A greedyguts tour of our new 'hood and its environs

(In case you hadn't already figured it out, you can tell I'm not really street by the way I use an apostrophe for the contraction of neighbourhood.)

So anyway, about our new 'hood... Rabbit Hutch Towers is not quite the heart of Chelsea, being a couple of blocks too far west for that. I suppose it's the left pec, or maybe the left abs of Chelsea. But we are in a pretty good spot for food.

Within our first weekend we spotted so many great looking places to eat that there was a risk we never leave our block. Which would be a shame given all the great variety the world east of 10th has to offer.

So TLOML made a strict rule: NO REPEAT VISITS WITHIN TWO MONTHS.
Some clauses:
a) The rule only applies to proper meals. So the repeat visits to the Half King and the Drunken Horse don't count, since we mainly had booze and cheese.
b) The rule only applies since we moved to New York on 9th April. So we can go back for roast pork and burnt ends at Porchetta any time we like.

Still, the return to places we loved, for a proper meal, is out until our two month 'trying everything once' period is over. I told a wise New Yorker this last night and she laughed and said 'you could do that for a year and still have plenty to try... anyway, that place you loved might be gone and replaced with something new in two months time.'

Oh I hope not! The list of places I can't wait to return to is growing by the day.

Living without the wonderful BES - with its incredible lobster ravioli and ginger crusted snapper, and great big photos of bottoms - till June seems intolerable. No zuppa di pescue at Bottino for six more weeks? Shame!

Last night's discovery, Tia Pol, was serving up croquetas so good I want them for breakfast. Every day. And the squid in ink, oh! I miss it already.

Wonder TLOML notice if I sneaked out and scarfed a couple...

The Red Cat, the perfect neighbourhood bistro, cosy, vibey, unambitious but solid, is begging us to return every time we walk past the door. Down in the village, Mary's Fish Camp was worth the hour long wait: for that amazing, mayonnaisey lobster roll I'll wait again as soon as I'm allowed. Further afield, Soba Totto's tasty yakitori and perfect soba left me wanting more.

My waistline may thank me for waiting a little while before returning to Righteous Urban Barbeque, where TLOML ate his own body weight in babybacks. But Le Grainne, the sweet place with the great crepes? I'm dying to go back! And Bombay Talkie, the first curry I've eaten outside of New Jersey was only average, but it's so close, and average curry is so good, I think we'll be back before June is out.

And can I really wait that long to soak up champagne, perfect moules, and soft light at Pastis again? I'm not sure I can...

So yes, this two month embargo will not be easy. Thank goodness there are still some good places to try...

But TLOML can take care of that: I'm heading out of town for three and half weeks, which I think is the only sensible way to spend this NO REPEAT VISITS period.