Two fabulous finds below 14th St ...

On Carmine Street in the West Village...

Greenwich Village, from 5th Avenue all the way over to Washington St in the West Village, is one of the most restaurant dense areas in the world. There are so many great restaurants, I don’t think anyone could visit every one of them. And I’m talking destination Village restaurants, not the likes of Mamoun’s or ubiquitous pizza joints. Places like Dame and Lord, Dante, Tokyo Record Bar, Minetta Tavern (and those are just on MacDougal St. alone).

But the dining scene downtown is fierce and reservations can be hard to come by. So when we hear of a new find from a friend, or a new place opens, we’re eager to try it. Even if we have to go early to get a reservation.

Recently we’ve eaten at two places—one new, one new to us—and I’m eager to share them with you. (If you’ve been to either, please tell me about your experience in comments.)