Outdoor Dinning Upper East Side, NYC
Manhattan's Upper East Side neighborhood can truly boast of having some of the most attractive sidewalk cafes and backyard patios in the city, along with some very mouth-watering menus.
On this article: Doc Watson's, Mediterraneo Restaurant, Uva, Per Lei Restaurant, Baraonda and Bocca East
Doc Watson's - NYC
At Doc Watson's you will enjoy classic Irish pub fare and new American cuisine, along with a few totally unexpected, but very tasty, creative culinary touches. There is plentiful sidewalk café-style seating in front of the restaurant. If you are into al fresco dining, Doc Watson's provides a second very attractive option with their beer garden. This small and charming backyard patio is enclosed by a tall wooden fence. Diners feel very far removed from the traffic and crowds along Second Avenue.
An afternoon or evening, spent at Doc Watson's combines value and great food together with a nifty glass of Guinness. During weekdays, from 11:30 AM to 4 PM, you can enjoy their amazing $9.95 lunch special. Choices include pulled pork sliders with fries, a delectable catfish Po'Boy, spaghetti Bolognese as well as bangers and mash or Irish beef stew.
Local residents can't say enough good things about the kitchen's signature dishes which include fish and Chips, Shepard's pie, chicken cutlet Paillard and their all-day Irish breakfast.
You will be good to go for the rest of the day, after eating this hearty meal which consists of bacon, sausage, black and white pudding, baked beans, fried eggs, tomatoes and fresh-baked soda bread.
Location and Hours
1490 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10075
(212) 988-5300
www.docwatsons.com
Hours
Monday to Sunday 11 AM to 4 AM
Mediterraneo Restaurant - NYC
At Mediterraneo restaurant, you can eat like the Medici family did at the height of their power, during the Italian Renaissance. The cuisine is inspired by centuries-old Florentine recipes. This is authentic Tuscan cuisine. You can enhance your experience at Mediterraneo by booking a table at their Italian-style outdoor café. A large, colorful, striped awning provides plenty of shade for brunch goers. At night, the lights that emanate from inside the restaurant, cast a romantic glow upon the scene.
The outdoor dining area is separated from the sidewalk by large planters that are filled with greenery and flowers. Just in time for warm weather dining, you will find no less than 12 different salad options on the menu here. The must-have is the Insalata Arcobaleno, with fresh arugula, grilled yellow and red peppers, zucchini and mozzarella.
As far as entrees' go, the fettuccine della nonna is derived from an old Medici family recipe. This flavorful dish consists of house-made pasta with cream of spinach sauce and buffalo ricotta cheese. Now Mediterraneo may not be the Pitti Palace in Florence, but it is still a charming place in which to enjoy a meal. The penne al sugo is another Florentine recipe. Your al dente pasta is topped with seasoned ground beef, celery, carrots and onions. The kitchen also offers a selection of fish, veal and chicken dishes straight off the charcoal grill.
Refreshing desserts include freshly made peach, lemon, cocoa or tangerine sorbet, Tartufo, and cantuccini, which are Florentine almond cookies.
Location and Hours
1260 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10065
(212) 734-7407
www.mediterraneonyc.com
Hours
Sunday-Tuesday 11:30 AM to 11 PM
Wed.-Thurs. 11:30 AM to 11:30 PM
Friday-Saturday 11:30 AM to 12 AM
Uva - NYC
At Uva, from the rustic décor to the delicious, traditional dishes you will feel as though you are dining as an honored guest in an Italian home. The main dining is comfortable and spacious. The brickwork and fireplace add a distinctive touch to the proceedings. But if you are looking for a really different kind of atmosphere, then Uva's wine cellar (for private parties and gatherings) or backyard patio is the way to go.
Uva has not one, but several menus. Join Uva, every Monday for their meatball specials. Meatball Mondays are a great value. The meatball prix-fixe, at $36, includes a meatball appetizer, entrée and dessert along with a glass of house wine.
Selections include spaghetti or ravioli with meatballs or the vegetarian ball, which consists of ricotta cheese, spinach and nutmeg in a savory tomato and basil sauce. They even have a selection of Dessert balls, such as chocolate truffles with vanilla sauce and whipped cream or the polpetta di gelato, which are cinnamon ice cream ball sliders served with apple sticks and caramel sauce.
Uva has a very lively bar scene that attracts neighborhood regulars, servers in the industry who work at other restaurants and people returning home from a concert or the theater. Their late night menu is available after 11 PM. Menu highlights include Uva's Cav and Cheese which is their take on Mac n' cheese made with ricotta cavatelli pasta. They also offer several types of pizza and the sensational Emilian style Focaccia, topped with chocolate nougat cream. Now, that's the way to end the evening on a sweet note.
