My client had never seen SoHo or any of lower Manhattan so he insisted on taking us out...he wanted casual Italian. We found a bib gourmand called Picola Cucina (apparently there are a couple in the world, Sardinia, Miami, Spain). We started with an appetizer sampler of sorts. The meatballs were incredible as was the baked eggplant dish. The place was a Sicilian food specialist and the waitress suggested lasagna. I had a pine nut and pesto lasagna that I thought was great...until I tried my wife's traditional lasagna...best lasagna I have ever had. Very thin pasta sheets with many thin layers of ground veal/pork with a béchamel sauce. The place was very reasonable. I think the most expensive thing on the menu was $18. I would suggest this place to anyone keeping in mind that it is just casual and not striving to be a del post or babbo. Service was Sicilian style....which allowed time for a few bottles of wine.

I have been to Manhattan now 20 times...this was my wife's third time. We decided that it was truly time to explore Brooklyn. I had been once by myself...Grimaldis and Peter Lugers.

We walked the Brooklyn Bridge...great weather and beautiful (we had recently watched Ric Burn's New York documentary which was awesome...it really put perspective on the bridge and what an incredible marvel it was and still is). We walked through the projects down the former Murderers Row (where Bourdain went in his last No Res episode)...the area was totally safe. Fort Greene neighborhood is beautiful...full of restored brownstones. Brooklyn Flea was a really cool market...we had a samosa for breakfast...great!

Then, we walked to Franny's for a Brooklyn Pizza....we had a pepporoni and bufala mozz with chilli oil...great....and the white clam pizza...it was just good. These were hand tossed in a wood oven. Nice charring....I would say they were a notch below Ancora but better than Domenica in taste. My wife felt they were better than Ancora. Its a great place in Prospect Park. Then, we walk up to the Barclays Center and took a left into Park Slope....this neighborhood was truly beautiful. Great shopping, nice mix of ethnicities and totally safe. Brooklyn was calmer and more peaceful than Manhattan...and cheaper, but still kept that densely packed, mixed ethnic, world feel if that makes sense. We had disappointing cocktails (another theme of the trip) at Backyard....pretty bar though.

We walked to Carroll Gardens and had one of the best meals of the trip at Battersby...right after we had more disappointing cocktails at a tiki bar. It is too new to be rated, but all of my NYC insider insisted we go to Battersby...as did the sommelier at Le Bernadin. The place is very small and very casual. We did the spontaneous tasting menu. I think it was $95 for 7 courses...without going course by course, their famous crispy kale salad was wonderful....the rare lamb loin with this savory caramel sauce to finish was really great. We paired wines along the way and it added up to a damn near perfect dining experience. It was most similar to Maurepas in technique and execution...though it is more polished with flavor combinations.

We finished the night by cabbing it to dba in Williamsburg for the LSU/Auburn beatdown. Billyburg is a popular place...not sure I am cool enough for it. I would need to purchase some vintage apparel.

The next morning we slept in to avoid a hangover. We cabbed it over to DUMBO for Smorgusburg (100 food vendors under the Brooklyn Bridge). If the weather is nice when you go, this is a must. We started with assorted Fillipino spring rolls, then a Bolivian empanada essentially and a juice (both were wonderful), then a Lobster Roll (that was as good as we had in Boston/Newport....they were from Maine. Then, we decided to walk it off before a dessert. We walked into DUMBO and got coffee at Brooklyn Roasting Company...everything is roasted in the cafe...best iced coffee I have ever had and the best coffee I have had in America....maybe ever. Its better than Blue Bottle. NYC coffee is better than ours...dealwithit. We went back to the market and had a smore thing that was just ok, then we had a black and white cookie...by this place that makes them on site. All other black and white cookies will never be the same. It was still warm and the frosting was melting. I refrained from the Seinfeld quotes about the cookie while eating.

We cabbed it to the Lower East Side to a German beer Garden, Lowerly...great place...just got their OktoberFest beers in...then another beer bar. Then, we went to Russ and Daughters to get the amazing smoked salmon...if you have never been here...go! We ate it at dba in the East Village while watching the end of the Saints game.

We then decided to ditch the Babbo reservations (we had already been and we were on an ethnic food roll. We had the famous lamb cumin spicy noodles from Xi'an Famous Foods. This shite is crack...no other word for it. Chewy hand rolled noodle, tender lamb, and a very spicy broth. $7...we split it. Then hit McSorleys because my wife had never been.

We walked over to the Italian festival going on in Little Italy....had some ok raw oysters and then split a Roberta's Pizza...about on the level of Franny's.

Monday left us with a short day...we flew home at 7....we decided early lunch and early dinner to avoid airport food. We went to little Korea...picked a grill specialist listed in the Michelin Guide...fricking fantastic. Korea House satiates craving and is good enough....this was much better. If anyone really needs the name I will find it....something with an M.

We walked around a bit then went up to the roof of Eataly to Birreria. With view of the Empire SB and Flatiron Building we had some excellent wines, meats and cheese...culminating a beautiful Barolo...we promptly went downstairs and bought a bottle for the wine collection.

The two hours spent up there may well have been my favorite part of the trip. We began our discussion of our spring/summer trip to Piedmont/Barolo/Milano/Modena/Genoa and went through the list of our favorites from this trip...best fine dining dish, tuna and foie at LB...best casual dish...the Bolivian empanada....best wine is always the one you are currently drinking (just so happened it was a Barolo).

New York has always been my favorite city in the world...and Brooklyn is the most underrated place in America IMO. The amazing blend of ethnicities has helped shaped this microcosm of the world on a little island and some buroughs. What that means for the food of course is that you can start you day in Bolivia and finish it in Italy via Maine, Germany, etc. But the best thing about New York is that you still know where you are...whether its admiring the Brooklyn Bridge and the new WTC while sipping the fresh Bolivian juice or a place like Russ and Daughters that shows how Jewish immigrants came to NYC and redefined their cuisine and their lives. Though in food and neighborhood you can always temporarily transport to another continent...really, in the end, all you have to do is look up while chewing the hand-rolled noodles and see the sun radiating off the top of the Chrystler building to know you can only be in one place.