Petrarca Cucina e Vino

"Jars of pickled oranges, lemons and figs, cans of tomato sauce and hundreds of bottles of wine line the walls of Petrarca Cucina e Vino. Scarlet chairs add to the colorful tableau. Tables are spaced comfortably..." So begins the entry about Petrarca Cucina e Vino on Bloomberg.com. But there is so much more! Follow the links. Read on. Immerse yourself in Italian wine, maybe some pasta before you head out to the Tribeca Film Festival.

Isn't it good to live in New York?

Ago

Robert De Niro's new Tribeca restaurant Ago is getting quite a lot of press. Read the eater.com article.

Tribeca Film Festival and Food!

The Tribeca Film Festival is upon us. Whether you like to eat before a film to savor the anticipation or afterward to dissect the finer points of the narrative you're going to want to find some bar/ restaurant options near by.

Luckily, Bloomberg.com has some helpful suggestions for you.

For example, Ago is currently booked for peak dinner hours throughout the festival, but you can still consider it an option for drinks.

Tribeca Grill, Centrico and Mai House will all be offering special 'Film Feast' menus celebrating the link between film and food for the duration of the festival.

Salaam Bombay

Sometimes eating Take Out feels like failure, like you've given up hope of coming up with something good to eat on your own. Luckily, you have options that feel more like you had a stroke of genius. Maybe you'll be too tired to cook more often...

"Salaam Bombay was take out again tonight. My kids love the saag paneer (more spinach please!). My favorite by far is samosa chat--what flavor! "

Shocking Confessions of a Sweet Tooth

If you can't be trusted to watch a plate of cookies or keep your fingers off the frosting, don't worry. You are not alone. Many of us can't resist the allure of something sweet. Take comfort in the confessions of a Tribeca Taste reader:

"I don't usually participate in the rumor mill, but…did you know that there's a respected educator who confesses to spending her entire Taste of Tribeca ticket at the Duane Park Patisserie Booth? If the kids only knew! I'm a fan of their hot chocolate. They steam up the thick, dark base in the latte steamer and it's so rich, you can almost chew it."

Taste As If It Were The First Time...

Sometimes genius is not is inventing something new- but in re-discovering something that has always been there:

"I love how Roc can surprise you by elevating something mundane and, often, unloved: Brussels Sprouts. Who knew they could be so good, shaved thin, served raw with a lemony dressing and pecorino cheese? It was a revelation and I could have easily finished another plateful."

Gigino's

Everyone has their comfort food. One of our readers shares a favorite with us:

"There's something so welcoming about stepping into Gigino's on a raw March night. You can smell the pizza baking in the oven, the yellow walls and flattering light make it feel like home. In a way, it has been part of our home for over 13 years—as the take-out containers will attest. But there's nothing like going in, eating their wonderful olives and picking something off the specials list. My husband and daughter are devotees of the linguini and clam sauce—filled with manila clams and a sprinkling of red pepper. In the summer, I like those two small tables perched out on the stoop. It's the kind of restaurant every neighborhood needs."

Pepolino

When good food mingles with a beautiful space and attentive service you have the makings of a loyal patron and excellent word of mouth from one of our readers:

"We had a great dinner at Pepolino last night. I have actually not been here for sometime and I don't know why. The food is fabulous and the space is beautiful. Both of us each had one of the specials, my friend had the risotto which was amazing and I had the branzino, perfectly cooked and really tasty. When we got there we told the server that we had theater tickets so we only had an hour and we were still able to fit in three courses without feeling rushed. We finished with espresso and chocolate cake. I even had time to chat with Enzo, one of the owners, on my way out. Now that I have rediscovered this place, I plan to become a regular, like most of the patrons who were there last night."

Enjoy Tribeca with Friends

Here are some reader suggestions for dinner in Tribeca with friends:

Acappella is a great place to take out of town guests. Don't miss the three homemade pastas -- nothing better! Bandiera Italia: A combination of Three Pastas, Fusilli Pesto, Porpadelle Boscaiola and Paglia Fieno with Fresh Plum Tomatoes and Basil.

We went to The Harrison on a rainy night with a party of five and the warm service really cheered us up. We tried the fish specials -- yum! I also liked the Pumpkin Seed Salad.

When You Need a Little Something...

