PETAL BELLE

PETAL BELLE
158 Sullivan Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 677-1580

The first time I walked past Petal Belle, I was dying from a lack of caffeine. Their door was locked, forcing me to find a new source of liquid energy, but a quick peek in the window cemented my resolve to return. Petal Belle is a small European-style cafe in the style I just love. From the sandwich-board and the tin lamps outside, to the checkered tile and ceiling fans inside, I knew that I would find this place to be a relaxing respite from the day. And I wasn't wrong. When I finally was able to come and sit, I felt completely at ease. The Sunday Times crossword wasn't gonna beat me this time, dammit!

I went to Petal Belle for waffles. Belgian waffles. But they serve a variety of pan-European bistro fare, from paninis and pastries to quiche and gelato, from coffees to loose tea. Almost everyone who came in while I was there was ordering a panini. The staff was very courteous and smiling and I'd go back just for that warmth, even if the food was awful. Luckily, it was not.

I asked the woman behind the counter about what waffles she liked and she mentioned two. "I'll take both," I said, "and a cappuccino, too." The first to arrive was the Sugar Waffle, pictured below. It was a bit dry, but take a bite with a sip of cappuccino and you'll be in heaven. The cappuccino, not to go off track, was excellent. Back to the waffle, like I said, it was a wee bit dry, but with a hint of cinnamon and very sweet. You could almost taste the individual sugar grains as they hit your tongue.

In stark contrast, the next waffle I had was the Brussels Hot Iron Waffle, a cream cheese waffle with whipped cream, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and banana. This was very light, very moist, and absolutely delicious. It's also very big. You could share it with someone and there was no way I could finish it, especially having just had another waffle.

My two waffles and a cappuccino came to a bit under $16. Petal Belle is not open Monday or Tuesday.

CAFE GRUMPY

CAFE GRUMPY
224 West 20th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 255-5511

I happened to be walking through Manhattan and I happened to bump into Speeds. She happened to be on her way to getting a coffee. Cafe Grumpy happened to be her destination. I happen to be addicted to coffee.

Cafe Grumpy is one of those ubiquitous indie, anti-chain coffee shops I mentioned in my recent post on Jack's Stir Brew. Hipsters behind the counter pound out shot after shot of finely brewed espresso, foam up mug after piping hot mug of cappuccino, and serve calorie after calorie of chocolate chip cookie.

I'm not sure why it's called Cafe Grumpy, since most of the people here seemed to be in a pretty chipper mood. Grumpy was packed and usually is. So maybe it refers to all those people who couldn't sit down or were joining me in receiving an errant elbow right in the small of their back. Still, we lucked out and managed to sit down where we could imbibe on caffeine and baked goods. We would not do this peacefully. Grumpy is loud. The staff is yelling orders, the customers are yelling at each other to save tables, there's music... Oh, and no laptops allowed. Get in, get out. Write your poetry somewhere else.

So the atmosphere could use an overhaul. What about the joe and the grub? I mean, that's half the reason we're here, right? The other half being to bullshit around with your friends. Speeds ordered a Cappuccino and I ordered the Macchiato. Both, we concurred, we good for what they were, which is coffee with some added punch, but I really can't say they were terribly different from what we could have gotten at another cafe. They leave you feeling a little bit dry, but Grumpy provides water for those who would like some. A nice touch. For some solid accompaniment, we ordered a Blackberry Banana Muffin, which was not bad, and a Zucchini Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffin. I bought this never expecting it to taste anything but awful. And it was, in fact, not awful. There was a hint of zucchini, but barely. I don't think it added anything though, save vitamins. My only complaint with the muffins was that their contents weren't even. So some bites were all berry and others were all dough.

Don't be grumpy. Every day is ice cream and chocolate cake. Cafe Grumpy also has a location in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

(PS - Cafe Grumpy does not serve ice cream. Chocolate cake? Maybe.)

MARRAKESH

MARRAKESH
235 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
(646) 837-0501

Marrakesh is a small, family-run business that in my first sentence, I will recommend to you. It sits below street level in Midtown, surrounded by expensive, trendy places and yet it is neither expensive nor trendy. It's just good. I am writing this posting, which will not be long, to highlight this little place's existence and make a few pointers on how to improve it.

I went here for a quick dinner with Turtle one night a few weeks back. Walking down the stairs and inside, we were greeted warmly by someone who I can only guess was the owner. He sat us down, gave us some menus, and poured us some water. Marrakesh is run by devout Muslims, so don't expect to get sauced here. Just some sittin' and talkin'. Go upstairs and you'll see a wine bar if need be.

Clearly, the vast majority of their business is takeout. Aside from the fact that a delivery guy was coming and going as we ate, our menus at the table were the takeout menu. Is that a bit tacky and, daresay, cheap? Yes. First thing they could do to improve, print up some dine-in menus. There were few other tables occupied, but it began to get more crowded as the night wore on. While it was obvious that no one was consulted regarding interior design, everything was decorated in a very appropriate, homey-mid-eastern sort of way.

The food. Okay, my biggest complaint with the menu was not what we actually ate, but was the Americanization of half of it. Caesar salad, greek salad, California wraps, barbecue chicken, fajitas, a "health" sandwich, pasta primavera, egg salad, an apple smoked turkey and brie sandwich... the list goes on. Half the menu isn't Middle Eastern. Obviously this is so that the office workers who order lunch from here can get something for everyone. I understand the economics. I still don't like it.

Turtle ordered the Chicken Kebab plate, which came with grilled chicken, rice, and a choice of two sides. He ordered the hummus and babaghannoush. The chicken was delicious, but a wee bit dry. The hummus and babaghannoush was great. I say that and I've had a lot to compare it to. My dinner was the Shish Kebab, which was lamb, a salad, rice, and two sides. I chose the falafel and the grape leaves. The falafel was good, not spectacular. The grape leaves were very good. The lamb was excellent. Turtle preferred my dish over his.

I labeled Marrakesh as "vegetarian" because of the numerous vegetarian options that it has, though, naturally, it is not exclusively vegetarian. Our meals were $13 each and with a soda, plus tax and tip, we probably dropped about $20 each. With a few improvements, Marrakesh could be vastly improved. The people who work there were very nice, the atmosphere was very pleasant, the food was very good.