Nolita is a tiny gem of a neighborhood nestled in between the hip and trendy areas of SoHo, NoHo, and the Lower East Side, but the ’hood whose acronym stands for “North of Little Italy” boasts a low-key cool. Kenmare, the main artery of Nolita, has gained recent acclaim for the onslaught of uber-bars peppering the street, but don’t let the red-ropes mislead you – gauging the pulse of Nolita based on Kenamre Street is like defining Williamsburg by Bedford Avenue – the best spots are off of the main drag.
Cruise south across Houston and veer onto some of the quaint side streets of Elizabeth and Mott that are lined with cute cafes, chic boutiques and niche restaurants that boast modest interiors, but deliver knockout flavors.
Here are three great restaurants to try next time you’re in Nolita:
Café Habana – 17 Prince Street at Elizabeth
If you have yet to hear someone in your circle of friends rant and rave about Café Habana, then you are bound to either hear it soon or be the first one to gush, because this place is that good. With modest décor and a funky interior, Café Habana harkens the downtown NYC diner-days of yore, but the food, oh the glorious food, is nothing short of Michelin star quality. Sure, Jean-Georges is not manning the gas grill, and the corn is served in a paper hot dog holder, instead of fine china, but who cares, the food is what you are there for, and the food is well worth the trip.
The grilled corn at Café Habana is a cult classic and at $4.25 a pop, you really can’t beat it. The chef
takes a plump ear of grilled corn and slathers it with butter and mayo, then sprinkles on a very healthy portion of cotija cheese and finishes off the master piece with a squeeze of lime and a dash of cayenne pepper for the perfect combination of zesty heat. One bite is all it takes to see why it has been assigned the nickname of “crack-corn,” because you will undoubtedly find yourself waking up at 1 am with sweat-induced cravings.
The grilled corn is not the only worthwhile dish on the menu, the Cuban sandwich holds its own, but in regards to actual entrée situations, I think the “Huevos Rancheros a Caballo is pretty delicious. Grass fed skirt steak that is tender and juicy sits atop a generous portion of Huevos Rancheros, and when you pop the sunny side up egg the yellow oozes perfectly over the skirt steak and all of the flavors meld together for a giant pop-wow of deliciousness.
Cafe Habana is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner and if you don’t feel like waiting in line for that scrumptious corn, there is a takeaway window right next-door so you can stand on the sidewalk and indulge while the rest of hungry patrons look on with envy.
Lovely Day – 196 Elizabeth between Prince and Spring Streets
Pop around the corner from Café Habana to the unassuming “Lovely Day” Thai restaurant – a name that can conjure up images of massage parlors boasting features beyond your average day spa – but
do not be led amiss by the kitschy name, Lovely Day is top notch Americana-Thai, and the line of hip Nolita gourmands confirms this. The fifties inspired interior, replete with diner-esque booths and vintage tile is a bit surprising and potentially off-putting at first glance, but it fits the vibe and adds to the idiosyncratic ambiance.
Try opting for a full gamut of appetizers and sharing one main course. Besides offering a smorgasbord of options to suit every inch of each diner’s curious palate, the appetizers at Lovely Day boast the best flavors and are simultaneously easy on the wallet (a concern for the majority of us not working on Wall Street!).
The “Julienne Vegetable Salad,” is an herbivores dream, and spiked with chili, peanut and lime, it isn’t as boring as plain ol’ veggies. The “Long Beans” with garlic chili sauce is also a palate pleaser and suitable for the veg-set, but the classic Thai “Summer Roll” takes the cake. Perfectly cooked shrimp nestled inside of rice paper and brimming with tofu, spring onion and rice noodles, and enhanced by a tamarind dipping sauce, it is like adding a Harry Winston necklace to a Valentino ball gown – it takes good and makes it that much better. Lovely Day is not a Valentino gown, nor does it have Valenitno bling – this isn’t the Upper East Side anyway – but it doesn’t need the glitz and the glam because the food is simple, delicious and downright lovely.
L’asso – 192 Mott Street at Kenmare
Finding Pizza in New York City is essentially the same as finding sand at the beach – it’s de rigueur for the territory – but finding a decent slice in atmosphere that doesn’t scream NYC tourist trap isn’t so simple. Us locals want to enjoy our pizza without listening to Johnny-North Dakota bellowing about
how excited he is “to try a piece of real New York City pizza” while his wife Mildred snaps a photo for memory.
L’asso is like the Montauk of pies, with its laid back atmosphere, attractive patrons, high brow/low brow mix that so many NYC restaurants try to achieve, but few find actual endured success with.
L’asso doesn’t tout itself as the quintessential New York Slice, rather it is “gourmet pizza” artfully made with top notch ingredients and seared to perfection in a wood-burning oven. Essentially an omnivores dream, the crunchy crust and locally raised toppings put a unique spin to New Yorkers favorite food, and L’asso has capitalized on this unique reputation.
The menu offers varied styles and shapes of pizza, including thick Chicago-style crust for those looking for a hearty bite, and thin crispy crust for those opting for a figure friendly option. Make sure you try the Pizza al Tartufo, which comes in a giant rectangle with mushroom pesto, gooey cheese, fresh rosemary and oh so naughty truffle oil – because everything is better with truffle oil; and the Pizza San Daniele with salty prosciutto, humongo slices of fresh melty mozzarella, peppery arugula, zesty parmesan cheese and a light drizzle of olive oil. Cheese and tomato pizza what?!?
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at NYU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.