I love socializing as much as the average bear — at least, a bear that goes out to dinner almost five nights a week — but there’s nothing I find as soul-filling as a solo day on the town.
You know when you’re on vacation and you’re so excited to write the itinerary, bop between exciting new restaurants and marvel at things along the way? That’s what an afternoon alone in New York can feel like, if you let it. So behold, one of my many dream-solo-day itineraries.
Single and ready to be seated
One of the many great joys of being a party of one: You can get in virtually anywhere. Especially at a restaurant with some bar seats, like Baby Blues Luncheonette in East Williamsburg, where they’re likely to have room for little old you, even on days when the brunch wait list closes by noon. True to its name, the restaurant is swaddled in baby blue, including the tables, chairs, booths and a metal shelving unit housing an impressive, nostalgia-inducing VHS collection.
Now, this is your day, so follow your heart. But if you want my recommendation, it’s The Hits plate ($34), which is labeled “to share” on the menu but is perfect for just me. Grilled halloumi, marinated feta, a soft boiled egg and smoked salmon are surrounded by pickled banana peppers, olives and a bunch of other vegetables. With a side of pita bread, you can sit there and build perfect bite after perfect bite, not worrying about sharing a thing. One unmissable order, though, is their Greek frappe ($6), strong and cinnamon-y and just on the brink of overflowing with milky foam.
Never skip lunch dessert
If sitting alone at a relaxing cafe in the afternoon is your ideal, as it is mine, your next move should be a leisurely 45-ish minute walk to Kettl Tea in Greenpoint. Just sitting in the spa-like white room is an antidote to a world of overstimulation — add a matcha cortado ($5) and a slice of pound cake ($6.50) to that, and you’re golden. My favorite of their three pound cake flavors has a tender, lightly sake-flavored batter and a perfect circle of dense, nutty adzuki bean paste in the center of each slice.
Bonus round: An activity! If you want to leave your book at home, make a reservation at their six-seat tea tasting counter, where you can order a flight of tea alongside your lunch dessert.
By now, it’s aperitivo hour
And just like that, it’s time for a cocktail, and Bar Americano is one of the best places in town for one of those. A drink here is especially lovely in the afternoon, when the room is sunny and the wraparound bar isn’t yet packed. They carry an impressive range of vermouths and aperitivo, but the house vermouth ($14) alone is destination-worthy — it’s topped with a fat layer of impossibly thick salted orange foam that would be lovely served in a huge bowl with a spoon.
Alternatively, try my favorite margarita in town ($17). It comes rimmed with a baby-pink powder, so salty and lip-smacking I was convinced it was Cheeto dust. It is, in fact, Campari salt, which I need to put on popcorn like I need air.
Now you’ve got a whole night ahead to spend with the best company of all: yourself.
180 Franklin Street (Java Street)
One Reader Question
Every year, we come to the Javits Center for a trade show, and by the end of each night, we want to try something new for dinner, but are too tired to go very far. Any suggestions for different dining options near the convention center? – Jennifer
Please tell me you’re going to the North American International Toy Fair? Either way, I’m sure you’ve tried some of the Manhattan West restaurants — if you haven’t, Ci Siamo is my favorite of them. It’s not cheap, but the pastas are terrific, namely the rigatoni alla gricia ($28) and the rabbit stracci ($29), as is the cheesy caramelized onion tart ($26).
That being said, what I’d want after a long day on the convention center floor is to go to Taqueria Diana, put in a takeout order for nachos, slug a Modelo while I wait, then book it back to the hotel room for dinner in bed. But that’s just me.
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