In Brooklyn, a borough filled with “chill” bars, it can be surprisingly difficult to find one that strikes the right balance between good food and drink, a friendly-yet-safe environment, and plenty of good art and music available to tickle the creative nerve.

Stain is the place you’ve been looking for. It’s conveniently situated in Williamsburg, but just enough off the beaten path to have avoided the Williamsburg cliches. The owner, Krista, painstakingly renovated the space to be eclectic and homey without being fussy or awkward. There’s free wireless internet, a back garden, and goodies like really great pretzels and mulled wine.

And Stain is devoted to all things local; their drink list only contains beers and wines from New York State, and their performers and artists are all local and unsigned. They host craft nights, open mic nights, art openings, costume theme parties, and too many other cool events to name. There’s a giant nickel made of car parts on the wall. And did I mention the mulled wine? It’s really good.

Stain Bar
766 Grand Street in Williamsburg
L to Grand Street
Opens daily at 5pm
718.387.7840

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Not quite ready for the trendy Chelsea nightclubs, plush velvet ropes and snarly bouncers on Ninth Avenue or you’re tired from hauling Loehman’s and Williams & Sonoma bags down Seventh? Relief is here in the form of tasty three-finger sandwiches, a resident sommelier, and a vast collection of award-winning and downright delicious wines.

From the owners: “Bar Veloce opened its doors in March, 2000 in Manhattan’s East Village. Fusing an Italian-style paninoteca (panini bar) with a modern wine bar, its goal was to deliver exciting, reasonably priced Italian wine and food to discerning New Yorkers.” Since the March opening, the owners have branched out to key downtown neighborhoods. Combining a sleek modern interiors (Dutch chairs) and soft track lighting with smooth sounds and the buzz of the after-work crowd, this Chelsea gem is not only stylish, but affordable.

The wine list is selected with great care (I found the rich, cherry & bark Nebbiolo superior) and the bartender is an expert at fine pairings. Flavorful bruscetta (the olive tapenade and parmesan cheese topped with a slice of red vine tomato is divine!), light, savory panini and a selection of rich desserts (the nutella panini will make you howl with pleasure) make Bar Veloce a haven for sampling great fare, sipping wine and enjoying conversation with your best friend or after-work mates.

Bar Veloce
176 7th Avenue
between 20th and 21st Sts. (Chelsea)
Subway: 1 to 18th Street

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So, being a culturally literate girl, you’ve just spilled out of a matinee at the New York City Ballet, or the Met, or the Symphony, or even an artsy movie at the Walter Reade theatre. And you’re hungry for something with a touch of class.

Stand at the Lincoln Center fountain and look across the street. See the sign for Cafe Fiorello? Good, head there.

Cafe Fiorello is a sophisticated Italian restaurant that glows with shiny dark wood paneling, lots of mirrors, and candlelight. The booths have small signs that say things like “Reserved for Renee Fleming” on the wall. The bread (divine) comes with olive oil for dipping, and if you order a Sprite, it comes in a glass carafe.

The antipasto bar greets you at the door with a colorful riot of seafood and vegetables. Also on the menu is thin-crust pizza, salads, pastas, and other Italian specialties. The food here is amazingly good, and the service matches; you’ll never go wanting, and they’ll bring you more bread if you ask.

Don’t fill up too fast, because dessert is not to be missed. The menu includes such delights as oversized cannolis, amaretto cheesecake, and homemade sorbet. My personal favorite is the chocolate mousse with whipped cream, which the server brings to the table in two big buckets and ladles out till you say “stop”. One bite and you’re in heaven.

During the afternoon you can generally walk in and get a table; however, if you plan to catch an evening performance at Lincoln Center and have dinner afterwards, you can make reservations via the phone or internet. It’s well worth the effort.

Cafe Fiorello
Weekdays, 11:30 am – 1:00 am
Saturdays, 10:00 am – 1:00 am
Sundays, 10:00 pm – 11:30 pm

1900 Broadway between 63rd and 64th Street
1 to 66th Street – Lincoln Center
212.595.5330

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It’s easy to find a decently drinkable latte in our city, thanks to the Starbucks on every corner (sometimes two). But a truly great latte? Not so easy to find.

Jonathan Rubinstein was working as a talent agent when he realized how difficult it is to find a coffeeshop that focuses on both their atmosphere and their coffee. He opened Joe the Art of Coffee in 2002, and four years later, he’s providing coffee for David Letterman and pulling espresso shots at three successful locations in downtown Manhattan.

There’s no question that the focus is on the coffee here. The hazelnut lattes have rendered me (a confirmed coffee snob) speechless on many occasions. They are big and creamy, with just the right amount of foam, and the baristas are skilled in latte art. Joe also serves some of the best chai in town; my mother, who doesn’t like to drink anything too sweet, will request a trip to get chai when she comes to visit.

