Drinks & Ceviche / Venezuelan Arepas / Fondue or Cupcakes: All On One Block

What: Desnuda (Drinks/Ceviche Apps) → Caracas Arepa Bar (Dinner) → Bourgeois Pig (Fondue) / Butter Lane Cupcakes (Dessert)
Neighborhood: East Village
Duration: 2-3.5 Hours
Preparation: No reservations accepted at any of these spots, expect a potential wait so make sure to give your name to the host/ess at each location before you go to the prior destination (e.g. Caracas before Desnuda, Bourgeois Pig before Caracas)

Imagine if you could get quality brunch (7A), lunch (Porchetta, Luke’s Lobster), dinner, dessert and drinks, including Venezuelan (Caracas), Greek (Pylos) and Japanese (Kyo Ya) food as well as ceviche (Desnuda), fondue (Bourgeois Pig) and cupcakes (Butter Lane Cupcakes) all on one city block. East 7th Street, between Avenue A and 1st Avenue, is just that block…one of the many food destinations in the city.

Start out your night by checking in on the wait time at Caracas. If there’s a wait, give your name and let them know you’ll be getting a drink down the block while you wait for your table (if there’s no wait, you can let them know you’ll be back so that at least they will recognize you). Walk over to Desnuda and grab a couple of seats at the long, narrow bar. Order a glass of wine and enjoy the complementary truffle oil popcorn while you hear the daily ceviche menu explained by one of the two staff members (if you want a pre-dinner ceviche snack).

Before you head back over to Caracas, stop into Bourgeois Pig (if you’re going to want fondue and/or drinks after dinner) and check to see if there is a wait for seating with the host/ess. Either way, let them know you’ll be grabbing dinner nearby and will be back a little later. At Caracas, order between 2-4 arepas (small pita-like pockets made of cornmeal stuffed with various items) and other small things to share, and definitely try the homemade sauce on each table. After dinner, walk to Bourgeois Pig for more drinks and fondue (cheese or sweet options) or hit up Butter Lane Cupcakes, a quaint cupcake-exclusive bakery nearby.

Something to note: On Monday and Tuesday nights, bottles of wine are half price at Bourgeois Pig.

Two other great options for dinner instead of Caracas are Pylos and Kyo Ya, which both take reservations. Kyo Ya is considered to be one of the best traditional Japanese restaurants in the city while Pylos is a neighborhood favorite serving authentic Greek food and wine with solid ambiance.

Desnuda
Wine Bar, Ceviche
122 E 7th St (btwn Ave A & 1st Ave), South side of street; 212.254.3515
Notes: Small, intimate, very narrow ceviche and wine bar, great date spot and atmosphere, only about 20 seats around the long bar, decent wine selection with menu of ceviche and oysters, all food prepared by one or two (very friendly) people behind the bar so sometimes a bit of a wait, good complementary truffle oil popcorn, cool hacienda-like fans above you, great for getting a bottle of wine and a light snack to start out your night or grabbing a glass while waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant (Caracas) or bar (Bourgeois Pig, Death & Co.).

Caracas Arepa Bar
Restaurant, Venezuelan / South American
91 E 7th St (btwn Ave A & 1st Ave), North side of street; 212.228.5062
Prices: Arepas/Empanadas/Salads: Less than $10; Entrees: Low-Mid $10’s
No Reservations Accepted
Notes: Popular homemade Venezuelan food joint, neighborhood atmosphere, very cheap, great assortment of arepas (small pita-like pockets made of cornmeal stuffed with various items), empanadas and other dishes, order a few things to share, definitely try the house sauce that is on every table, expect potentially long waits during prime dinner hours, but give your name and go for a drink nearby.
How to find it: Look for the Caracas Arepa Bar sign, Caracas To Go is the smaller take-out/eat-in location next door.

Bourgeois Pig
Bar / Lounge, Specialty Cocktails / Fondue
111 E 7th St (btwn Ave A & 1st Ave), North side of street; 212.475.2246
Notes: Romantic, intimate spot with bordello-like décor, large chandelier, a bunch of 2-person seating arrangements with antique armchairs, stools with ledges and bar seating, food selection consists of small plates with a focus on fondue, specialty drinks list concocted by same mixologist as Death & Co. (same owner), try to find seats by the window in the corner, expect a wait on popular nights, great for a date.
Deals: On Mondays and Tuesdays, from 6pm-2am, half-priced bottles of wine (call to confirm).

Butter Lane Cupcakes
Bakery, Cupcakes
123 E 7th St (btwn Ave A & 1st Ave), North side of street; 212.677.2880
Hours: Mon-Thu: 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-Midnight, Sun: 11am-10pm
Notes: Quaint, cupcake-exclusive bakery, “cupcakes for grownups” slogan stresses a focus on the use of pure ingredients, good assortment to choose from, outdoor seating only.

Other Dinner Options
Pylos
Restaurant, Greek
128 E 7th St (btwn Ave A & 1st Ave), South side of street; 212.473.0220
Prices: Apps: Less than $10 – Low $10’s; Entrees: Upper $10’s – Upper $20’s
Reservations: 212.473.0220
Notes: A favorite of many in-the-know food lovers, provides rustic Greek home cooking in an authentic and sleek setting, dim lit with great ambiance and service, all-Greek wine list, better apps than entrees but solid food in general, ceiling made of hundreds of hanging clay potts, make a reservation to avoid a potential wait.

Kyo Ya
Restaurant, Japanese
94 E 7th St (btwn Ave A & 1st Ave), South side of street; 212.982.4140
Prices: Apps: Less than $10 – Upper $10’s; Entrees: Mid $10’s – Upper $20’s
Reservations: 212.982.4140
Notes: Hailed as one of the best Japanese restaurants in the city, this hidden gem only has an “open” sign, focus not on sushi but traditional Japanese food and kaiseki-style (small-size tasting portions with bold flavors), can get relatively pricey especially if you’re ordering sake/drinks, tranquil and minimalist décor with excellent service, authentic experience, can get crowded so make a reservation.
How to find it: Look for the address and the lit up “Open” sign, walk down the stairs to get to the entrance.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 12:30 pm and is filed under FreshIdeas and tagged with ceviche, cupcakes, dinner, drinks, east village, fondue, greek, japanese, venezuelan, wine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.