January always marks one of our annual trips back east for the New York Times Travel Show. And, who can spend a week in Manhattan without grazing and sampling?

3 Fun NYC Eats

Join us in this fun round-up of three fun NYC eats: fun Latin plates and drinks at Travesia’s in the Bronx, elegant tea & magic at Alice’s Tea Cup on the Upper West Side and a brand new French bistro in SoHo, appropriately called St. Tropez.

We always try to venture to an off-the-beaten path New York City borough for at least one meal and this time around on one incredibly cold winter night, we headed to the Bronx for Latin cuisine.  Not far from Patricia’s along East Tremont Avenue where we’ve dined before (fun Italian vibe), lies Travesia’s which offers creative Latin-fusion dishes & cocktails served in a snug space with a travel-themed decor.

Travesia’s NYC

Fun NYC Eats: A popular appetizer sampler at Travesia’s in the Bronx

NYC Eats: Travesaias Chaufan: their version of Peruvian Fried Rice

NYC Eats: A healthier and lighter option at Travesia’s is this Grilled Salmon Salad topped with carrots.

Beef sliders with crispy fries

NYC Fun Eats: A Mai Tai and a Virgin Pina Colada at Travesia’s

NYC Eats: Space for dessert? Simple but delicious: brownie with ice cream at Travesia’s!

St. Tropez in SoHO

We accidentally discovered newly opened St. Tropez in SoHo this past weekend. Quite frankly, I always go back to one of my favorite haunts or look for a little Italian eatery in SoHo I haven’t tried yet whenever I head to NYC because most of the time, all of their pasta is homemade and their dishes reasonably priced.

I had a great experience at Piccola Cucina Osteria Siciliana several years ago, which is a tiny authentic Italian bistro on Spring Street, a stone’s throw from the Spring Street metro stop. And so, we headed there and even got a table in the corner. Unfortunately the place was so crowded and noisy, we could barely hear ourselves talk so we left before we ordered. The food is great btw, but we needed a calmer evening after back-to-back meetings at the Javits all day.

NYC Eats: Above and below, the inside ambiance of newly opened St. Tropez in SoHo

We ducked into St. Tropez, a French restaurant next door to them also on Spring Street and learned from our waiter that we happened to be there on OPENING NIGHT. “We’re new,” he said and “just opened.” And he literally meant, JUST opened about an hour or so before we arrived. And so we met the French owner who apparently started off in NYC with only around $1,000 to his name, story has it. (we heard this from one of the staff not the owner directly).

Those of you who read us often know about our sister brand Luxury Foodies on Instagram and where we post real time photos (often in real time but not always) when we review restaurants and are on FAM trips. And so, it was fun to discover a new restaurant in SoHo by accident.

One of the things we loved about the restaurant is that there are no surprises — all apps are $12 and all main plates are $18, so super reasonable, especially by New York City standards. Salads are all $14 and sides are $7. The wine menu is also pretty extensive and reasonably priced by the glass and the bottle, mostly French as far as I could tell.

NYC Eats: Newly opened St. Tropez and their delicious meatballs

While there was a wild scallop dish on the menu that kept calling our name (served with truffle celery root mash btw), we opted to go with red meat because the red wine menu was so varied. We sampled some newbies (for us) so we could venture out of our typical Zin and Cab orders. They had a 2015 Vetriccie from Corsica on the menu (great on the palate and we almost ordered it) and several options from Rhone including a 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape and a more unusual Brezeme and Vacqueyras AOC.

After tasting a few, including a St. Emilion and a classic Bordeaux, we went with a French Cabernet Sauvignon. Yeah, I know I know — we did try to venture out but given the Ribs I ordered and the Daube Provencale Anthony ordered, the Cab was the smoothest option for pairing.

The ribs fell off the bone and everything was incredibly fresh and delicious.

Above and below: Ribs and the Daube Provendale, which is Braised Black Angus Beef Stew in a red wine sauce, served with black olives.

Let’s just say that if a dish has black olives in it, Anthony is more likely to try it.

Both dishes were super tasty especially with the French Cab. We started out with the meatballs because it’s rare that there is a meatball dish on the menu (appetizer or main course) and we don’t try it. They served it with Ratatouille, tomato sauce and parmesan.

I have to admit, it was a tough choice with the other options on the menu. For example, classic French apps included Grilled shrimp Provence style with herbs, sundried tomatoes and tarragon aioli, Snails with Zucchini and Tomatoes, and Braised Pork Belly with French BBQ sauce and Green Apply Syrup. (wow, right?) That said, we had to try the Eggplant in homemade Ricotta, the latter always hard for both of us to pass up as well. Les Aubergines were beautifully presented as well.

NYC Eats: above and below: Aubergines a la Ricotta

The ambiance is lovely here too and not quite as crowded as so many of the other eateries on the same block and in SoHo in general. There’s an open kitchen so you can see dishes come out the moment they’re ready.

They also offer Tartare (both Carpaccio de St. Jacques with wild scallops) and traditional Beef Filet made the epic French way with shallots, chives, egg yolk and French mayo, thankfully without the mustard. On the evening we were there, they offered a Veloute Dubarry (cauliflower creamy soup with truffle and potatoes). I imagine this will change often, so be sure to check their website before you go in for the latest menu.

Italian food lovers will appreciate that Risotto with oyster mushrooms is on the menu as is an Elbow pasta made with cheddar cheese, truffle oil and arugula. There’s also a Lamb Shank with a sweet potato mash in a red wine reduction as well as a Butcher’s Choice option, which is likely to change as well. And of course if you’re a cheese lover, you can choose from the Fromage and Charcuterie menu. Salad lovers can opt for the Frisee or Kale salad option.

DETAILS:

They also sell tea cups and pots in the entrance area of the shop. Super cute and quaint, you have to admit.

NYC Eats: Above and below, paintings on the walls at Alice’s Tea Cup on the Upper West Side.

NYC Eats: Yup, even Tarot in Wonderland is available.

Renee Blodgett

Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.

She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.

Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.

Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.