All Charm and Little Flavor at Antibes Bistro

Antibes Bistro - Lower East Side
112 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002

How can a restaurant have so much charm and still fall flat?

Walking into Antibes Bistro is like walking into a quaint left bank cafe in Paris. We sat at a worn wooden table by a large window, listening to jazzy tunes that livened the mood. Details such as the tiny vase of wildflowers or the bottle-nosed glass carafe of water gave a happy rustic feeling to the restaurant. My only complaint with the atmosphere was that it was a bit too dim--we read the menus by candlelight. Otherwise, it was charming.

Yet the meal started with a mediocre baguette and only fell further from expectations thereafter. No Parisian patron would have been satisfied with this bread, which consisted of a tough white stuffing and softer (dare I saw chewy?) brown exterior--precisely the opposite of a fresh French baguette.

For the main dish the waitress talked me into the special: red snapper. Priced higher than the other entries, I was first disappointed with the taste then annoyed by the bill. Though presented well, the snapper lacked flavor and creativity. Served as the whole fish, I was able to separate the two fillets to de-bone in one piece, only to be left with little meat and a number of pin bones. My mashed potatoes and side of greens were the best part of the meal.

Given that this was the special (and recommended over other dishes when asked), I should have been blown away. My friends' dishes--in appearance only--did not suggest I would have been much better off with another selection.

We passed on dessert. What a shame; the restaurant just looks so adorable.

DBGB Kitchen & Bar Served An Enjoyable Birthday Brunch

DBGB Kitchen & Bar - East Village
299 Bowery (Between Houston and 1st St.), New York, NY 10003 

We elected DBGB Kitchen and Bar as my birthday brunch destination. With a reservation we secured a side table--a cozy booth on three sides inlaid from the restaurant. The menu, which consisted of a la carte brunch, lunch, and dessert as well as a prix fix option for restaurant week, had enough diversity on a single two-sided page for everyone.

Starting with appetizers of oysters and a grapefruit chopped salad and ending with sweet notes of pomegranate and chocolate, from start to finish it was a lovely brunch.

My roommate boldly took on the recommended cod sandwich, swearing upon the first bite of lightly fried fish it was indeed a surprisingly delicious choice. The sweet brunch was just as well done as the savory, as experienced with a bite of my dad's fruit and whipped cream topped Belgian waffle. The warm waffle melted in my mouth without any crisp exterior to break through, yet it was firm enough to hold the berries and (real) whipped cream without becoming soggy.

The one obvious flaw lay in the poached eggs. Presented in a white square bowl as part of my dish of bacon, sausage, and greens, one poke with a fork showed a hard yoke of muted yellow. However, after I politely asked the chef to try again the waiter returned with runny eggs, an apology, and a confirmation that hard poached eggs should not have been released from the kitchen.

And after a chocolate praline dessert topped with ice cream reminiscent of creamed mousse, the egg episode was long forgotten. I would certainly go back.

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.