The hunt for the prized outdoor table has begun
Sharing the latest outdoor dining setups I've been bookmarking, plus tales from the corner booths of Kinjo, Locanda Verde, Cafe Mogador and Claro.
We’re in that incredibly pleasant period of time where a restaurant’s outdoor offerings wholly dictate our dining decisions. The hunt for those sidewalk bistro tables, string-light back patios and tree-covered backyards is on. Every year I convince myself I never want to eat inside the constraints of walls ever again, but the looming, lurking 90 degree humidity always has a way of dashing those delusions. Until then, spread out those picnic blankets in the park, go to that outdoor oyster happy hour, fight through the crowds for that table at Bar P.
To prepare you for the next inevitable text you’ll receive asking where to eat and drink outside, I wanted to arm you with a few outdoor offerings I recently walked by, screenshotted or thought about this week that’s on my immediate list to do.
Popina’s backyard.
The newly revealed outdoor spaces at Shy Shy, Crevette and Elvis.
Tolo’s outdoor setup, that ChewYorkCity plugged this week.
Trying the MTA themed menu at Grand Army on an Open Streets day.
The Park Slope location of Beer Garage for oyster happy hour.
Getting a slice of Paulie Gee’s and sitting by the water.
The new outdoor seating at The Commodore for piñas.
Frozen drinks and tacos at Tacocina.
Before getting into my week, I want to hear from you! My top-performing post continues to be the definitive Corner Booth guide to girls night out. I’m ready to tackle my next special edition, but I can’t decide the topic. Let me know what dilemma you’d love to have curated by Corner Booth most in the poll below, and be sure you’re subscribed to read it right when it drops.
Dispatches from the Corner Booth
Tales from a week of dining.
A girls night that started with yuzu negronis and ended with shots in Dumbo.
It’s been a little while since I’ve been out having so much fun that I disregard any concerns of the alcohol-induced consequences (spoiler: there were a lot of consequences the next day after this one). Things started off quite peaceful, as I met up with a group of old coworkers at the new Japanese restaurant Kinjo in Dumbo. We sat down in a beautiful leather corner booth in the lounge, surrounded by fresh florals and basking in the sunlight. We clinked glasses of sake and caught up on the basics of our lives, from new jobs, new babies and new lovers.
Then the first round of yuzu negronis, jasmine highballs and lychee martinis came, paired with shishito peppers, snow crab dip, tuna donburi and soba noodles (yum). Some dirty jokes and revelatory statements started creeping into the mix, as the second and third round of cocktails landed on the table. Stories got wilder and laughs got louder as the unabashed debauchery took over. Thankfully the place cleared out as the night went on, leaving us to close out the night with a few more beers and surprise shots with the bartender. We accidentally Ubered to Manhattan instead of to our homes in Brooklyn after, barely even noticing because we were still so deep in the fun.
A fabulously chic brunch with lemon ricotta pancakes in the middle of Hudson Yards.
I know you’ve all been waiting with bated breath for me to ramp up my pancake coverage ever since I made a public declaration to do so. These ambitions led me to the impeccably chic, invitingly warm second location of Locanda Verde, nestled amongst the slick corporate offices and shiny shops of Hudson Yards. It transports you to Tribeca in mind, body, spirit—and in people watching, because even the children dining here felt more posh than me. We figured out most were pre-gaming PAW Patrol Live at MSG. Pretty electric combination.
I watched it all from the corner booth, sipping on a cappelletti fizz. I alternated between bites of sweet (but not too sweet) lemon ricotta pancakes, crispy bacon, decadent prosciutto eggs benedict and sausage. I am rarely ever this fabulous on a Saturday morning, but when I am, it sure is a delight.
A casual outdoor Moroccan dinner on the street on a buzzing East Village evening.
I forgot just how much of a scene Saint Marks Place in East Village on a Spring Saturday afternoon can be, taken over by a deep sea of youths and jabronis drinking in the street and strutting around. We weren’t even planning on eating dinner there, but the energy of it all was too enticing in its entertainment value, so we nabbed an outdoor table on the street at Cafe Mogador. I don’t think we talked about anything else but the tableau of quintessential East Village characters surrounding us, only pausing for a sip of a chilled red and a bite of some of my favorite falafel in the city. Check the latest Open Streets guide for exact times and locations for full closures, because it really is a nice way to spend an evening.
A four-part date night with outdoor pints, cocktail tastings, Michelin star Mexican food and a nightcap in Gowanus.
We first tried to start the night at Threes Brewing, but their backyard is still very much tented and covered up right now. No thanks, give me the sun! So instead we charged over to Wild East Brewing Company for crispy cold pints outside on the sidewalk and extremely delicious nuts from Spitfire. On our way to dinner, we pit stopped at No Relation Vintage for some thrifting and Gowanus Wine Studio for a taste test of bottled cocktails by Wandering Barman. A couple sips had me sold, and the white negroni, mezcal margarita and spicy hibiscus daiquiri all came home with us.
Then it was off to Claro for some Michelin-starred Mexican food in their backyard patio. We’ll skip over the snafu with a lost drinks order and cut straight to the chase. The food here is excellent. At first I was scared about the portions, glancing with a raised eyebrow of skepticism at the tables around me nibbling on itty bitty bites and the tiniest cups of guac. I even panic ordered an extra side of rice to offset my concerns. But alas, we left happily filled to the brim with sweet potato and smoked trout empanadas, pork tacos with crunchy chicharron and the most magnificent fried oyster taco with sharp cheddar cheese. An evening under these string lights is more of a splurge than your local taco shop, but a worthy one at that.
Strolling back home, we stopped in the cocktail bar Blueprint, where the only tables left were in their snug back patio. We played a few rounds of gin rummy over nightcap drinks, aside groups of Brooklynites reveling in the pleasures of a Springtime night out.
The Reservation Desk
Curated dining suggestions.
Choose your destiny:
Pre-fixe options: With any holiday comes a range of pre-fixe menus, some at prices that make me spit out my water, others that sound like they could be pleasant. In the latter category, the most appealing option I’m seeing with availability for 5 is Tiny’s at $45pp. For smaller groups, either Cafe Mado at $60pp or Raf’s at $75pp sound nice. If you are looking to really splurge on mom, I liked the look of this flyer for Crown Shy’s lunch at $125pp.
A la carte brunch: I think the aforementioned Locanda Verde would be lovely for a Mother’s Day brunch, or The Noortwyck, The Orchard Townhouse or Pastis. In Brooklyn, there’s always trusty Le Crocodile or Rule of Thirds.
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Beer Garage sounds amazing. Beer for me Oysters for Hilary!
Dying to try Popina