A Night in Alphabet City

I have to tell you about a particularly fun evening I had this weekend in the East Village.  I live a little bit north of this particular neighborhood, and absolutely love it.  Friday night we ventured even further east, into Alphabet City. 

The first thing Wright and I did that evening was discover our new absolute faaavorite restaurant in the city.  I know, we're quick to decide.  But this really was unbelievable.  Back Forty is famous for it's Summer Crab Boils, but it really deserves more credit than that.  It is a seasonally oriented restaurant with a fantastically casual, romantic and friendly outdoor seating area (a "back forty," if you will). 

From the cucumber cocktails to the grilled corn, the food was outstanding.  The atmosphere was inviting and it really set the tone for a fantastic night. We're going back.  Soon. 

Mmm... grilled corn.  Note also my local salad with a Buttermilk Garlic Scape vinaigrette and local Chelsea Wheat beer (a new favorite, first tested at Spitzer's). 

From there, we met up with friends at Zum Schneider's on Avenue C, an indoor beer garden that was a lot of fun.  There were many beers on tap and a very enthusiastic crowd.  One negative, however, was that tables are only for dining folk. Alas, our stay was shortlived. We finished off the evening at The Sunburnt Cow, where our friends nibbled on Australian BBQ and we relaxed and laughed.  It was a beautiful night and we were in a great mood.  Dare I ask if summer has finally arrived?