The atmosphere is quiet enough for writers and students, despite the steady stream of traffic. The music is always eclectic and at a pleasant background level, and there’s usually a pile of recent issues of the Times and some postcards for indie films.

Joe the Art of Coffee has acquired the undeniable “cool” stamp as well, and it’s not just the Letterman connection. My husband and I have personally bumped into Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jake Gyllenhaal there. And Amy Sedaris bakes the cupcakes.

One caveat: all the locations are relatively small, with about a dozen cafe tables apiece, so you may have to hover for a while to stake a claim on one. But once you’re there, you can stay for hours.

Joe the Art of Coffee
141 Waverly Place at Sixth Avenue
B/D/F/V or A/C/E to West 4th Street
Weekdays 7am-8pm
Weekends 8am-8pm
212.924.6750

9 East 13th Street between Fifth Avenue & University Place
4/5/6 or N/R to Union Square
Weekdays 7am-8pm
Weekends 8am-8pm
212.924.7400

130 Greene Street between W. Houston Street and Prince Street
In the flagship Alessi Store
R/W to Prince or B/D/F/V/6 to Broadway-Lafayette
Weekdays 7am-7pm
Saturday 8am-7pm
Sunday 8am-6pm
212.941.7330

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I stumbled on to Pala by sheer accident. It was a late Saturday night and Allen was buzzing with outdoor conversations, bottles of wine being uncorked and cabs screeching to a collective halt. My girlfriend and I were famished and headed into the open-air restaurant to grab a slice on the run.

We certainly didn’t expect to fall madly in love. Although Pala was packed the gills, one never felt claustrophobic as the structure is much like a garage, with fresh air, open space and tables flowing out to the sidewalk. Each table is adorned with sprigs of fresh oregano (for pizza topping) and the menu is bountiful (40 Italian wines, over a dozen unique pizzas). We started off with the spinach salad – which was to die for – a plate filled with organic greens, fresh blue cheese and browned walnuts. Next up was the zucca pizza (pumpkin and top-notch pancetta) for me and the spicy cherry tomatoes and chunks of fresh mozzarella for my friend. The menu was filled with delish antipasti, salads and pizzas – so decision making was trying.

Be prepared the pizzas are HUGE! For $8, you get a foot-long, thin crust pizza that can easily feed two. With attentive service, remarkable and green conscious food (organic dough and ingredients), Pala boasts a chic, comfortable vibe and good with great flavor.

Tip: Akin to Rome, pizza is served by the foot (a steal at $8) and easily feeds two. If you’re in a hurry, you can order up pre-made slices at the counter. Also, CASH ONLY.

Pala
198 Allen St
New York, NY 10002
(212) 614-7252
Between Houston Street and Stanton Street
Subway: F, V at 2 Ave

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Hankering for walnut brownies, overstuffed ciabatta sandwiches, homemade granola, piping-hot peanut butter cookies without all the yuppified Park Slope attitude? My home base for long conversations and tasty fare has been Naidre’s, a sweet cafe that escapes the stroller-mom madness of bustling Park Slope.

Inside resembles your breakfast nook replete with cookie jars, coffee pots, handwritten signs and the latest issues of Seed, Business Week, Entrepreneur, O and Time Out New York, spread out amongst the tables. Service is quick and incredibly friendly and you can tell a little bit of love goes into everything they make. From fresh tuna melts on multi-grain bread to the cinnamon raisin organic home-made oatmeal that sells out in a flash, to a bevy of healthy and decadent sandwiches, the options are bountiful and the vibe decidedly laid-back.

If the sumptuous selection of baked goods (some vegan, sugar and gluten-free but all are divine) don’t lure you back, check out their no cell phone policy – imagine a quiet lunch without someone barking into their phone. There is no table turn policy here and I’ve spent afternoon hours munching on energy cookies (think granola, cranberries and all the healthy bits rolled into a fortifying treat) and sipping on raspberry ice-teas. The coffee is always strong and fresh, and tea selections delightful (black current, mango, english breakfast, and a variety of green teas).

So head in with the breakfast crowd for fresh food on the go or kick back in the later hours at this Park Slope down-home cafe.

Two Locations:
Park Slope
384 7th Avenue
(Between 11th & 12th Streets)
Brooklyn 11215
TEL 718-965-7585
EMAIL naidre@naidres.com
Subway: F to Seventh Avenue

Carroll Gardens
502 Henry Street
(corner of Sackett)
Brooklyn, NY 11231
TEL 718-596-3400
EMAIL naidre@naidres.com

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Voted “Best New Bar/Lounge” by Time Out New York, this saucy brothel-turned-bar heats up the revitalized “Loho” (Lower Houston) lounge scene. You may just miss it with its non descript entryway with a hot pink awning that reads “health club”, but those in the know have just spied the hippest downtown lounge.

But once inside, lounge in set-in red velvet banquettes on street level, where you always feel like a VIP, or descend to the DJ-ready basement, where the original steam rooms have been renovated as tiled booths hosting private parties. The almost naughty feel harkens back to a 70′s New York where it was the last days of disco and anything could happen below the Bowery.

