🍝 Cacio e Pepe, Pancakes, & Chocolate Chip Cookies
We are back, babyyy.
It’s been a minute (a few weeks)... we took a holiday hiatus and decided to let it ride. Now that February is here, it officially feels like the new year. Are you all eating healthy, or is that already over? I’m on the hunt for my favorite chocolate chip cookie in NYC and recently checked out Hani’s and From Lucie. Drop your favorites in the comments, and I’ll put together a cookie round-up soon! Read on—it's a long one this week.
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Cacio e Pepe / Via Carota, West Village
The key to dining at Via Carota? Sitting at the bar solo on a weekday afternoon—a pro tip from Rachel D. I immediately snagged a seat around 2 p.m. on a Tuesday and ordered the famous cacio e pepe. Normally, this pasta dish doesn’t blow me away, but I get why this one’s so hyped. It’s made the authentic Italian way—just cheese and pepper, no cream. -NB
Chocolate chunk cookie / Hani’s NYC, East Village
Hani’s is one of the hot new bakeries on the scene from the former pastry chef of the Gramercy Tavern. The triple chocolate chunk cookie included white chocolate and had a nice malted flavor. They didn’t have the cosmic brownie when I visited, so I’ll definitely need to go back. -NB
Chocolate chip cookie / From Lucie, East Village
Thin, crisp yet soft, and loaded with chocolate (both dark chunks and milk chips), with a dash of salt—this is the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve had in NYC so far. -NB
Pancake flight / Bubby’s, Tribeca
I first tried Bubby’s on a Sunday and the line was down the block on a freezing cold day. No thanks. We returned on a weekday afternoon and got a table right away. Since Bubby's is known for its pancakes, we went with the flight, and the berry compote was the best one. It provided a tangy balance with the soft, fluffy pancakes. -NB
Naan with carrot masala yogurt / Lola’s, Nomad
If you’re in Nomad and craving a post-work drink and bite, check out Lola’s. They’ve got great shareable apps, but the naan with creamy carrot masala yogurt dip was definitely the table favorite. -NB
🌴 Caesar salad / La Dolce Vita, Beverly Hills, LA
After canceling a res at Craig’s (I remembered the food wasn’t great), I booked one at La Dolce Vita for my birthday. The Caesar salad—prepared table-side!—might be the best I’ve ever had. The cheese on it was perfect. I also ordered the Bucatini al Limone, which was incredibly creamy. The vibe was a classic old-school feel, with updated touches. In true LA fashion, we spotted a celebrity: director Ron Howard. -Rachel D.
Tuesday day-drinking in NYC by Ashley M.
Call out of work. Head to the Chelsea Hotel and order a martini and French fries. These fries are the classy man’s McDonalds fries—golden, crisp, and hot. Make friends with the bartender because it’s 1pm and there’s few people at his bar, so when you ask about cocktails, he lets you sample then. Finish your martini and walk over to Sugarfish, because you should eat something—but not enough of a real meal. Of course, you get wine because your body is already numb from the Chelsea Hotel Lobby Bar martini (remember, there’s a 2 martini max here).
From here, you grab a cab and head to BonBon to get $30 worth of delicious candy. Everyone deserves a sweet treat.
Cab again to Fraunces Tavern. Day drinking and history because again, you’re classy day drinking. Ponder sitting at the whiskey bar but head to the original back room bar. Order the Love Potion, which is the perfect combination of gin, tonic, and basil that you actually feel some joy. This drink went down way too smooth for being served in a goblet.
Head to the Dead Rabbit next door… It’s overpacked, way too bright, but you have just the right amount of gin in you to overlook this and appreciate how the Christmas decor threw up inside of the bar. Order a wine as you’re already toasted and the bartenders aren’t nice.
Your final stop should include your local dive bar and light beers—this is hydration, of course. Stumble home with joy, an appreciation for gin, and NYC, and embrace the hellish hangover you’re about to have (thank god we have great bagels).
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Pot Pie
I thought a pot pie would be too complicated for a weeknight meal, but this one-skillet recipe from Caroline Chambers’ What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking was surprisingly easy—especially with a store-bought pie crust. I skipped the Parmesan to cut back on cheese, but I think it was needed for a bit of saltiness. The broccoli cheddar combination was delicious, like a giant Panera soup pie. Next time, I’d probably just make a classic pot pie, knowing how simple this was, or maybe reduce the amount of broccoli.
Email shitweatethisweek@substack.com what you’re cooking and we’ll add it to a future issue.
✨ Peter Luger, Willamsburg, Brooklyn
✨ Uncut Bagels, Jersey City
🌴 Miami recap:
✨ Pastis
✨ ViceVersa
✨ Klaw
Poppy’s in Brooklyn for chocolate chip cookie. I prefer to buy the frozen dough and make at home but they sell them made too :)