The owner of Po: Steven Crane

I love Cornelia Street, the charming one block street in the West Village. For such a small street, it’s packed with good restaurants, especially Po, the restaurant where Mario Batali basically got his start.

Check out my interview with Po’s Steven Crane in Haute Living, then book a table by the window for a romantic night out.

Have you been to 10 Downing? If you haven’t I highly recommend it. Chef Jonnatan Leiva gives his soulful approach to fresh, local food. And each night of the week he’s offering a special dinner. Tonight’s theme is summer fried chicken, and I’ll definitely be visiting again on either a Sunday or Monday when 10 Downing features oysters and lobsters (local of course).

Read more about 10 Downing in my Q & A with Jonnatan Leiva in Hauteliving.com

Bistro de la Gare

Enjoy!

A cozy place for brunch or dinner: Home

Cornelia Street. You could easily get lost finding this one-block street that spans from Bleecker to where West 4th juts up to Sixth Avenue. But once you stumble upon this charming, minuscule street that feels removed from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, you’ll find several must-try restaurants. I don’t think there’s another block in the city with so many places to dine. It’s the West Village’s answer to a restaurant row, albeit one with cozy, intimate restaurants.

Let’s begin at the West 4th Street end with a visit to Le Gigot. This quaint, romantic bistro makes a great first date choice, with classic French dishes like the namesake dish: leg of lamb served with flageolet beans. Flambéed bananas with cognac are a good choice for dessert. Next is Pearl Oyster Bar, where I like to sit at the counter and enjoy the fruits of my native New England with oysters, chowder and lobster. I love Home for their brunch, but out-of-town relatives will like the mellow ambience and heart, homey dishes like molasses double cut pork chop or braised short ribs. With smoked salmon, bufala ricotta with honey and baked brioche French toast, Palma also serves a stellar brunch, but dinner is a good choice, too, with rustic Italian cuisine served in a farmhouse-type setting. Who doesn’t love a glass of Sangria once in a while? At Little Havana you can order it by the pitcher and then enjoy Cuban specialties like ceviche, shrimp with saffron rice and bacalao, dry cod fish. On the opposite side of street is Po, where Mario Batalia was the founding chef. Although he departed years ago, the food still stands strong, with authentic Italian antipasti, primi and secondi. Some highlights: veal marsala with crimini mushroom and truffle. White bean ravioli with brown butter sauce. Linguine with fresh clams, pancetta and chilis. For dessert, share the Po Sundae with your date: fresh mint gelato, cinnamon spiced pine nuts and chocolate sauce.

Although New Yorkers are always looking for something new, you won’t find that here on Cornelia St. What you will find are tried and true places that charm over and over again—a veritable romantic restaurant row.

Le Gigot/18 Cornelia St/212-627-3737

Po/31 Cornelia St/212-645-2189