West Village eatery Sweetiepie is like a fall down a rabbit hole in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Hot pink modern-meets-baroque banquettes, mirrored floor-to-ceiling panels, marble counters and a nine-foottall brass birdcage that seats 10—it all transports children (and parents) to a magical place. “The décor is a hybrid of my imagination and bits and pieces of old Hollywood restaurants,” says owner Julie Daniels Janklow. In the back dining room, countless parties are hosted.
Sweetiepie puts as much love into its menu as its design elements. The food is colorful and tasty, but also fresh and healthy. The pink beet risotto, mini burgers, grilled cheese, French toast and brown-sugar-coated bacon—all from executive chef Humberto Guallpa—are delectable, while the steamed artichoke, grilled salmon and a selection of salads offer lighter (and more grown-up) alternatives. Dessert is not for the sugar-shy: micro lemon, orange and chocolate cakes, banana splits and raspberry and rosepetal “fooles” are just the beginning. The Sweetiepig is the dessert menu’s tour de force—a party sundae that can easily feed 20, with 18 whopping ice cream scoops served in a 16-inch crystal dish along with cake, homemade hot fudge and fruit. “I wanted a place where you could get the biggest ice cream sundae ever!” says Daniels Janklow. Sweetiepie,19 Greenwich Avenue at Tenth Street, 212-337-3333; sweetiepierestaurant.com.
KID CITY
A few of our favorite local childoriented restaurants..
ALICE’S TEA CUP: Try the Mad Hatter, including a pot of tea, scones with preserves and clotted cream, tea sandwiches, and mocha chocolate chip cake or tea-infused fruit tart. 102 West 73rd Street, 212-799- 3006; alicesteacup.com
BIG DADDY’S DINER: Order the Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Love pancakes with bananas and chocolate chips. 239 Park Avenue South, 212- 477-1500; 1596 Second Avenue, 212-717-2020; bigdaddysnyc.com
PINCH & S’MAC: My favorite dish from the makers of Pinch (Pizza by the Inch) and the East Village’s S’Mac is the Parisienne—mac and cheese with brie, fi gs, roasted shiitake mushrooms and fresh rosemary. 474 Columbus Avenue, 646-438-9494; pinchandsmac.com
SHAKE SHACK: Get the Shack Burger with a secret Shack sauce, paired with a hand-spun caramel shake. 366 Columbus Avenue, 646- 747-8770; Madison Square Park, 212-889-6600; shakeshack.com.
