Nyc spots to embrace the chill of fall

Ideally a leaf slowly cascades into your hair on your way

Not that anyone was missing me, but I’m back from a short hiatus, and I promise to never take this big of a breather again. Summer break is over, school is back in session, and weekly newsletters are frankly born out of cooler weather for me. My favorite question in school was always, “what’s your favorite season?” to which I would cut the questioner off and say “SUMMER!” because for some reason it was incredibly necessary and likable to favor the season of the warmest weather.

I carried this narrative in my denim pockets with me throughout college and my first two years in New York. A genuine fear of colder weather waiting to be showcased on social media in posts about ways to get ahead of seasonal depression (which I do know is very real) or guides to survive the cold months. But the thing that is so fantastic about year 5 in New York is that I’ve realized the cold months of the year are my haven- almost like the very first ice bath I took last Dry January that baptized me into the one kid that would answer “winter” shyly in that same class.

magic

Don’t worry, I realize it isn’t winter yet. The sun still shines on a crispy fall day, the leaves are still holding onto their branches for dear life, and we’re tasting pumpkin, not peppermint. But I’m here to greet the chill in the air with open arms knowing that the season of creativity and productivity has begun. This season also brings a love for red leathers, plaids, oranges, and the nostalgic smell of artificial apple cinnamon that we’ll find in hand soap (preferably from Homegoods), candles, and a seasonal dessert menu.

So with that, here are the places that kick off the celebration of cool. In both aesthetic appeal and temperature.

1. Cafe regular

Fall feels so 90s. Being in Park Slope on a 59 and sunny afternoon with a worn in leather jacket, baggy jeans, and no makeup on other than a darker lip color that you’ve been waiting to break out is a sensation for the senses. Taste and sound really come into play when you turn left on Berkley Place and smell espresso and red leather banquettes that were recently cleaned and surrounded by stale newspaper ink in the air.

I can promise you that you will not have the best coffee of your life at Cafe Regular. The coffee is fine. You come to cafe regular for a corduroy covered day of creativity amongst murals and falling leaves if you decide to claim your seat out-front on their Parisian patio.

The best part about the day at Cafe Regular is getting to muse around the brownstones after you’re done with coffee. I honestly hate Halloween, but seeing the elaborate decorations sprawling up and down the railings of the grandest type of housing the city provides will always peak my interest. All of the mysterious lives of those who can afford to live in houses like that mixed with the everlasting childhood phenomenon that is buying plastic ghosts and goblins at the party store. A fascinating intersection.

2. Bartolo

My favorite opening of the year, and one that I wish I experienced in October instead of August. Outside of the red, patent leather seats and early 2000s fragmented tiling, I knew as soon as we sat down with our silver tray of vermouth-y martinis and felt the West 4th breeze coming in from the fully open windows that that this would be a peak experience in the comfortably chilly months of fall. Your nicest sweater keeping you snug with warmth trickling down your arms and legs from the strong cocktail you ordered.

The food is unbelievably good. I know we’ve talked on here about rankings and my mixed feelings about them, but this was nearly a perfect 10 for me. The rice with a prawn the size of our table, the octopus, the potato with a runny fried egg…all of it was indescribably decadent in a way that was far from overkill. The only thing I wouldn’t order would be the Jamon Iberico because it’s expensive and sadly didn’t taste as good as the real thing I’ve had many a time in Madrid, but every other dish was a shining star.

My new favorite dessert now lives here…like to the point that I told my boyfriend that I want this, meaning a bleu cheese cheesecake, to be my birthday cake this year above all else. It’s funky, it’s chunky, and so damn dense that the fork moves downward to cut a piece at a pace that you need a good muscle for. You’ll have no choice but to walk this one off, but you’re nestled in the best streets of the West Village to do so.

