The Melting Pot

One of the beautiful miracles of New York City is the uncanny ability to find the most amazing and delicious food at any time of day for any craving you may have.

So you want Ethiopian / Thai fusion at 4am on a Tuesday? Done.

Or maybe a slice of pizza for $1? Done. Anytime. Anywhere. Guaranteed.

But, if I had to narrow down my "best New York eats" to my top three, I would have to go with the following (in no particular order):

1. The Hummus Kitchen

I am fast becoming a sucker for a good brunch. It's a great excuse to catch up with friends and day drink (who could ask for more, right?) And I have recently fallen in love with this restaurant for brunch. The Hummus Kitchen in Hell's Kitchen has the most amazing Mediterranean cuisine and both delicious and unique drinks (I highly recommend the Lemon Arak).

Also -- the restaurant's namesake leaves little more to be desired. They do, indeed, have fantastic hummus!

 2. Fish

When most 9 year old kids ponder the question "What's your favorite food?" they respond with the normal response "chicken nuggets, corn dogs, mashed potatoes, etc" But not this one. My favorite meal of choice growing up? Raw oysters on the half shell.

So, when I found this restaurant with my Dad in the West Village, all of my childhood memories came flooding back. Fish is a great hole in the wall raw bar with some spectacular dishes. They seem to be best known for their "Red, White, and Blue" Oyster special. Basically, you can have 8 oysters and your choice of either a house red wine, white wine, or a Pabst blue ribbon...for 8 bucks! Not too shabby.

Oh! and "All you can eat" Blue Crabs

3. Hudson Clearwater

Unfortunately, for my final pick I am sans photographs, but this restaurant still deserves mentioning. I went to this restaurant a couple of months ago with a friend from work and it still sticks out in my memory as one of the best restaurants I've been to in quite a while. The restaurant itself has a very "hipster speakeasy" vibe and the food is out of this world. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are looking to catch up with friends over cocktails (specifically the "Lolita") and have a nice meal.

But, at the end of the day I would have to say that regardless of where you go it's the company that you keep that truly matters and sometimes all you need is a kitchen and some of your best friends (and wine) to make a night truly special!

farm grown homemade caprese

 Fresh Atlantic white fish and sauteed veggies

Pasta and Salad (And best friends!)

xoxo.