Location and Hours
1486 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10075
(212) 472-4552
Hours
Monday to Friday 11 AM to 4 AM
Saturday 11 AM to 2 AM
Sunday 11 AM to 1 AM
Per Lei Restaurant - NYC
Per Lei, which translates to "for her" in Italian, is all about style. The décor is casual but chic. Per Lei's food is as picturesque as it is flavorful. The dining room is elegant beyond question. Every table is adorned with candles, fresh flowers and crisp white linen napkins and tablecloths. The restaurant's walls are embellished with bright, colorful hand-paintings and portraits by celebrated Italian artist Fabrizio Musa.
Neighborhood regulars just love to sip a glass of imported Italian wine in the outdoor café, which wraps around the restaurant. The price points on Per Lei's menu are unexpectedly moderate for such an upscale restaurant. Chef Alessandro Pendinelli has put together a menu with over thirty delicious selections. Each dish, though, has its own, distinct personality. Meat entrees like the Saltimbocca Alla Romana, (veal, prosciutto, sage and string beans), and the organic chicken in a lemon Rosemary sauce are both light on the stomach and delicious. Pasta is not just pasta at Per Lei. You'll know what we are talking about when you savor a mouthful of chef Alessandro's Gnocchi in a truffle cream sauce or the Green Tagliatelle in a beef and veal ragu.
The woman who is in your life will definitely appreciate the style and refinement that is Per Lei. Whether it 's your wife, girlfriend, mother, sister or daughter make a reservation "for her" at Per Lei.
Location and Hours
1347 second avenue
New York, NY 10021
(212) 439-9200
Hours
Monday-Saturday 12 PM to 12 AM
Sunday 12 PM to 10:30 PM
Baraonda - NYC
There's high energy in the air at Baraonda. This festive restaurant attracts the East Side's young, hip set. Baraonda is the place to be on a let's celebrate life Saturday night. The chic and eclectically decorated bar area and dining room are straight out of a Federico Fellini movie, but with a very up to date sense of style.
Baraonda's sidewalk café is as elegant as the main dining room. Terrace doors connect the interior of the restaurant to the very Italian outdoor café. Just close your eyes for a moment and imagine that you're in Rome or Milan.
And if your imagination doesn't take you to the land of the Caesars, then the food certainly will.
The kitchen does a very nice pan seared salmon and grey sole. Their signature sautéed chicken breast with asparagus and mozzarella in a white wine sauce is outstanding. Pasta highlights include lobster ravioli with bisque and asparagus tips as well as linguine with Manila clams sautéed in white wine. Often offered as a special, be sure to order their signature dish, lobster pasta.
Baraonda's superb dessert menu contains several treats that will simply delight you. They will take you back to your childhood when dessert was always something to be looked forward to.
Highly recommended is the classic Tiramisu, as is the Italian cream cheese and Mascarpone cake with strawberry sauce.
Location and Hours
1439 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10021
(212) 288-8555
www.baraondany.com
Hours
Mon-Tues 5 PM to 12 AM
Wed-Turs-Fri 5 PM to 1 AM
Saturday 11:30 AM to 1 AM
Sunday 11:30 AM to 1 AM
Bocca East - NYC
The vibe at Bocca East is rustic Italian farmhouse. The beautiful interior is comprised of wooden floors and ceilings. Wood and brickwork are everywhere. The dining room and bar is spacious and filled with natural light, which streams in freely, courtesy of the large windows. Just outside is a long sidewalk café area, which fills-up with hungry local residents, after work and on the weekends.
The specialty of the house is Crostini, which are squares of bread that have a variety of toppings. Particularly good is the mixed mushroom and goat cheese crostini, the mozzarella, tomato and prosciutto square and the Ricotta e Miele which is made up of the unusual combination of fresh ricotta, organic honey and Himalayan salt. The kitchen does its own take on classic Italian comfort food. Here, the tortellini is stuffed not with meat or cheese, but with mixed mushrooms. They have a couple of different versions of Lasagna at Bocca East. The oxtail meat lasagna is a different taste, but it is so good. The oxtail meat is not gamey at all and blends well with the tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Vegetarians, however, will delight in the lasagna di verdure. Layers of pasta and roasted eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower and mushrooms are covered in a delectable sauce of mascarpone, béchamel and basil. The very un-Italian, but extremely satisfying seared breast of duck comes with mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach. The duck is served in a plum and wine reduction.
Location and Hours
1496 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10075
(212) 249-1010
Hours
Monday to Thursday 12 PM to 12 AM
Friday 12 PM to 1 AM
Saturday 11:30 AM to 1 AM
Sunday 11:30 AM to 12 AM
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