Jodi and I were looking for a restaurant on Opentable for a dinner on a Friday. We decided to book a table at Cara Mia, an Italian restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. We passed in front of it few times, so I thought we should give it a try. I admit that when we arrived, I has a bad feeling; it might be the fact that one of the staff members was outside, trying to convince people to come for dinner...

We went to their location downtown, few blocks from Union Square. This place that has been feeding the carnivores for more than a decade is fairly big, with a decor centered around the burlesque, a play on the name. It goes from the portraits of burlesque actors from 1920 to the napkins print...

Tablao is a Spanish restaurant located in TriBeCa. The menu features classic Spanish dishes such as paella, as well as tapas, these small plates that are sort of the signature of Spanish cuisine. I have to say that I love when restaurants offer small plates as it is a good way to order plenty of dishes to try. But, of course, it is also a good way for restaurants to make money as people usually order too much...We went at Tablao on a Friday night. If you follow this blog, you know that I hate noisy settings, considering that a meal is a good moment to share and talk with my loved ones or friends (that I love too).

I saw so many mouth watering photos of dishes taken at Bar Primi and posted on Instagram, that I told Jodi we should go there for either brunch or dinner. We finally ended up there for a brunch on a Saturday, early as we made dinner plans; the kind of plan that mAkes you decide to go early enough and try not to indulge, although the latter is subjective as you will see I this post. 

Wow, we passed so many times in front of The Great New York Noodle Town without even looking at their menu and simply discarding the place, preferring the more popular spots in Chinatown. Well, it was until we were invited to the Flatiron Food Tour from Like A Local Tours, where we talked about food with our guide, Robert. 

Obao is not totally unknown to me as it is the former Ember Room where Chef Kittichai, purveyor of eclectic desserts at Spot Dessert Bar, use to serve chocolate ribs, as well as a lemon Mille crepes cake to die for. I am not sure why they changed the name and concept, but, I have to admit, that Obao is worth knowing. There, they served dishes from South East Asia, especially Thailand and Vietnam, but with a twist. 

Benares was not unknown to me as I tried their location Midtown Manhattan. Ok, I did not really like it and my Indian friends were not thrilled either. But I was thinking that, maybe, the location in TriBeCa as well as few years could surprise me. So, we went on a Friday. The decor was modern with an interesting divide in the center of the main dining room that was in fact a banquette. 

When I think that I passed in front of Joe's Ginger many times, thinking it was a pale copy of Joe's Shanghai, the famous Chinese restaurant on Pell street, known for his delicious soup dumplings. Little did I know that it is the sister restaurant of Joe's Shanghai, opened in 2004 by Chef and owner Joe Si. When we went there, we saw the line in front of the flagship restaurant and passed in front of a patient crowd, avid to try the soup dumplings that are often mentioned in tourist guides or magazines. 

The last time I went to Sabores, I had a bad experience: food and service were not great. But, as the months passed, seeing more and more people going there, we decided to give it another chance. I still remembered the colorful decor there, although I think they added more things on the walls.

Looking for a quick and cheap lunch in Hell's Kitchen, I ended up at Diego's Mexican Grill. I immediately noticed the warmth of this place, thanks to the exposed bricks and the Mexican floor tiles. Very colorful, with lots of art on the walls, this is like going to Mexico without paying the fare.