Stop By Little Town Before Hitting The Big City

Little Town - Union Square

118 E15th Street, New York, NY

Choose your beer from the colored chalk listings. Among the pints of ale you can order are "Nipple Top" and "Mother's Milk". Not a beer drinker myself, my brew buff of a roommate gives them the thumbs up. For $6 it's not a bad price, either.

The small bar remained packed for the duration of our stay, and constant noise did impair our conversation capacity. But despite the full house, it wasn't unpleasant. The crowd likely had an average age of less than 30 years. And people weren't just young--they seemed attractive and normal. People mingled; no one was obnoxious, and no one got rowdy.

During the week Little Town offers $.99 oysters; we settled for $1.25 each. Don't expect a waiter to come over to your table and ask if you'd like any, though. Once you place your order at the bar, a server will deliver a round of oysters atop chipped ice with lemons and sauce. 

A whiskey sour and three oyster slurps later, we left for our next destination. But, I would come back. Little Town is a pleasant pit stop on the way to the big city. 

Mika Isn't Worth The Sushi Deal

Mika Japanese Cuisine & Bar - Chinatown
150 Centre Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10013

Groupon currently offers a $29 prix fixe meal for two at Mika that includes beer or warm sake, one appetizer, two rolls, and two special rolls. More than enough food for two for only $15 per person (plus tax and tip).

But, it's not worth it. The restaurant's three out of five star rating on Yelp is too generous.

It started off well with an efficient waitress and a prix fixe menu that offered plenty of choices. We started with a nicely present plate of well-browned gyoza--flavorful, thin skinned, and not too greasy.

A small disco ball hung over a pot of fake orchids, and a childish mural of the Japanese countryside looked like it belonged in a pediatric dentist's office. Yet, the cheesy 90s music was more amusing than annoying, and the tacky bar visible in the next section was just funny.

Though the dim lighting drew attention away from the brownish tinge of the over-ripe avocado (my roommate didn't notice), the blood red slabs of fish draped heavily over our "rainbow roll" were too suspicious to ignore. I can't remember tasting such fishy fish in sushi. It was almost difficult to eat, and the sake was too pungent (usually quite smooth) to wash it down. There was plenty of food, but I'd rather spend my $15 on one, quality roll than on four that I can't enjoy.

Find Big Coffee Cups, Canvas Bags, and Creative Foam at 12 Corners

12 Corners - Lower East Side / Chinatown
155 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002

12 Corners is orange walls, indie music, and hanging canvas coffee bags; big mugs, green tea lattes, and heart-shaped foam. Other than the odd open floorspace, I'd say this hits all the marks of a cute, trendy cafe.

At the counter an iPad faces the customer. By logging into your Belly rewards account, you can swipe your QR coded reward card to track and redeem points for drinks, discounts, and treats. This was my first experience with Belly, so I used the iPad to sign up and swipe my first card and purchase a green tea latte.

In American fashion, this latte is an adapted foreign delight decorated with an adorable foam heart. In keeping with Chinese fashion, it's robust, bitter, sugarless green tea. If you'd like to sweeten up your cup, you can add your own sugar. Though I tend to like my teas less sweet than many tea-drinkers I know, even this needed a hefty spoonful of honey. The green matcha is potent and powdery. Below the dark green top coat lies a more mellow milk mix. While smoother, it lacked the flavor and richness of the layer above. The cafe was enjoyable, but I did not love the cup as much as it seemed to love me. 

Take Refuge At Riposo 46

Riposo 46 - Hell's Kitchen
667 9th Ave., New York, NY 10036

Despite being just a few blocks away from Times Square mayhem, Riposo 46 feels like a calm get-away. The restaurant consists of a few high wooden tables and an L shaped bar. It was busy--I took the only empty seat--but not noisy or overwhelming.

Wine glasses range from about $9-$12; the menu was diversified, not pretentious. With a glass of white hanging from my left palm, I asked the bartender to surprise me and bring Riposo's best flatbread.

He returned several minutes later with a large Prosciutto di Parma, big enough to share, with Prosciutto resting in folded heaps across the arugula. Thin, warm bread, fresh greens, and salted strips of fine charcuterie folded up into bites of Italy.