Good Eats in NYC

What I found when I searched "pigs eating" on Pinterest.

This weekend might as well have been titled "Meri eats Manhattan" because that's pretty much what it was. Starting with a delicious home-cooked Blue Apron meal on Friday evening (followed by a slice of pizza at a party and then late night mac cheese (it was a fun Friday!)), Saturday included two delicious meals out (more on those in a minute) and Sunday started with Dim Sum, took a trip to Citi Field for a Nathan's hot dog and ended with sushi and bubble tea from the restaurants attached to my apartment building. I consider weighing anything less than 300 lbs this morning a modern miracle. But because all good meals should be shared, I wanted to tell you specifically about Saturday's eats so that you can venture out and (over)indulge just like I did.

* Cafe Habana (17 Prince St. at Elizabeth)

I have been walking past this little blue Cuban shop in Soho for years, reading that its a favorite of Matthew Mcconaughey's and keeping it high on my "for someday" places to eat list. Well, Saturday was the day and Cafe Habana did not disappoint. Ever since going to see Chef, I have been craving some delicious Cuban cuisine and Cafe Habana totally nailed it! A tiny restaurant that did require a 15 minute wait (not too bad for 2pm on a sunny Saturday) Dr. H and I sat at the bar counter and enjoyed every last bite of our Cuban and Molletes sandwiches (I also highly recommend the spicy bloody mary!) And though we didn't order the "famous corn", it was only because I went for chorizo and avocado on my molletes and even I would have had capacity issues at that point. Obviously we will have to go back. The perfect spot for summer brunch with your ladies or an informal but quintessentially ethnic NYC dinner with your man, check out Cafe Habana today!

* Babbo (110 Waverly btw 6th & Washington Sqr Park West)

Babbo is a fancy pants Greenwich Village spot serving up high-end Italian fare from the infamous chef Mario Batali. Thanks to a generous gift certificate from Mommy-in-Law and a fortuitous stroll past the restaurant that afternoon nabbing a reservation for that night (more on that in a minute!) we enjoyed a 3 course meal of impeccably prepared and served food. Babbo is one of those spots where everything on the menu is delicious and unique. From grilled octopus and warm lamb's tongue with a 3-minute egg to chianti stained pappardelle and black spaghetti with rock shrimp, it's nearly impossible to go wrong. And considering the prestige of the place, with main courses all priced within the $20-36 range, Babbo is certainly expensive, but by NYC standards not at all outrageous. Getting in on the other hand can be tricky, since reservations are almost all scooped up promptly 1 month in advance. But for my fellow night owls, Dr. H and I dined at 10:30pm on Saturday and once before  at 10pm (and neither time with much (any?) advance planning) so you can be organized or flexible, either way being worth the trip!