After running 20 miles and enjoying Sweaty Saturday with my favorite ladies at Uplift Studios, I was more than ready for a relaxing Saturday night.

Before meeting our friends Scott and Maya for a double date, Bo and I met Meg and Spencer, dear friends of our who were in town from Atlanta for the Food and Wine Festival. It was wonderful catching up over a Post Pumpkin Ale at The Old Towne Bar in Chelsea.

We ended up downtown 30 minutes early for our dinner reservations so instead of hanging out at the crowded restaurant bar, we popped in Wine Bar, a small, intimate wine bar that Melissa and Frank introduced us to last year.

We were able to sit at the bar and talk to the sommelier about their wines this season. We fell in love with their Tempranillo, La Planta Ribera del Duero. Low in acidity, the earthy fruit forward flavor of the wine was perfect for the cool evening.

Our next stop of the evening was Calliope, a small French bistro in the East Village. A recent addition to the East Village, Calliope is the newest addition from the chefs of Waverly Inn and at Prune, husband and wife team Eric Korsh and Ginevra Iverson. Two weeks ago Bo saw the New York Times review of this restaurant pop up on his Bloomberg terminal at work and after reading the first paragraph, quickly called to make reservations for our first available Saturday. Bo’s favorite genre of food is classic French fare the review alone left both our mouths watering.

The French bistro scene in New York has been a stagnant one over the past few years and we were both happy to see a menu fresh with French classics but lacking the stale regulars like steak frites. Everything on the menu looked divine but we stuck primarily to dishes featured in the Yelp reviews we read and the NY Times article.

 

From left: toasted French bread, Calliope’s famous boiled eggs with mayonnaise, octopus salad with potatoes and celery, and halibut in mussel broth atop romesco toast.

If you’re looking new restaurant that Is perfect for large groups or small groups, intimate dinners, or a casual solo lunch Calliope is the perfect choice. They have one large 20 person table in the center of the restaurant, which last night was filled with a birthday party, a small bar for casual drinks and dinner, surrounded by small bistro tables along an open air wall. 

If you’re a NYC local, what is your favorite restaurant these days? If you’re not in NYC, what is your favorite genre of food?