Ever so rarely in this darling city of ours do you hit the restaurant trinity: amazing food, fabulous vibe, and top-notch service. One? All over the place. Two? No problem. But three out of three? That’s a rarity I’m certainly willing to sing about.
Last night I had the true pleasure to dine in a place that excelled in all three areas, plus introduced a lovely urban Mediterranean concept that is quite brilliant and will sure to be making a splash in the restaurant industry, the West Village’s Melibea. Chef Alex Urena creates dishes that are inspired by countries touching the Mediterranean Sea: Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Morocco and Turkey. Put a NYC urban twist on things, and you have exquisitely presented dishes that are fresh and savory on the tastebuds, and aesthetically pleasing on the eyes. Wouldn’t you agree?
I also applaud that the produce is sourced locally right here in NYC from local farmer’s markets. In chatting with the bartender, I found that whatever is fresh and good that day at the market is what inspires the evening’s menu.
Chef Alex states, “I’m honored to lead the kitchen at Melibea and I’m excited to take our guests on a culinary tour of the Mediterranean. My approach is honest and consistent cooking that entertains the palate with bold flavors. I think our new menu will engage our guests’ intellects as well.”
WHERE: Melibea
2 Bank Street New York, New York
Jessica Tiare Bowen lives in the juicy Big Apple with her adorable pink-nosed chihuahua, Gillman. He’s the inspiration for her first published children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy.” The book is the combined result of her two greatest passions: pooches and penning stories.
Her passions include art, urban hikes through Manhattan, drinking coffee with 3 creams and 6 sugars, making extremely detailed itineraries and traveling to far away places, singing along to Broadway shows, Netflix movie nights, discovering incredible treasures at Goodwill and thrift stores, and listening to stories from little people under 7 and big people over 70.
She started her career as New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching elementary school and theater arts at a special education school in the South Bronx for 6 years. She is now a Special Education School Improvement Specialist working in public schools throughout New York City. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the online New York City travel magazine, Used York City. The magazine focuses on finding the best of New York…as used by New Yorkers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and an ASPCA Ambassador.