3. Ayah

Ok I try to be mindful of too much ‘new opening’ rhetoric on here, but Ayah is the fire that will keep you warm for the fall and winter months. Unlike the predecessors in this article that champion red leather, Ayah champions red velvet. Every bit of the space has paneling, tables, lighting, wallpapers, and carpets galore sourced directly from Marrakech, which happens to be my most favorite place I’ve ever traveled.

Ayah turns into a party during the later hours, but I wanted to guide you through how I enjoyed it. I went on a Sunday night, it was pouring outside, and we swapped cocktails for piping hot moroccan mint tea, which they pour dramatically from the spout of a shining silver pot. Ok fine, we got one cocktail because there was literally a martini made with goat cheese, and as you can tell by my obsession with cheese in a sweet-savory format above, this was right up my alley.

Order a tagine and the lamb shank and finish with the pistachio creme brulee that is the most acceptable form of “““““the Dubai chocolate bar”””””” out there on the market right now.

4. Musaafer

A creamy curry (and I mean, some of the best curry I’ve ever indulged in) under a flurry of candles and mirrored tiles is a cold weather delight. Musaafer is a two-pronged evening. You’ll start in the upstairs of their Tribeca palace where you’ll order the Pani Puri, which come with a flight of sauces like Tamarind and Mango to create a gusher-like, one bite experience. The lemon pepper naan, which, stick with me here, reminded me of lemon pepper wings at the local takeout spot in the most elevated way possible. Using it as my fork for the evening and scooping up every last bit of the shortrib cashew curry and butter chicken experience hit the tastebuds on the furthest corners of my tongue.

To cool off, you’ll wobble down the stairs with your fullest belly to Saaqi, their red-hot speakeasy lit by cheetah lamps and contemporary murals to sip on a cocktail from a spectacular menu founded on the flavors of coconut, tamarind, and cardamom. You won’t have any room left, but you’ll make serious note of how good all of the small plates look on the downstairs menu to incorporate an evening there in an upcoming weekend plan.

5. Pearl Box

Now that you can comfortably get a reservation to Pearl Box, I encourage you to pair your favorite fall outfit with an evening here. The ambience is very…red candy apple with those shiny red couches…the kind that squeak when you sit down and then end up being comfortable. The perfect place that belongs in my perception of what having a martini in SoHo should feel like on an early 2000s Friday night in New York City.

I can admittedly enjoy a bit of a see and be seen type of establishment from time to time, and it’s a fun place to see everyone huddling in, wearing their chicest jacket to enjoy the fiery, cosmopolitan indoors and reasonably priced caviar. (yes, I swear it’s real Caviar).

6. Bar oliver

Alright, you have about a month left of Bar Oliver to it’s fullest potential, but months and months of decadence in their indoor dining room that couldn’t be more suited to the changing of every season. While it’s still temperate, go and get a glass of vermouth on tap (or 7 like I did the other weekend…), the vermouth blanco is perfect for the warm air, while the classic will warm you up when you need a bit of a blanket.

Perch yourself at a first-come-first-serve foil top table on the side of Oliver Street and order olives and pan tomate until the sun sets when you’ll move inside and order one of their Basque style ribeyes…and more vermouth. You sort of have to buss your own table and order everything at the bar, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Honorable Mentions

1. Little Owl- Slightly on the touristy and generic side, but sit outside and have a glass of wine with your leather jacket in the afternoon and watch the leaves fall from the treelined Grove Street

2. Hoexters- Come for the plaid walls and a burger with real yellow mustard…I haven’t found such thing in New York yet. Also right on the brink of Central Park so a great place to grab lunch and go for a stroll

3. Minetta Tavern- An obvious classic with all of the burgundy tones and checkered-tiled-floors you need for a late, yappy dinner on a chilly night. The closest I’ll get to going to a club in the colder months

4. Rigor Hill Market- The perfect backdrop for a casual fall weekend breakfast on one of the quainter corners of the Tribeca modern landscape. The egg sandwich with tomato jam is one of a kind, and so is the turkey sandwich with pickled shallots.