At first the thought of spending three months in the States this winter was a daunting prospect. I imagined how I would survive without Italy’s gastronomic bounty. I guess I hear the stereotype that America has bad food so frequently (from Italians who have never been to America) that I started to believe it. These places prove those naysayers wrong:
- Corner Bistro A West Village
divelandmark with sticky tables and heart-stopping burgers. - Pure Dark A relatively new chocolate shop on Bleeker and 10th. Some guys from Jersey make amazing dark chocolate of varying cocoa content. Granted, I’m naturally biased due to their geographic origins, but, objectively, this place is incredible.
- Roni-Sue Hand-crafted chocolate, truffles, and candy in the Essex Street Market. They sell dark chocolate covered bacon. Enough said.
- Greenmarket Farmers Markets There are farmers markets all over the city. They have a fantastic website that tells you which restaurants buy local and what produce is in season.
- Murray’s Cheese A huge selection of cheeses on Bleeker. I love cheese.
- Ronnybrook Milk Bar Located in Chelsea Market, this place has ridiculously good milk and yogurt fresh from the Ronnybrook Farm Dairy in Ancramdale, NY. I love that they serve milk and cookies. UPDATE 2015: LOCATION CLOSED
