It seems to have just hit me yesterday that we are now properly in the throes of summer, of 95 degree days without a semblance of a breeze, when walking 2 blocks for a coconut water calls for yet another shower. While the temperature is rather unpleasant, I am still holding on to how lovely an 8pm sunset, clear blue skies, and the feeling of sunshine on my skin are.
Admittedly, it is a challenge to peel myself away from my air conditioner, though I am trying to embrace New York summers and bask in some discomfort if it means I get a little extra outdoor time at sunset. More often than not this looks like a long walk through the park or reading on my roof, but it also often turns into eating outdoors across the city. I have also gotten this request several times from friends in the last couple months, inquiring about where to eat to lean into our longer days and get a little extra sun. Here are my recs for the cutest tables in New York for a bite outdoors to soak up every drop of summer.
Cafe Mado
When I caught wind that the team behind one of my very favorite restaurants was transforming their recently closed Michelin-starred restaurant into an all day cafe, I was elated. Just around the corner from my apartment is my new favorite neighbor serving delicious pastries and breakfast sandwiches with Parlor coffee, and a full lunch and dinner menu that rolls out by mid-day. The space is really lovely—the open kitchen greets you right as you walk in the door, with a spacious indoor coffee-shop that holds some stool seating and a few tables. Past the cafe, a beautiful, airy terrace hosts green suede booths, hanging plants, and an enormous skylight—fully enclosed with ample windows to let all of summer’s natural light stream in. This is, in my eyes, the epitome of perfect summer dining, to enjoy extended sunlight and blue skies while enjoying your food without breaking a sweat. Beyond the main dining room is a proper outdoor space—a backyard furnished with tables and chairs for morning patrons to enjoy breakfast sandwiches and coffee, before the tables are reserved for the more formal menu.
Starting in the AM, the pastries are very good, notably the financier kouign amann, chocolate chip cookie, and of course, the Laurel Bakery baguettes. They offer a breakfast sandwich on a house-made sweet potato milk bun, with a perfectly fried egg, a provolone-esque cheese, and a hashbrown that tastes like a samosa. Make sure you add the creamy harissa sauce they offer on the side!! They nailed the egg sandwich while still making it their own.
The Cafe Mado menu is predominantly small, vegetable-forward dishes. When I sat down for dinner a few weeks ago, I asked Allie, who I met at PDF well over a year ago and is now running the show at Mado, to order for us. The dishes we received were flavorful and exciting and most importantly, different from so many dishes I have tasted lately.
We started with the pissaladiere, an oniony focaccia covered in anchovies and olives with a squeeze of lemon, which was stellar. This was followed by springy grilled English peas served with freshly made cheese, and pickled bamboo served with clams in an incredible buttery broth. I am still thinking about the asparagus, soft yet snappy, that was served on with bagna cauda—a sauce made from garlic and anchovies, and one of Chef Nico’s top-five sauces, rightfully so. We got herbes de provence fries and a side of aioli, the blackened yuba, and the hake pil pil—which I learned is an emulsified sauce made from the fat from the fish and oil—a magical combination, as it turns out. 10s across the board paired with lovely wine, lovely service, and strawberry sorbet that knocked my socks off. I have been going weekly for breakfast and pastries but really look forward to sitting back down in that dining room to try the new additions to the ever-changing menu. Such a special place, and such a wonderful team!
Cervo’s
Duh! A Lower East Side staple and one of my favorites to return to regularly. Cervo’s will always be a sexy date night spot, my favorite Valentine’s Day rec, solo dinner treat, and outdoor table. Blocking off Canal Street, Cervo’s sets up a cluster of folding tables every night, all summer, for guests to enjoy their orange wine, oysters, and fried prawns. The way the sun sets on this block is unbelievable. It feels a bit like summer camp to be reclining on Canal at 8pm on a Friday enjoying a decadent meal.
The menu changes often and fortunately, is always good. The fried skate and french fries are always worth getting, as are the mussels, any salad they are concocting, and all the fish they have to offer. During my last visit, they had grilled asparagus on a plate with paprika and olive oil and an egg yolk, meant to be mixed on the plate to create a fresh, saucy aioli to pair with the asparagus. It was phenomenal. I love it here, order some fun cocktails and sit on Canal for hours, it is the most appropriate way to enjoy summer in NYC.
River Deli
The cutest corner of Brooklyn Heights is home to a perfectly simple, cheerful Italian restaurant . The interior is cozy, with mismatched antique plates, tiled floors and wooden tables, and a sense of quiet and calm without the fuss of a lot of Brooklyn’s buzzier Italian spots. What draws people here, beyond the recognition of being a beloved neighborhood restaurant, is the opportunity to sit among the beautiful historic brownstones of the neighborhood, on a relatively quiet street, and enjoy a bowl of fresh pasta. I was there last night for the first time and even in the 90 degree stagnant city air, I could see why it was so enticing to sit on the sidewalk in any condition. It is quaint and cute and quiet and representative of all the best parts of Brooklyn. It was also so quiet in the restaurant which reminds me of how nice it can be to eat out in the summer when so many patrons have vacated the city.
We got the fennel salad, ravioli in butter and sage sauce, lamb ragu, all properly simple and delicious. The star of the show was the special Mediterranean Branzino—deboned and sitting in some kind of wine-butter sauce topped with sweet onions, capers, tomatoes, and olives. I think we were all a bit surprised by how good the fish was, accompanied by rosemary roasted potatoes and sauteed greens. A little fish, a little pasta, some wine and bread, I could never complain. The selling point here is 100% the ambience, it is the kind of place you walk past and immediately want to turn around and go back to, just to indulge in the brownstone lifestyle of Brooklyn Height’s luckiest residents.
I took zero pictures, but thank goodness for Cathy! Look at the branzino!!
Where to next??
Lovely to read Olivia, as usual! You know Phoebe started working in nyc at Cervo’s? We are going to breakfast this morning at Cafe Mado! Now I’m even more excited.