Prior to my tenure at the US Open, I was a matched pair and David and I did some speed eating before his departure.

We happen to enjoy the Fourth Wall family of restaurants which includes, Quality Meats, Park Avenue (Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring), Maloney & Porcelli, The Hurricane Steak and Sushi, The Post House, the grandfather of the group, Smith and Wollensky (we had our engagement party there) and the newest addition, Quality Italian. It is a NY-based group that develops, owns and/or manages high quality eating establishments.

Quality Meats, the midtown restaurant, located off of 6th Avenue, is the brainchild of the founder of Smith and Wollensky’s son, Michael Stillman. The décor, cleverly conceived and executed by design group, AvroKo,  has expanded upon the traditional butcher shop images. A white-plaster cow’s head stares you down from the entrance wall and the bar is lined with decorative jars of bourbon mash. Industrial-style chandeliers fashioned from steel meat hooks light the room.

I have had fantastic steaks, tuna and salmon at Quality Meats. With limited time, we indulged in succulent fresh oysters and a throw back Green Goddess salad, consisting of romaine, cucumbers, olives, red onions, apples, sunflower seeds, hard boiled egg, avocado and crab. The martinis, aptly enhanced by Chopin Vodka, were ice cold, shaken not stirred and adorned with succulent olives. The restaurant is run with superb efficiently, grace and style by general manager, Camille C. Heller.

Quality Meats is located at 57 West 58th Street and is open M-F for lunch and dinner is served daily. The bar rocks from 4pm-1am. I like to dine at the bar for a fun evening. Chef/partner, Craig Koketsu, formerly of Stars in the Bay area (this was an amazing restaurant) and Lespinasse, oversees the operations. Stratos Georgedakis is the chef du cuisine.

Buvette

Before David departed on a jet plane, we rode our bikes downtown.

Leave the quaint sidewalk of the west village and venture into Paris in the form of Buvette, a classic French bistro which opened in 2011. The 50-seat French-inspired gastroteque is a casual food and drink destination. Chef Jody Williams, has artfully created a bistro space with reclaimed white oak flooring, a marble bar and small tables sweetly smashed intimately next to one another. There is even a small outdoor patio.

Buvette serves up one of the best brunches in town. We started with an amazing heirloom tomato salad with cucumber and scallions, bathed in EVOO.  This was followed by luscious steamed eggs scrambled to perfection with smoked salmon layered on top and a dollop of crème fraiche. They were perched on expertly baked bread.

The meal concluded on a exquisite note with a fig tartine smeared with almond butter and bee pollen honey…unBEElievable.

Buvette is located at 42 Grove Street and serves all day from 8-2am M-F and 10-2am Saturday and Sunday. No reservations.

Another satisfying trip through the scrumptious culinary world of NYC.