I’ve been fortunate to have friends in the Big Apple to make my time here extra enjoyable. Two of them are my very good friends from college, Justin and Emily. They welcomed me to NYC with an evening of delicious tapas at Café Español and hearty laughter at the Comedy Cellar.
Café Español Tapas
Café Español is tucked away in Greenwich Village.
We started with a basket of bread with a side of olive oil and spices.
Justin and Emily are regulars here, so they were greeted warmly.
The bonus of being regulars means that they already knew what to order.
They were very enthusiastic about the sangria. Since I’m a big sangria fan, I was excited to try it.
Cheers!
It was delicious! Some of the best I’ve had ever!
For the food, I followed their lead. We had some steak in a warm mushroom sauce. The steak was so tender, and the sauce was like a warm blanket of richness. Even though I don’t normally like mushrooms, I enjoyed them here. They added so much depth to the sauce. And were cut so thinly, I actually liked eating them. And it’s normally the texture of the mushrooms I don’t care for.
Don’t let these little breads fool you. They look simple, but they pack a full flavor punch. They are little pieces of bread topped with tomatoes and some other magic that makes them taste like carb-lover happiness. If you like margarita pizza or capellini pomodoro, try this.
Here’s a shot of the tower the plates came out on. The one item I selected, potatoes bravas, was on top. Crispy, hot potatoes with a creamy sauce and a sprinkling of paprika. I order these often at tapas restaurants, in general. The Café Español version did not disappoint.
Shrimp in garlic sauce was another delicious item of the collection.
And the vegetable paella surprised me in a similar way the tomato toasts did. It seemed so simple and yet it was so complex on my tastebuds.
I’d been cheating on Eat in Month for most of January, but this was one of my favorite meals in NYC.
We eventually started reminiscing about our good ole college days, which reminded us of funny times during our physics study group. Our favorite way to distract ourselves from studying? Homestar Runner. Strong Bad email. Trogdor, specifically. Oh how I used to love to draw him on…well, pretty much everything. And thanks to his simple, step-by-step instructions, I knew exactly how to! I drew a quick dragon on the paper on our table and sent a picture of my masterpiece to another physics study group friend.
Comedy Cellar
Knowing only that there are a ton of things to do in NYC with no real direction, I was so thankful Justin and Emily knew of a great idea. We went to the Comedy Cellar for a show. Yes!
I only snapped a photo before things got kicked off since they threatened to kick anyone out of the show who dared to take a photo once things had begun.
The show was such a fun and funny experience. They had a diverse line up of comedians, and I enjoyed each for different reasons. I would absolutely go back. I’d even repeat the whole evening. It was perfection. Great for a date night with hubby or another outing with friends.
Thanks, Justin and Emily, for such a fantastic welcome to NYC!
More NYC Adventures
NYC Pizza, Speakeasy Cocktails, and Giant Cookies
NYC Subway Training, Chinatown Dim Sum, and Brooklyn Promenade
Fun in Midtown Manhattan
NYC High Line in Winter 2016
Chelsea Market {January 2016}
And thank you for reading!