The patrons are mostly fashionistas who haunt the nearby trendy Chinatown shops, however, a bevy of bi-weekly reading series has drawn the smart art kids. The now-infamous Happy Ending Reading Series (2 Wednesdays per month) hosted by the charming author, Amanda Stern, showcases emerging authors and musicians, who are all required to take a public risk during their performance. Village Voice columnist, Rachel Kramer Bussel’s new In the Flesh Reading series, evokes nostalgia for this former massage parlor, where a happy ending, rather than decadent cocktails, was on the menu.

Happy Ending Lounge
302 Broome Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 334-9676
Cross Street: Between Forsyth Street and Eldridge Street
Subway: B, D train to Grand St or F to Delancey

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Want to dine like a celebrity or just get treated like one? Tempo, a sleek Park Slope eatery promises all the savoir fare of Manhattan dining without all the attitude. From the cream-colored stucco walls and crushed silk draperies, to the warm wooden tables and soft candlelight, the owners (all three working partners, veterans of Manhattan’s eminent restaurants, including chef Michael Fiore (of famed Babbo, are intimately involved in all aspects of the dining experience from the decor to the wine list) seek to offer a comforting environment and elegant fare.

Whether you chose to dine at the 20-foot-long cork-topped food and wine bar, or dine in one of the two stylishly appointed dining rooms, a night at Tempo will quickly become your weekend (as well as weekday) hot spot. Well-trained sommeliers are on hand to help the amateur enthusiast on their wine picks as well as the more adventurous connoisseurs and with an extensive wine list boasting a variety of grapes from regions in Italy, Spain, France and the U.S., diners won’t be wont for ideas.

Primarily Mediterranean, the menu is influenced by Tuscan flavors. I savored the organic chicken served with okives, preserved lemon, saffron, ginger, coriander leaves, along with chick peas fries. Alongside a creamy polenta appetizer and a special butternut squash soup, the food was complex in seasoning and preparation, sumptuous and elegant in presentation. All the while, the attentive staff always ensured our wine glasses were tapped and our needs were always met. I left feel incredibly pampered and ultimately satisfied.

In Park Slope? Make Tempo your essential eating stop.

Tempo Restaurant & Wine Bar
256 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Between Carroll and Garfield Streets
Subway: R to Union Street

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Sometimes it’s necessary that a girl kicks her heels off after a long day of drudgery to indulge in a glass of fine wine in a sweet spot that evokes lazy late afternoons in Bordeaux. So it was downright imperative that a bunch of us stressed-out gals meet for some crisp whites and some spicy reds at winebar, a new hotspot in the East Village. The built in walls are lined with pristine bottles, and the cavernous atmosphere, replete with candles and comfortable seating, renders this a must-visit spot.

Consider White Zinfandels and merlots a thing of the past, and sample the vast selection of premium vintages and affordable wines ($8-$14 range, although many are priced around $8) along with tasty finger foods. Whites and red hail from the, yawn, usual suspects: Italy, France, Spain, but how surprising to find Turkey, Lebanon, Greece, obscure regions in western, as well as eastern Europe. I tried a crisp Sav Blanc from Greece and a Vina Sastre from Spain and found the white smooth with a hint of apple flavor and the red pretty spicy.

winebar’s staff is exceptionally attuned to the latest trends in wine, and they’re quite eager to offer information on vintages, a particular grape’s season, and they’ll recommend up a new flavor if you’ve grown tired of the same old Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Fab for wine snobs but not intimidating for those that don’t have discriminating palates, winebar is a sleek, chic stop before you board the subway home.

winebar
65 2nd Ave,
New York City
Btwn 3rd & 4th St
212-777-1608
Subway: F/V to Second Avenue

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Don’t let the Saturday Night Live retro-style floor throw you, for there’s nothing polyester kitsch about Gavin Brown’s gallery space cum bar. Deconstructed, minimalist decor (think tiny art deco stools, mirrored walls) and a steady stream of potent cocktails draws the most stylish of the art world and those in the know about a spot so reclusive, it rightly earns its name – you very well would pass this speak-easy type bar by. But if you’re set to buckle down for a dirty martini while listening to some serious beats, and want to avoid the frenetic and uber trendy Meat Packing bars, then sneak into Passerby.

But leave the Jessica Simpson inspired cowboy boots at home, ladies, because patrons could care less whether you don Pucci or vintage threads.

And in a city whose nightlife barely starts at midnight, expect this happening spot to reach its optimum stride in the wee morning hours, where the doors close and the fun really begins.

TIP: Warning: Passerby is small, but well worth the visit; ideal if you’re with a friend or date. If you’re carting crew, arrive early to secure one of the highly coveted tables.

Passerby
436 W 15th St btwn 9/10th Avenue
New York City
212-206-6847
Subway: A/C/E to 14th St; L to Eighth Ave

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