Lately I have been doing some tinkering with this blog – adding tabs, updating pages, and writing a lot more. One section that I have not done much updating to for obvious reasons is travel. 2020 put our travel plans on hold and forced us to look inward, or to Tik Tok for entertainment.

Staying in the city at the start of the pandemic was intense. Those first few weeks the sirens were constant. You got used to hearing them all through the night and when they stopped it was startling. I will forever remember that time and how it shaped our perspective on life in the time of Covid-19.

By May/June we started going for walks around the neighborhood again and loved seeing the sidewalk cafe society come to life. One of the things I love most about Italy is the abundance of outdoor dining and to see that begin to bloom in New York City streets was a treat. We continually said we would pick up to go cocktails and never did. Then when we were finally ready to consider outdoor dining I became pregnant and we figured it best to continue ordering in.

Which brings me here. I thought it would be nice to share some of our favorite restaurants that are open for outdoor dining, as well as takeaway to support now (either in person or by ordering to your home if you live nearby) or bookmark for later when travel is possible once again.

In no particular order:

Osteria Cotta
Upper West Side
Our favorite neighborhood spot for pretty much every meal! Their outdoor seating was great pre pandemic so they’ve really got this nailed down and they offer takeaway as well, which of course we have ordered. The brussels sprout pizza is one of our go to dishes, but you really cannot go wrong here!

Daily Provisions
Upper West Side
Excellent takeaway options. Minimal outdoor seating. Always a line on weekend mornings. Grab a cruller – they do seasonal specials, the current is lemon poppy and is so good! You can also place your order online for a scheduled pickup time, which I highly recommend.

The Little Owl
West Village
Forever one of our favorite spots. We used to walk by and put our names in in the afternoon when we lived nearby. Another spot where you cannot go wrong when it comes to ordering. Everything is always good. And if it looks familiar, that’s because it is located in the famous “Friends” building!

Sanpanino
West Village
This is my absolute favorite sandwich shop in the city. I have specifically requested the Bell’Americano to be my first meal after Baby B is born and remind JD weekly. I have a Liz Lemon level love of sandwiches and let me tell you the struggle has been real. This is a pickup and go spot. We used to grab sandwiches and walk over to the river to sit on warmer days. Cannot wait to do that again!

Tartine
West Village
Oh where do I even start when it comes to Tartine? We have had so many special meals here. Tartine is tiny, but with amazing food, and always worth the wait. It was the kind of place where if you were seated indoors your neighbor would place their wine glass down on your table by accident you were all huddled in so close. Ah those days, never thought I would miss them, but now those moments feel so charming. Dining outside on the sidewalk was always the best spot, even in February. The mussels and fries are a longtime favorite, as is the guacamole chicken and the spicy tuna tartare. BYOB for dining and you can place orders online as well. This will be one of our very first stops when it comes time to venture back out into the world.

Swagat
Upper West Side
Favorite neighborhood spot for Indian! We have been through all of the local spots and love Swagat the most. The food is always delicious and they’ll make it spicy which I love.

Veniero’s
East Village
Our very favorite Italian bakery. I always get a pound of s cookies to take home regardless. And a pasta croce, and a few of the custard tarts… and sfogliatelle. How many times have I shown up for drinks in the East Village with a box of pastries dangling in a bag on my arm? Bottom line, if you find yourself in the East Village for absolutely any reason, go here and treat yourself. We brought in their cheesecakes for our wedding party. Our cake was from our beloved Claude’s.

Claude’s
West Village
Oh Claude’s. Longtime old neighborhood favorite that I cannot say enough good things about. JD would stop in for coffee and an almond croissant every morning on his way to the train. We chose their chocolate cake as our wedding cake and we even stopped in on the way to our wedding dinner to snap a photo inside.

Cafe Mogador
East Village
I often find myself thinking about their Casablanca tagine. I order this pretty much every time we are there because I know I’ll regret it if I don’t. JD does the same thing with the bastilla. So good! I know this spot has made a ton of lists over the years, and rightfully so because it is absolutely worth the stop! They are currently doing outdoor dining and takeaway/delivery.

El Mitote
Upper West Side
One of regular stops pre pandemic. We would pop in for margaritas and snacks regularly. They have always had a great outdoor setup and as most places are around here, they are dog friendly so you can bring your pup. Very much looking forward to grabbing a few margaritas and a tinga tostada post baby this Spring.

Billy’s Bakery
Upper West Side and Chelsea
Back when we lived in the West Village we would walk up to the shop in Chelsea for cupcakes and chai tea lattes all the time. When we moved uptown that was no longer as simple a task, but luckily Billy’s followed us and opened a shop a few blocks away. Thank you Billy’s! I would say we stop in too often as it is, but then again there is never a “too often” category for desserts in this family. This is a grab and go spot. They also deliver but I like to pretend I don’t know that. It’s for my own good.

Raku
Upper West Side
We used to live down the street from Raku and would go for date nights on Fridays in the winter often. We also used to order in a good amount, but we were so close the hostess would end up walking our dinner down the street and we always felt awful about it. Right now they are offering take out.

There are so many places we love throughout the city, way too many to list out here. But these are some of our favorites and I wanted to share them for now and for later. I would love to hear what some of yours are. If you wouldn’t mind sharing, leave a comment below.