  A big, long (38 feet!!), beautiful white marble bar with friendly and knowledgeable bartenders who were happy to give little tastes of wines by the glass.  I had a wonderful conversation about wine, sherry and whiskies with one barman..... so much fun!!  Their cocktail list was quite extensive with unique offerings such as the "Siren Song" made from anejo tequila, St George spiced pear, walnut and cinnamon smoke!  The bar stools are as plush and comfortable as any dining room chair.  I could have easily stayed there for the whole evening!

Sampling a delicious Teroldego wine from the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy. 

#2) THE FOOD  -  Everything my daughter and I ordered was tasty and beautifully presented.     Don't miss either the homemade buratta with chunks of deliciously sweet butternut squash with a pesto pantesco or the fresh crudo preparation of the day.  We also enjoyed grilled, meaty sardines and a braised veal brisket dish with olive oil potatoes and salsa verde.  The portions are quite hearty so we could only fit in one dessert to share 😩 but it sure was good!  😋.   The light and pillowy doughnuts were served with roasted pineapple and vanilla gelato….yum!

Creamy, homemade buratta.  

Beautifully presented Crudo of the Day with 

Fresh, plump, grilled sardines served with a tangy coleslaw.

Who doesn't like doughnuts, especially when they are as light and fluffy as these?!

#3). THE SERVICE -  Excellent service for such a new restaurant.  The wait staff anticipated all of our needs and the timing between courses was just right, not too fast nor too slow.  There are two dining rooms and the night we were there only the one to the left of the bar was open and it was completely full by the time we were leaving around 11:00 pm.

#4). THE VIBE -  The decor is a beautiful, 1960s "mod" design with a casually elegant feel to it.  There are striking Portuguese tiles for the flooring with a matching motif found in the tableware .  The lighting was just right, neither too dim nor too bright.  The acoustics were loud but not overly so.  Overall, a great vibe!  

#5). THE LOCATION -  You're in Chelsea!  One of the most "happening" parts of NYC.  Just walking to and from La Sirena you can feel a party spirit from the people you pass on the street.  I'm looking forward to warmer weather and being able to sit outside on the large, elevated patio overlooking Ninth Avenue.  I think I will start off that evening with a Spicy Little Number as I watch the sun set over the Hudson River!