Miss Korea BBQ

Website
10 West 32nd Street
1st, 2nd & 3rd Floors
New York, NY 10001
(212) 594-4963

Self-proclaimed the "Best Korean BBQ in NYC," Miss Korea was our go-to destination for BBQ and one final meal out before leaving the city (New York, I'll be back for you soon).  There was a crowd outside the restaurant, a testament to its popularity, and we waited around 15 minutes before being seated.

Café Orlin

East Village
41 St. Marks Place (between 1st and 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 777-1447
Website

I'd been looking for a new brunch spot to try and this place has been on my restaurant bucket list for forever so even though it was a weekday, I decided to give it a go.  I've heard that there can be quite a wait on weekends, but when we went we were seated immediately.  It was quite a spacious establishment, with a seating area outside, and three divided areas inside.

The round tables and metal chairs really made the cafe come to life.

Nicoletta

East Village
160 2nd Ave (between 10th Street & 11th Street)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 432-1600
Website

I'm sad I passed this place as many times as I did before finally deciding to try it out because it is AMAZING.  I eat dinner early so the entire time I was there only two or three other tables were occupied.  But no matter, our server was fantastic and so was the food.

Northern Spy Food Co.

East Village/Alphabet City
511 East 12th Street (between Avenue A & Avenue B)
New York, NY 10009
(212) 228-5100
Website

A friend and I came here for a Saturday brunch date a few weeks ago, and we were seated immediately, as we arrived around opening time (10 am).  The interior was rustic and cozy, with wooden tables and earthy tones.  We each ordered an entree, the daily brunch pastry to share, and left completely satisfied.
Note:  Much of their interior decor is reclaimed/repurposed and their ingredients are locally sourced!

Nom Wah

Chinatown
13 Doyers Street (between Bowery & Chatham Square)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 962-0647
Website

For Chinese New Year we decided to find a dim sum parlour to take my friend for the first time, and found this place that boasts the title of first dim sum parlour in Chinatown!  The interior was surprisingly decorated like your typical American diner, and many customers were actually non-Asian.  The menu had a wide array of options that was perfect for providing my friend with an all-encompassing experience.

Kotobuki Manhattan

East Village
56 3rd Avenue (between 10th & 11th Street)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 353-5088
Website

I'd been eyeing Kotobuki for awhile, but never got the chance to go in.  However after learning about their lunch special and an intense craving for Japanese food, I finally got to try it out.  It was relatively empty when we went in, but the place was bright and clean looking.

Da Andrea

Greenwich Village
35 West 13 Street
(between 5th Avenue and Avenue of the Americas)
New York, NY 10011
(212) 367-1979
Website
I was in the mood for Italian fare and wanted to try something new, so we decided to come to this restaurant my boyfriend found on Yelp.  We were seated upon arrival at a rustic wooden table, and the entire area was not small, but cozy and romantically lit.  Even before we had finished taking off our coats, a waiter had already appeared with a ceramic jug, asking if we wanted still or sparkling water.

Spot Dessert Bar

Website
St. Marks:
13 St. Marks Place (between 2nd & 3rd Ave.)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 667-5670

KoreaTown:
Food Gallery 32 Top Floor
11 West 32nd Street (between 5th & 6th Ave.)
New York, NY 10001
(212) 967-0269