Paris at the Lower East Side

Cafe Charbon and the Tabac store, located on the corner of Rue de Orchard and Rue de Stanton, are actually not in France. They are on the Lower East Side (L.E.S.) of Manhattan, which is one of the last districts in the city to be gentrified. But as you can see, it is slowly getting there. Some of the areas are beginning to look like SoHo with its European vibe.

So how is the weather in your city? My brother in Los Angeles said it was almost 100 degrees (Fahrenheit) there. But it is a cool 50 degrees here in NYC.

No Sushi

I saw this sign posted outside a Japanese tea cafe on Thompson between Spring and Bloome Street in SoHo. Apparently the manager of the cafe was tired of telling diners that they don't serve sushi there. I thought it was hilarious.

So do you eat sushi or do you prefer your food cooked?

La Colombe Cafe 2

Here is an exterior shot of the La Colombe Cafe from yesterday. Right across the street is the Chinatown Post Office and a few blocks south is the Tribeca Grand Hotel.

So how do you take your coffee? Milk and sugar?

La Colombe Cafe

I was at Tribeca (short for Triangle Below Canal Street) in downtown Manhattan yesterday for a meeting. After the meeting, I came upon this beautiful cafe on the corner of Walker and Church Street called La Colombe. So I stopped in for a cup of coffee. Here is a photo of my coffee.

So do you have a favorite place to get your coffee? How many cups do you drink a day?

Vesuvio Bakery in SoHo

The Vesuvio Bakery, on Prince Street between Thompson and West Broadway, has been in business for eighty years. It was serving Italian style baked goods and great coffee way back when SoHo was considered an undesirable commercial warehouse district. It is amazing that the bakery is still here.

Okay, enough about the photos. What goodies did you get for Christmas? I got some movie passes/coupons, subscriptions to various magazines and a box of chocolate.

Le Petit Cafe

I love the signs and window decorations on this cute little cafe in SoHo, Le Petit Cafe, which is located on Spring Street between Wooster and Thompson Street, a block west of yesterday's photo. This is a great place to stop for cappuccino and gelato when I'm in the area.

So how do you take your morning coffee or tea?

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream.....Gelato??

It doesn't take much to make me. For example, this cup of chocolate gelato with a piece of hazelnut chocolate (Nutella) vanilla wafer and a cup of cappuccino will make me a very happy man!! The photo was taken at Caffee Dante on MacDougal Street, just north of Houston Street. It is an old world Italian cafe with delicious pastries, gelato and coffee.

So what simple things in life make you happy?

Dog in Nolita

This cute dog was tied to a pole outside a cafe in Nolita (north of Little Italy) while its owner went inside to get some coffee. The dog must be used to this arrangement because it didn't look scared or nervous. Actually it just looked bored.

When I crouched down take this photo, the dog didn't get excited or wagged its tail. It merely looked at me as if to say, "What do you want?" Now, that is a New York dog. :-)

So when do you feel bored?

Patisserie Menu

Last Sunday, I went to Ceci-Cela Patisserie in Nolita (North of Little Italy) for breakfast. I got a cup of cappuccino and an almond croissant, and sat outside on a bench in front of the cafe. While eating my breakfast, I saw this menu printed on the wall connecting the cafe to the store next door. I took a photo of it because I love the colors and typography. It reminds me very much of Provence, south of France.

To see a photo of me after I finished the croissant, click here to the Making of NYC DP.

So what would you order for breakfast if you were at this cafe?

Back in New York City

I'm back in NYC and regular programming will resume.

This photo was taken a couple months ago at an Italian cafe called, Caffe Dante in the Greenwich Village . My friend and I were early for a movie so we stopped in here for some coffee and gelati, and that was when I noticed the reflection on the window. What you see there are some of the most beautiful and expensive townhouses in Manhattan. These buildings are very characteristic of the Village's architecture. The cafe is very popular among hipsters and tourists alike, so if you are even in NYC, you should stop by Caffe Dante.

So how was your month of July when I was away? Did anything exciting happen?

Ferrara @ Little Italy

Ferrara is one of the oldest and most well known family owned cafes in New York City. It is located in Little Italy on Grand Street between Mott and Mulberry Street. The cafe, initially called Caffe A. Ferrara, was opened by Italian immigrants, Antonio Ferrara and Enrico Scoppa in 1892. Antonio Ferrara's nephew married Enrico Scoppa's daughter in 1929 thus uniting the business under one family.

Today, Ferrara has expanded to include a number of cafes, bakeries, and a very successful mail-order business. It is well known for its delicious Italian pastries and cakes, and every Italian-American bride orders her wedding cake from the store. The business is still owned and run by the 5th generation of the original owners.

This photo was taken from the entrance of the flagship store in Little Italy. The cafe is always packed with patrons and getting a table at the cafe is almost impossible, especially during after-dinner hours.

Click here for another photo of the cafe.

Reflections

I was having dinner at the Sunnyside Grill, a favorite restaurant, this week and noticed the reflections on the table top. Out came my camera and asnapping I went. The little tiny lights you see are Christmas lights from the outside of the restaurant being reflected on the glass windows and then re-reflected onto the marble table top and water glass. It reminds me of a romantic cafe in Paris.

To put a New York City spin on it, you can see the elevated subway track on the upper right corner of the photo. That's the Number 7 train line that connects Times Square and Grand Central Station in Manhattan to Shea Stadium and Flushing in Queens.

So where and when was your most romantic dinner date?