Welcome to the first ever BLD. Our attempt to take you on a delicious, one-day, culinary journey through Manhattan – one neighborhood at a time. The first stop on our tour is the East Village. Our definition being North of Houston, West of 4th Ave/Lafayette, South of 14th St.

The date: Saturday 5/22

10:45 am: I turn on 12th street heading East towards Avenue B. Pull up at Northern Spy Food Co – 511 East 12th St. sit on the curb and wait. They don’t open till 11. The clock ticks slower than usual as I take this time to contemplate what I’m about to order while browsing the menu on my IPhone. I’m in the mood for eggs. So I choose the slow-whisked scrambled eggs with house made sausage and potato flatbread. I chose well. The eggs are fluffy, the sausage a big piece of salty goodness and truly one of the more memorable flatbreads I’ve had in a while. I wash it all down with a blood-orange mimosa. This has been a terrific start to my day.

After a long walk through Alphabet City with a few stops along the way, I’m ready for lunch.

2:00 pm: Breakfast was really more like brunch and I’m still full so I opt for a quick bite. I want a hot dog. Not a dirty water dog though. Something different. I cut over to St. Marks and walk back towards first. I’ve arrived at my destination. Crif Dogs – 113 St. Marks Pl. This place has two main distinctions. First is that it’s the hidden entrance to PDT – one of the coolest speakeasy’s in the city. Second, the hot dogs are awesome. I opt for a personal favorite – the Philly Tubesteak. A hot dog, cheese, sauteed onions, and jalapeno’s. If I thought I was full before, I was wrong. But if you’re gonna stuff your face, stuff it with things you love!

No long walk this time around. I jump in a cab, go home and hit the couch – it’s time for a nap.

8:15 pm: Dinner time. I’ve got a craving for sushi and if it’s sushi in the east village it’s gotta be Kanoyama – 175 2nd Ave. I start with a 5/5 “go-go” roll. A quirky, inventive little dish. Vegetables wrapped in fluke served on a bed of their fantastic ginger dressing. Next up is the Spicy Tartar. Three crunchy cones stuffed with tuna tartar. I’d eat these any day, any time – they’re that good. The selection of fish here is so fresh and so diverse it’s in your best interest to let the chef choose for you. So I order the Omakase. I’ve learned that if you find yourself staring at something you’ve never seen before, don’t ask questions, just enjoy.

And that’s it. That’s my East Village BLD. I’m taking this weekend off to catch some Memorial Day rays but be sure to tune in for BLD in two weeks when we check out the UWS.

“I wanna love you. BLD!” -Michael Jackson, kind-of.

This Saturday I’m spending the day in the East Village. It’s the first in a series I’ll be posting here called BLD (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner not Bacon, Lettuce, Domato!).  Each weekend, with the exception of Memorial Day, I’m going to try and knock out the perfect neighborhood daily dining experience. The premise is simple. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner one neighborhood at a time in order to continue finding the best New York City has to offer. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy researching!

I had a spur of the moment dinner the other night. Wasn’t sure what I was going to eat. Walking south on 1st Ave. I started to pass Hearth and ran in to see if there was an available table for two. They had a small table asking for the check or two seats open by the kitchen. I didn’t want to wait so I chose the kitchen seats. This is definitely one of the better decisions I’ve made in a while. It’s a painfully fun experience. Fun because each dish leaves the kitchen two feet to your left and looks oh so good. Painful because you only get to eat what you ordered. I started with the rock shrimp appetizer served with Morels, Asparagus, and a few strategically placed gnocchi. Contrasting textures and complementing flavors, a great start to the meal. Next I asked for the chef’s suggestion – Pork Loin served with Morels, Fava, and Pork Sausage. The biggest problem with these seats is deciding what to get as the various dishes fly by. So ask the chef. He steered me in the right direction. To share we chose a side of the gnocchi. Hearth’s gnocchi is second to none in this city and should be recognized as such. If there was an award for best gnocchi they’d get my vote. In fact, I’m creating an award right now. To Hearth I present the MVG award for Most Valuable Gnocchi. If you’re near 12th and 1st and you’re looking for a good bite, different than your run-of-the-mill dining experience, check out Hearth – 403 East 12th St.  and sit by the kitchen. You won’t find seats like these on stubhub.