When we left off, we had just wrapped up dinner at Minetta Tavern and wandered over to Dear Strangers. This spot sits right by NYU, in my old stomping grounds, where I spent way too much time (and money) in dive bars back in the day. But this place? Whole different vibe.
Dear Strangers
You head down a couple of stairs, and it opens up into a gorgeous, super-clean, well-decorated space that feels like it was made for date night. Not that we cared—our crew rolled in, squeezed in between some double dates, and went right for drinks and dessert.
The cheesecake stole the show. Deconstructed, plated like art, and absolutely delicious—it looked like Picasso himself painted it. The cocktails were also on point. I loved that their martinis came with a sidecar of pickled goodies: an olive, a pickle, and a little onion. Perfect balance of booze and snack—choose your adventure. Definitely going back to this one.
The Spaniard
After that, we made our way to The Spaniard. If you’ve been around, you know the deal—it’s always packed, full of finance bros, NYU kids, and everyone else trying to mingle. We tucked into the back, grabbed a round of drinks (martini for me, of course), and ordered food.
French Dip – Lamb with horseradish. Interesting, decent, but a bit dry. Wouldn’t reorder right away.
Smashburger – A classic crowd-pleaser. Greasy, juicy, perfect.
Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich – Traditional, Tabasco-heavy, vinegar-forward. Not everyone’s favorite, but I appreciated the old-school style.
By the end of the night, we were full, buzzing, and happy to have burned some calories on the walk back. Not the priciest outing we’ve had—call it about $100 a head—but solid food, good vibes, and better company.
Stay tuned for Part 3: Frank Restaurant (old-school Italian) and Part 4: Lost Paradise with all the late-night snacks.
Follow the full adventure:
Part 1: Minetta Tavern
Part 2: Dear Strangers & The Spaniard
Part 3: Frank
Part 4: Bar Snack, Lost Paradise, Don Chicken Manhattan & il laboratorio del gelato
Look, I’m just a Fat Guy from Brooklyn giving you my two cents. If you want more Top 10s—steakhouses, burgers, restaurants, you name it—click the words and keep going.