Cafe Espanol in Greenwich Village
Last Saturday, my husband Troy and I traveled to New York City for a short visit . . . unfortunately, it was way too short!
Our arrival into Manhattan’s Greenwich Village was via one of those fast, wild New York cab rides. We were dropped at the apartment we rented for our stay on Bleecker Street, near New York University.
A friend had highly recommended that we go to John’s Pizza while we were in New York. In addition to our friends recommendation, on the flight in, there was a short blurb in United’s Hemisphere magazine on John’s being one of the best NYC pizza places – but “no slices!” This is where we wanted to go for dinner, but when we flew by in the cab, we saw the line of people waiting to eat there was way out the door.
After getting settled in the apartment, we had decided the line was too long at John’s and we really wanted a beer and food, NOW! Luckily, Bleecker Street is full of restaurants. Just on our block there are at least six restaurants! We decided to walk down the street a bit and came upon a Spanish restaurant, Cafe Espanol, which is a charming restaurant. It looked small from the outside – narrow and deep. They had several rooms for dining, a front patio and a garden. We ate out on the front patio, so entertaining!
There was an extensive menu, with at least 50 tapas and entrees. These included meat, poultry, fish, seafood and many lobster dishes. Seeing how it was late, Troy and I didn’t want a heavy meal. So many choices! First, BEER! Though we should have gotten sangria, we quenched our thirst with Negra Modelo.
Our Negra Modelo along with a olive oil, garlic, olive, and pimento dipping sauce
The meal started with fresh bread, served with a dipping sauce of olive oil, garlic, olives, and pimentos. I have got to try to make this at home! Next we ordered the avocado salad, which was full of Haas avocados, romaine lettuce, and tomatoes along with a flavorful, creamy vinaigrette. Next Troy ordered a tapa, Lomo de cedro con champinones, pork loin with sautéed mushrooms and wine. This was delicious! We also ordered some sautéed string beans.
The avocado salad at Cafe Espanol
Lomo de cedro con champinones tapa, pork loin with sautéed mushrooms and wine
Sautéed green beans
The service was fantastic–attentive but not overbearing. All of our servers were men that all seemed to love their job. They even offered to take our picture! Should you happen to be in this neighborhood, Troy and I would recommend this restaurant, not only for the food but the atmosphere. As we sat on the patio, we watched the people and the traffic . . . driving by was a Bentley, a Rolls Royce, and several hundred taxis. Hello New York!
~Susie