a camera in the kitchen

I learned tonight that one of my favorite spots, Café Gitane, tucked into the West Village’s Jane Hotel, not only has a fantastic brunch, but evening menu as well.

Apple, brie and bread

And as a side note, in the past week I’ve gone on way to many unplanned dining excursions that I’ve learned to start carting my camera around with me at all times. I apologize for the lack of photos, but these places were too cute to be left unmentioned. Saturday, while making an attempt to go to the popular East Village brunch hang out, The Smith, a typical 2 o’clock crowd was pulling in a 45-minute wait, so we opted to head down the street and found the much quieter, Barrel, which I highly recommend. Seated immediately in what resembles an actual barrel, I ordered a simple eggs and toast, but it was delicious with homemade bread. Although I haven’t tried the rest of the menu, their extensive list of European tapas looks like something I’ll have to go back for.

Other meals from last week I’d recommend include Organic Veal meatballs from The Tangled Vine, the Egg Casserole with spinach, parmesan and smoked bacon from The Mermaid Inn, and of course I made my way back to Kefi yet again to fill my Greek cravings.