Tag Archives: New York City Restaurants

The Smile on Bond Street

The Smile meatballsWalking into The Smile, I walked in from a chilly Manhattan to a cozy cabin-style decor restaurant where it seemed like everyone wanted to be on a cold winter evening. The rustic wood, the holiday mantel decor all added to the style of the establishment.

I wasn’t all that hungry when I was here, which is unfortunate because when I opened up the menu I couldn’t decide what to order — everything sounded so fresh and tasty! I ultimately ordered just a small appetizer portion of the Lamb Meatballs. The taste of lamb brings back so many memories because my grandmother used to often cook with lamb. And of course The Smile spiced them the same way my Nannie used to — with mint! Drenched in a spiced red sauce, these meatballs were impeccable. Actually, The Meatball Shop should take some pointers because their meatballs are nothing like this!

Hopefully I will return soon, this is a place my boyfriend will love. What else will I be trying on my next visit? I have my eyes on their pasta dishes — which apparently change because the one on the website is different than what I saw the other evening. The menu is very reasonably priced and is definitely a great place for a person to go if they are on a tight budget.

Location-wise this is a fantastic place to go to if you are over by the Washington Square Park area or looking to make your way out of Soho after some shopping. It’s only a couple of blocks off of Broadway and is very easy to get to.

Little Muenster Grilled Cheese

grilled cheese restaurant
You may be wondering how an entire business can focus on a childhood favorite like grilled cheese… It’s easy! The grilled cheese sandwiches at Little Muenster are not your stereotypical white bread meets American cheese. The chef at this restaurant has amped-up the simple sandwich into a sophisticated one by combining high-end cheeses with other ingredients to compliment them. For example, I ordered the #4 — which is Asiago, Parmesan and Muenster cheese with butternut squash and sage brown butter on peasant bread.

When hot, the Muenster cheese was perfectly stringy, the peasant bread was buttered and perfectly cooked until golden brown which ultimately created the perfect crunchy texture, and the butternut squash had a smooth, thick texture in the sandwich. The sage brown butter added the perfect sweetness in addition to the butternut squash. Would I order this sandwich again? You betcha! The entire menu is grilled cheese, although you are able to order a soup or salad on the side as well. I have been told their tomato soup is to die for, but I was perfectly satisfied with the grilled cheese.

My friend Stefanie and I had planned to head to Little Muenster on the Lower East Side — and we both couldn’t wait to go! For both of us, it was our first time going and I don’t know about her, but I was shocked to see how small the restaurant was. The space probably could comfortably fit maybe 15 people. So we ordered our sandwiches and had to wait a few minutes for people to finish up eating. This place is not a great spot to go to if you are looking to sit down and take your time eating. Once you order, it takes maybe 15 minutes for your food to be prepared. (I know, 15 minutes may seem like a long time for a simple grilled cheese to cook. But remember: some cheese takes a longer time to melt than others.) Next to the Meatball Shop, this is a fantastic place to find your favorite comfort food!

Note: this is the way I will make my future children’s grilled cheeses. No more dinky sandwiches… I now know how to spice it up at home!

Click here to see what Serious Eats has to say about Little Muenster!