White Oak Tavern: Business in the Heart of NYU

In continuation of my “Ladies (& Gents) Wining & Dining Series” dedicated to the best lunch, dinner and drink spots for doing business while enjoying the best cuisine that New York City, Los Angeles and other top cities across the country offer, a little gem in the heart of NYU – White Oak Tavern (21 Waverly Place) – is a great place if you’re looking for an easy, laid back meeting place.

I met up with the founders of Startup Island, dedicated to creating epic spring breaks for young student innovators and entrepreneurs, who suggested the location.

Wanting something a bit lighter for lunch, I chose the Ancient Grain Salad with quinoa, wheat berries, goji berries, chickpeas, nuts, seeds and topped with a tamari vinaigrette, as well as a side of the Roasted Butternut Squash with goat cheese, kale, brown butter, sage and hazelnuts.

Summary: The spot wasn’t crowded, was easy to talk as it wasn’t overly noisy and the menu offered a lot of interesting seasonal selections, perfect for the time of the year as the weather was starting to turn cold. The staff was incredibly friendly yet not overly involved as they can tell who is conducting business over a meal, which was nice so there were few interruptions. If you’re looking for a laid back place with reasonable prices and good food, White Oak Tavern is a good choice.

(Image Credits: Yelp)

Hamptons Part 2: B. Smith’s, Sen and Round Swamp Farm

If you read my part 1 Hamptons post, you know that going out to the Hamptons is a favorite pasttime of mine.  To continue my culinary adventures out East, last weekend I ventured to a few popular (and tasty) spots including B. Smith’s  and Sen in Sag Harbor (also the sister restauant to Phao Thai Kitchen in my part 1 post) and ended my journey at the renowned Round Swamp Farm in East Hampton.

B. Smith’s at Long Wharf at Bay Street in Sag Harbor is a long time favorite of mine, especially because the view is spectacular as it’s right by the water where the million dollar plus yachts dock.  My friend Kris and I enjoyed a lunch after the long traffic in, complete with some of the best East Coast oysters I’ve ever had (if you know me, West Coast Kumamotos are typically my first choice), grown right from the bay, along with a fresh watermelon margarita (super refreshing) and mussels.  If you’re in the mood for people watching, great views, and of course, some of the best seafood around, this is a must stop!

View from B. Smith's in Sag Harbor

Oysters at B. Smith's

Watermelon Margarita at B. Smith's

Mussels at B. Smith's

The second stop on our journey was dinner at Sen at 23 Main Street in Sag Harbor.  If you referenced my part 1 write up on its sister restaurant, Phao Thai Kitchen, you can imagine that the food here is just as much up to par. We enjoyed a starter course of Tuna Tartare with nori chips and sweet chili mayo to share and then moved to a collection of sushi rolls including the Rainbow Roll, Jalapeno Roll (warning: this one is very hot as expected) and the Garuda Roll (spicy tuna) which was a favorite among the table.

Cool tidbit: According to the site, Sen uses a Tensui Water Perfection System which means that all water used in food preparation, drinking and cleaning is filtered through a state-of-the art Tensui Water Perfection System to ensure the freshness and purity in everything that’s served.

Tuna Tartare at Sen

Sushi rolls at Sen

Rounding out our weekend, we made it just in time before the popular Round Swamp Farm market at 184 Three Mile Harbor Road in East Hampton. This market basically on the side of the road looks humble from the outside, but inside you can enjoy fresh, local produce, sauces, homemade pies and more.  It’s on the pricier side, but once you taste it, you can not only see the home grown love that goes into the food, but really the flavor of the ingredients grown right in their 20-acre backyard. And if the line is too long for you (or you’re trying to occupy the kiddies), you can say hi to the cute bunnies outside and the chickens running around. I enjoyed the guacamole and blue corn tortilla chips and sesame noodle salad.

Round Swamp Farm

Guacamole from Round Swamp Farm

Sesame Noodle Salad at Round Swamp Farm

Alas, another amazing weekend of eating out East.