Fresco Gelateria

Fresco Gelateria is a small gelato shop located in the East Village of NYC. Known for their attention to detail and fresh flavors, Fresco Gelateria has some of the most delicious gelato I have ever tasted! "After six years of owning and operating a gelateria in Athens, Greece, brother and sister, Ilias and Venetia, bring to NY their passion for classic Italian gelato," and I think everyone can agree it was a brilliant idea.

I discovered this place thanks to another NYC Food Tour. We were able to sample a few of these tasty flavors like coconut, strawberry and chocolate. I don't even like coconut but I loved this!

 With a funky list of flavors, there is something for even the pickiest eater. Some of the flavors include Salted Caramel, Rose Water, Goat Cheese, Vanilla Bean and Peanut Butter. Fresco's also serves up freshly baked pastries and assorted espresso based drinks. Their products are simple but amazingly executed and you should probably head on over now. 

Fresco Gelateria is located at 138 2nd avenue NY, NY 10003. Expect to pay for quality, because you're worth it! 

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Vapiano

"In cities around the world, Vapiano is where people meet to share their love of life and spontaneous and genuine companionship." And so, that's what we did.

After a Ron Pope concert last weekend at Irving Plaza, Brandon, Phanavahn and I were starving and that is how we ended up at Vapiano. With front windows wide open and decor that stops you from a block away, we were excited to have some late night fine Italian food.

Vapiano is beautiful, cool and their food is delicious. When you walk in someone greets you and tells you exactly what to expect during your visit. You are given a card and they explain that you order everything separately at the multiple stations. What ever you like, it's your, and all you have to do is swipe. At the end everything from your meal is combined on the card and you pay at the exit.

They have long oak tables perfect for striking up conversation with the people next to you or for a large family gathering. There are different stations where you can order pizzas, pasta, antipasti and salads directly from the chefs. All dishes are prepared to order in front of you and according to your personal preferences. So don't worry, here you can have it your way! To view the full menu click here.

During our visit we devoured some amazing bruschetta, salad and pasta. Check it out for yourself:

Bruschetta Trio

Ceasar Salad

Pasta Carbonara

  

Pasta Scampi

Vapiano is located at 113 University Place, New York, New York 10003. Fellas, take you ladies here and it will be a complete success. OK? =)

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Some photos from: nycgo.com

Jack's Wife Freda

Last month I made my first visit to the charming restaurant, Jack's Wife Freda. Some friends and I stopped in for lunch and instantly felt right at home.

Jack's Wife Freda is a cozy restaurant located on the very lively Lafayette Street in New York City. The name Jack's Wife Freda was inspired by the owner, Dean Jankelowitz, maternal grandparents. The menu is "based on the recipes of Dean's grandmother and his wife Maya's grandmother." The menu is a combination of the grandmothers recipes using South African and Israeli influences.

 The menu has breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, wine and beer. Check out the full menu here. One of the most popular items is Freda's Matzo Ball Soup, so that is what I had to try and fries of course.

 My friends also choose some delicious dishes like Chicken Prego, grilled chicken breast with smoked paprika aioli and watercress served with hand-cut fries, and Mediterranean Breakfast, 2 eggs any style, chopped salad, labne, avocado and pita bread.

Chicken Prego

Mediterranean Breakfast

Freshly Baked Croissant

Jack's Wife Freda is located at 224 Lafayette Street NY, NY 10012. Next time you are in the mood for some South African and Israeli cuisine head on over!

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Agata & Valentina: Fine Food and Good Ideas

 
Last week I discovered so many awesome eats! The one I'm going to tell you about today is called Agata & Valentina. My friend Vanh introduced me to it and now I absolutely love this place.

Agata & Valentina says their "business was born of a passion for fine foods from Sicily, Italy, and around the globe, which drives our desire to share the absolute highest quality products and authentic hand-made prepared foods and pastries with our customers." Their original location was established in 1993 on the Upper East Side and their second location in 2012 in Greenwich Village. 

We shopped at the Upper East Side location which has over 5,500 items... so, their was no time to waste! When you walk in the entrance the walls are filled with freshly baked  breads. As you continue around the store there are so many fresh fruits and veggies laid out so precisely that it looks like art work.

Keep walking through the garden of  veggies and you will come to the huge cheese selection. Our as Agata & Valentina like to call it "a cheese lover's mecca." They have over 350 types of cheeses including "local, domestic, and international artisanal cheeses." They also have handmade fresh mozzarella, that you can watch them make every half-hour right behind the counter.

Next I discovered the coffee section. As you can probably tell, this place just keeps getting better and better. Some of their coffee selections include Hawaii Coconut Coffee, Vienniese Roast, Jamaican Blue Mountain and Mocha Java. Check out their full coffee selection here.

The wall of Olive Oil was crazy! I have never seen so many types of Olive Oil in one place. Next to that was a fully stocked wall of pasta. And later, I found another selection of refrigerated pasta which included a large variety of ravioli. YUM!

Do you love a good olive bar? Look no further. There are olives are far as the eye can see. You mix and match or grab one of the pre-made containers to take home.

Like fresh seafood? This is the place for you. Agata & Valentina calls this one of the most "vibrant parts of the store." They say the "market buzzes with activity all day as our fishmongers hand-cut and display a colorful array of pristine whole fish such as Red Snapper, Brook Trout, Branzino, Sea Bass, Arctic Char, and other seasonal selections fresh from the market that morning." They offer the freshest lobster, crab, clams, scallops, shrimp and fish just for you!

Are you more into Italian meats? They've also got you covered with their Italian inspired deli. Thinking an Italian feast for dinner? This should be your number one destination before heading to your kitchen.

Now let's talk sweets. Agata & Valentina offers a huge selection of pastries, cakes and cookies. When I was perusing through this section I also discovered what looked like cobbler. Check it out for yourself!

Agata & Valentina is located on the corner of 79th and 1st on the Upper East side and 64 University Place in Greenwich Village. So tonight for dinner, think Italian!

We love Agata & Valentina!

One image from: Timeout.com

Lower East Side Italian: Via Della Pace

     When I want to go to a new spot to eat, I usually  do a quick Google search to find the best of what ever I'm searching for like: "best pizza in Brooklyn." Other times I get really creative and ask random people "What's your favorite place to eat in the city?" But every now and then when I want a full on adventure- and Alex hates this- I take us to a completely random area of the city and we end up walking around for at least an hour, till we've looked at all the restaurant options within half a mile. I find it thrilling, Alex says its exhausting. And that my friends, is how we found Via Della Pace.

     We met up with my pal Angela and headed into the Italian restaurant. As soon as we entered we were immersed in a world of large groups of people packed like sardines, enjoying their pasta with loud music and conversation. The lighting was low and the staff was quickly moving about to please all their guests. Since it was so full we sat at the bar until a table was ready. Alex order a Italian Coffee and we were all impressed with the presentation.

 

We were seated about a half hour later in a corner booth and quickly got to ordering. I indulged in pesto pasta with fresh mozzarella, Alex had pasta with baby clams and Anglea had Gnocchi.

Pesto Pasta With Fresh Mozzarella

Pasta With Baby Clams

Gnocchi With Pecans

Everything was so delicious! I really liked the atmosphere and I cannot wait to try other things on their menu. Via Della Pace is located at 48 East 7th Street and 2nd Avenue New York, NY 10003. For more information check out there website here. Go carbs!