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“Five Points”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Brunch	New American	East Village	Moderate	Great

If I had a dime for everytime someone asked me what my favorite restaurant was, I might be rich enough to afford an apartment with more than one room, and that was reachable by a method other than five flights of steep stairs, like for instance, by an elevator, or at least a dumbwaiter. Alas, no dimes, and so I remain out of breath from climbing Mount Tenement when I enter my petite studio. But I will nonetheless share one of my favorites with you. To do your part, feel free to send me checks or cash or big presents.

I have been a fan of Five Points since the day it opened its big blond wood doors five years ago. Owned by chef Marc Meyer, his wife Vicki, and their longtime friend Maureen, this is my pick for best New York City Restaurant. Why? Beyond the delicious menu, which is a reflection of the greenmarket, and the airy, open, yet intimate design that makes you feel like you are fabulous without feeling uncomfortable, it's the people who run it. Marc, Vicki, and Maureen are the ultimate hosts. Welcoming, warm, funny, and smart, they make dining here a pleasure from the start.

Now, more about the food. The contemporary, Greenmarket-inspired menu changes daily, chef-partner Marc Meyer can’t take off certain favorites for fear of an impromptu uprising mid-dining room. So his signature buttermilk marinated roast chicken and his crispy, thin-crust, wood-fired teleme, potato, and truffle oil pizzette will always be there for you to scarf down. (Note to Batali & Co. over at Otto: Ask Marc how to really make pizza.) And while truffles and foie gras and the kitchen sink seem to be the burger fillings du jour, the thick, juicy burger at Five Points comes packed with nothing more than reckless amounts of flavor. (Scandal!) It is, in my humble but correct opinion, the best burger in town.

Brunch (served Sunday only) is one of the best meals they serve here. Tiny-waisted babes can stick to the fruit plate (a bowl that looks like something out of a tropical wonderland, piled high with enough fruit to choke a monkey), and steel cut oatmeal with fruit, and the lovely tea-smoked trout salad. For those who like to eat, all the egg dishes from the wood-oven are to die for. My favotite is the one with runny eggs covered in spicy tomato sauce, over creamy polenta, cooked in a casserole. Another stellar egg dish is the salt-cod hash with poached eggs, and of course the frittata with potatoes, artisan cheddar and bacon. Yum. A thick ... [more, click below]

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Posted: January 4, 2003

Other restaurants in East Village :
+ Yujin-- Closed   + Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar   + Mermaid Inn   + Five Points   + Lavagna   + Five Points   + Bond Street   + Jewel Bako   + Alphabet Kitchen   + In Vino   + Bao 111   + Chikalicious   + Il Buco   + Hearth   + Lima's Taste   + Mercadito   + Hedeh   + Momofuku   + Una Pizza Napoletana   + Winebar   + Uovo-- CLOSED   + Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction   + Gotham Bar & Grill   + Colors   + Chinatown Brasserie   + Knife and Fork   + European Union-- NEW CHEF; SEE APRIL 2007 Review   + Aroma Kitchen and Winebar   + Stand   + European Union   + Mercat   + Gemma   + Back Forty   + The Smith   + Seymour Burton   + Belcourt   + Graffiti   + The Redhead   + Double Crown    + Apiary   + Joe Doe   + Apiary by guest reviewer Kiri Tannenbaum   + DBGB   + Northern Spy   + Goat Town   + Saxon + Parole   + Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria   + Acme   + Calliope   + Nicoletta   + JEPPNEY by Claire Jaffe   + Feast   

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