Flatiron District, 22nd Street Between Fifth And Sixth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….…………… …..……………….. click to enlarge

Back to Allegretti.  Yvette had survived and we proceeded to have an impressive dinner.  In fact, this was probably the best Restaurant Week meal I had, in that there were no weak links.  Asia de Cuba had a possibly more delicious entree and dessert, but the appetizer was not much good.  This is what I had at Allegretti:  We shared an extra appetizer of grilled octopus with some kind of delicious rice combination, umm good.  Tuna tartar, 3 mounds on cucumber slices with something crispy, ummm, good.  Risotto with crab and asparagus.  After I finished, I realized I hadn't tasted much crab, but it was delicious all the same.  Black cherry clafouti,  ummm good.  The food deserved a better room; it was a rectangle with small square tables scattered around.  They serve the same prix fixe year round for $39.  Or does it change daily, as website says?

Flatiron District, 22nd Street at Sixth Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….… .................................…………….. click to enlarge

The sign says only "Pizza".  No name. I was hardly paying attention to it.  However, I was checking Songlines just to see what was on this block and discovered it's called Maffei Pizza and that the Village Voice called it a "culinary nirvana."  Take a look at its web presence.  You just never know.

Okay, so now I've come to the end of the block and I must run back to Allegretti before Yvette starts gnawing her knuckles.

Flatiron District, 22nd Street Between Fifth And Sixth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….…………… …….............…………….. click to enlarge

There at the red awning is Allegretti, where I'm to meet Yvette for our Restaurant Week dinner.  I've already received a text from her saying, hurry up, I'm starving, I've been here since 6 (it's going on 7), but she's going to have to wait a few minutes longer while I photograph the rest of this street.  I'm not late yet, after all.

Flatiron District, 22nd Street Between Fifth And Sixth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

Right now, this is my favorite building in the city.  I spent a lot of time with it today, looking at it, wondering about it.  There was not much to discover about it on the web, just that it was built in 1904 and is residential.  Don't you wonder what the apartments look like?  One to a floor, two?  Isn't that a remarkable entrance for such a narrow building?  They've screwed around with it and someone really made a wrong move painting the columns halfway up, but it's still pretty impressive. 

I didn't notice the ground floor restaurant when I shot it and I can't find out its current name, but whatever it is, I need to try it.  And take a closer look at the building.  And try to meet someone who lives there and make friends with them.  And then visit them.

Gramercy, 22nd Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington

Mary Sargent © 2006 …………….........……………….. click to enlarge

I wanted to make fun of School of the Future based on their sign which looks 1930s to me, but I was rebuked by their website which extolls the school. Maybe it is that good. I hope so. The lettering in stone that runs above the arches and looks even older than 1930, more like medieval, reads Manhattan Trade School for Girls. This link is part of a larger site called the Proposed Gramercy Park Historic District Extension, which has information on a number of buildings in the Gramercy area, including the one featured in the last two posts, The Gramercy Arms.

See map.

Gramercy, 22nd Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington

Mary Sargent © 2006 …………………........………….. click to enlarge


I saw The Barber of Seville tonight and remembered why I like opera. It's late. Have to get up early. Maybe I'll put in a link later.

This is a bit farther (further? No, farther, I'm pretty sure. I'll look it up. Later.) down the block. Note similarities.

See map.

Gramercy, 22nd Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington

Mary Sargent © 2006 …………………........………….. click to enlarge

I didn't have much time last Tuesday, but I needed some shots, so at lunchtime, I took the subway two stops downtown and took a short walk around the block at 22nd Street.

This is the restaurant Novita, unknown to me until now, but I see it is well regarded by Zagat's, which gives it a 23 for food. The day was warm enough to put the tables out, but not warm enough to actually sit at them.

See map.