Okay okay, so I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t been as on top of my food critic game as I would have liked to be – part of it attributed to being preggo for the second time around and thereby not as mobile as I'm accustomed to be, and the other part due to the everyday challenges of work and well, just chasing around a defiant toddler (who recently turned 3!), which can hold you back at the best of times, let alone during your third trimester.
That said, I recently went to a place called the Lucky Bee (right here in my own hood!) on 252 Broome Street and absolutely loved it. My girlfriend (@maragon25) actually introduced me to the spot (see NYT feature here), and I must say that my mood was instantly enlivened the moment I stepped into the resto – decked out in flamingo pink, with enough vibrancy and exuberance to uplift any measure of post-work duress in the name of Happy Hour.
The menu is very South-Asian Street-style, which I dig. If you arrive early enough (which we did), you even get half-off salt-and-pepper chicken wings, which were off-the-wall delicious. My other favorite was the betal leaf of crab meat with peanut & chili paste (w/a mix of cilantro and kaffir lime). Oh right, and let’s not forget the crispy pork belly buns and grilled squid w/sunchokes… OMG my mouth is watering already. Did I mention that the chef (Matty Bennett), was also previously at the Fat Radish?
While I loved the whole farm-to-table approach to Thai food concept, I’m also a big fan of some of their fun and creative cocktails (of course, mamma mostly stuck with virgin, but it’s always fun to hold your own coconut in the middle of a work-week).
Bottom-line, I would definitely check this place out if you get the chance!! It was buzzing w/people when we were there last week, pun intended!
Oh, and I was so pleased to celebrate my girlfriend’s birthday before she headed off to Germany for Oktoberfest. Lucky gal.
Related:
Family Style Dining at Lan Larb Soho