Sometimes you just need a little something... Maybe you need to bring something for a party or a morning pick me up. If so, here are a couple of suggestions to help scratch that itch:

Duane Park Patisserie made the cutest cookies for Easter. What a hit with the family when we brought a box over!

Zucker's Bagels is a nice addition to the neighborhood. I always see a friendly face when I stop in to pick up a homemade yogurt or bagel with tuna. The coffee is good too.

More Adventures for the Palate

Another restaurant lover chimes in about some Tribeca favorites:

Kiva Cafe has the best little carrot muffins.

Thalassa is my favorite place to go for fish. There is no place better. The Greeks know what they are doing! Try this starter too -- Anthos zucchini blossoms stuffed with jumbo lump crab meat.

Where to Get Fried Chicken and Spicy Beef

Here are a couple of recommendations from one of our readers:

"Cornerstone Grill does fried chicken and sweet potato fries like no one else! I love how hot the food arrives -- not bad for a little take out joint."

"Go to Mai House just to see the lovely entrance and great decor! The food is creative and spicy just like the drinks. A fun night out for my 40th birthday. Spicy Beef and Pomelo and Three Spice Lamb Chop were good. "

Bubble Lounge

Bubble Lounge is in the news hosting the NYC TV award winners. See link to DowntownExpress.com to get the full story.

In the mean time, one of our readers offers the following recommendation:

"The Bubble Lounge is a fun place to get a bite and a drink with someone you care about. They have good grilled sandwich like the Fontina with wild mushrooms and white truffle oil."

City Hall

Dining with children does not mean you have to sacrifice taste. Not in Tribeca! A local parent shares a review of City Hall:

"City Hall has really made dining with kids easy. We went for an early Saturday dinner with 5 children and 3 adults. We sat in the bar area (lovely) with another family with twin babies one table over. Menu placemats with fun pictures to color, Wikki Sticks to bend and sculpt, and juice cups with lids kept everyone happy until the food arrived. The fried oysters are not to be missed. The crab cakes are also yummy. Most of the kids picked burgers with fries. I wish the burgers came with more veggies -- but that is the mom in me. "

Tribeca Treats

A local parent describes a happy indulgence:

"If I walk down Reade Street with the kids, I have to expect a "PLEEEASE!". I know what they're talking about without any more details. Translation: "Can we stop at Tribeca Treats?" And it is a treat--these are not the kind of cookies you'll see at the school bake sales (and certainly not coming out of my kitchen). These are exquisite, caramel-filled, or ganache filled sandwich cookies ( a description that hardly does them justice). And I don't feel so bad about splurging--I suspect the ingredients used are top-quality and hardly the stuff you'll find in the shrink-wrapped chocolate chip cookies at the deli. They're dainty and satisfying without inducing guilt. For a place that deals in so much sugar there's a calm serene atmosphere: a table to sit at and cookbooks to peruse. So okay, sometimes we all need a treat."

Native Texan Finds Great Tribeca Alternative to Chicken Fried Steak Dinner

From a longtime downtown resident and native Texan:

Last week, I had dinner at Tribeca's Bubby's, whose buttermilk fried chicken is already famous. I was happy to find that one of the daily specials on Friday was Chicken Fried Chicken—a tender piece of white meat chicken battered and fried, then topped with a rich gravy and caramelized onions. It was incredibly flavorful and much healthier than the smothered chicken fried steak of my youth. Three tasty southern influenced sides came with the dish: hush puppies, collard greens and black eyed peas cooked with bacon. Accompanied with a chilled beer on tap, friendly, attentive service, and a modest tab, the meal was a keeper for this Texan turned New Yorker.

David Bouley Talks About Brushstrokes

David Bouley recently talked about the opening of his new restaurant Brushstrokes in Tribeca. The venture, being launched in conjunction with the Tsuji school of Japan will focus on healthy food that is also very flavorful. The new restaurant was recently awarded a liquor license by CB1. See David discussing the new restaurant at Shecky's.

Zucker's

Zucker's on Chambers Street has quickly become a neigborhood favorite. They will be participating in the Taste of Tribeca and have provided bagels and the works for many neighborhood and school functions. It is affiliated with Murray's Bagels, so in addition to serving great smoked salmon, it has great bagels.

A regular wrote in :"Zucker's makes it's own handmade bagels!! it's a great place for kids after school, smoked salmon and holiday platters, but I keep going back for the bagels!!! (They are) chewy, tender with a nice mouth feel. They are my favorite NYC bagels!"