North Square
The inspiration for this restaurant is the classic New York bistro with good, simple and classic American food and attentive service. It is attached to the Washington Square Hotel and places a premium on reasonable prices, a relaxed atmosphere and hearty but uncomplicated food. North Square is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, and on the weekends, brunch and dinner. Menu selections vary according to the season and the weather and derive inspiration from a variety of cultures. Appetizers at North Square include sauteed shrimp with leeks, escarole, jalapeno pesto and garlic broth, and chorizo and mushroom tart with roasted leeks, tomatoes, goat cheese, spaghetti squash and black truffle sauce. Dinner entrees include such dishes as slow-roasted organic chicken breast with cauliflower mash, morel mushrooms and garlic herb au jus, and roasted lobster with corn tamal, almond and red pepper salad, and fennel cream. Creme fraiche cheesecake with roasted figs and pecan toffee sauce or milk chocolate coffee creme brulee with almond anise biscotti are some choices from the dessert menu. North Square also offers an extensive wine list.
North Square
103 Waverly Place
New York, NY 10011
(212) 254-1200
northsquareny.com
Blue Hill
Blue Hill is a small, intimate restaurant that lies three steps below street level in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, bordering Washington Square Park. Its atmosphere is one of casual and quiet elegance, and the restaurant offers a private patio room for reservations of six or more diners. Open for dinner Monday through Sunday, Blue Hill also accepts reservations. Its menu emphasizes local food and wines, and in addition to the regular menu, patrons can choose a "Farmer's Feast," which is a five-course tasting menu based on food harvested that week. Ingredients used at Blue Hill come from various farms near Manhattan, including Blue Hill Farm in Massachusetts and Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. Options to start your meal include appetizers such as squash soup with chestnut tortellini and spice bread and purple potato and ricotta gnocchi with Shiitake mushrooms and greens. Some examples of entrees at Blue Hill are Hudson Valley chicken with black dirt carrots and black trumpet mushrooms and Halloran farm venison served with a stew of chickpeas, root vegetables and hummus. Sweet ways to end your dinner here include apples with caramelized hazelnuts, cranberries and maple ice cream; chocolate bread pudding with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream; and a cheese plate that includes Stilton and several kinds of cheddar.
Blue Hill
75 Washington Place
New York, NY 10011
(212) 539-1776
bluehillfarm.com
Apple Restaurant
This Greenwich Village restaurant combines French and Vietnamese cuisine along with a lounge, known as Bombar. The spacious main dining room offers an elegant, relaxed atmosphere for dinner, and the adjacent lounge boasts numerous leather sofas and a large bar for socializing. It is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Start your meal off with an appetizer of Vietnamese fried calamari with salt and pepper and a Vietnamese vinaigrette or vegetable tempura. Entrees include chicken chili basil sauteed with onion, bell pepper, chili pepper and fresh basil, served with Jasmine rice, and Chilean sea bass with Tamarind sauce with stir-fried vegetables. Top off your meal with apple rum ice cream, fried banana flambe, or sorbet or ice cream. The cocktail menu at Bombar offers a wide range of martinis, frozen drinks, beer and mixed drinks.
Apple Restaurant
17 Waverly Place
New York, NY 10003
(212) 473-8888
applerestaurant.com
