BREAKFAST:

I went to Red Sails Inn a lot as a kid--because it was cheap and my dad liked to look at the boats in the marina out back--and it’s still got a solid spot in my regular repertoire. It’s the perfect stop for coffee or bloodies after you pick up someone from the airport. Or if my husband and I are up early on weekends for a walk or cruise around the bay. I love the dark wood bar, the almost-burned flavor of the diner-style coffee and the really old, thick ceramic mugs. It just feels so stinkin’ classic and cool: Drinking burnt coffee out of an old brown mug in a salty, sailor bar on Shelter Island with my Portuguese husband whose family’s tuna boats were docked down the street back in the day. It’s just rad.  

For breakfast meetings, I have to give a nod to Hob Nob. It’s another place I went as a kid often (a staple for my grandfather), and there’s part of me that hopes it will become cool again. Raspberry jam in hollowed out orange peels, people!

LUNCH:

Snag the inside corner table on a nice day at Neighborhood for lunch, and it seems like the whole East Village walks by on Eight Avenue or G Street. With the big windows open, I’m always nodding to a friendly face or coworker cruising through the ‘hood. The burgers are divine, but I haven’t ordered one in years because I can’t resist the mini steak or shrimp tacos. Perfect size and price for a weekday lunch with a cold beer. I have yet to become a label snob with local beers and can much more effectively articulate the flavors I like over the actual brands. And the gals that work here get it, get me and can always help me order something perfect, even with vague notes like, “I like wheat beers but hate the strong banana flavor” or “I don’t like IPAs, but I do like Racer 5, so something like that?”

DINNER:

One of the weird things about doing what I do is having people be extra nice to me when I’m out at a restaurant. Yeah, getting an extra heavy pour of a wine or a great table can be a perk, but it can also be awkward and annoying when I’m off the clock. One of the reasons I love doing dinner at Bencotto is that owners Guido and Valentina are always warm and welcoming to me, and it has nothing to do with my job (or at least they don’t make me feel that way). They give all their regulars and neighbors a little special attention. And don’t even get me started on the things chef Fabrizio does with pancetta in his Bencotto sauce. Or the pasta lab where he makes thousands of tortellini by hand every day. Or how humble and sweet he is when I push my way past the food runners to get in the kitchen for some cheek-to-cheek smooches. If I’m staying closer to home, Jayne’s Gastropub is my spot for dinner out. I love small spaces, and this teeny-tiny spot has excellent service (which, to me, makes the high prices worth it), twinkling-light ambiance, and seasonal bistro food that changes often (always order the special) but never disappoints.         

BAR:

For drinks before or after anything downtown, the bar at Cowboy Star is it for me. It’s never crowded (despite endless buzz), and ‘tender Garth is just about the most pleasant person you’ll ever encounter. And for someone who’s a habitual wine drinker with the occasional whiskey or vodka indulgence, this is one of the few places where I’ll try just about anything. Recently when Jenner and I ducked in here on our way to a Padres game that was delayed for rain, I was freezing cold and starving and impatient. Garth took one look at me and said, “Irish coffee?” It was as random a suggestion as it was absolutely, spot-on, exactly what I wanted. And I didn’t even know I wanted it. One sip, and the whole night was right again. We ended up ordering French fries and more wine and never even made it to the game.

And on any given unspectacular evening, you can also find me at Ould Sod with friends or neighbors. I never karaoke (because I’m terribly tone deaf and nervous and not in a funny way), but I enjoy the Guinness, the funky booths and the fact that I can walk home.