[Photo: Kathy Chan]

We're keeping it simple today, at Gottino, with a window seat facing onto Greenwich Avenue. Gottino is lovely in the evenings, but far more so during weekday afternoons. Only then, is it quiet. Most daytime diners come alone, with books or newspapers in hand. There's a peaceful sense of calm that is impossible to capture at other times of the day. And if your close your eyes, you might, for a minute, forget that this is Manhattan.

Eggs are on the menu, and those are a must. Steamed scrambled eggs make a wonderful meal, creamy yet, cloud-light with soft, supple curds. The eggs are steamed, yes, with a steam wand from a cappuccino maker, and the results are spectacular. To accompany, olive oil-drizzled toast and prosciutto, smoked salmon, or roasted cherry tomatoes and goat cheese. A tiny bit of grated parmesan and black pepper to top the eggs, so little you'd barely notice. But those who do, I'm sure, appreciate that subtle touch. It's $10 well spent.

And if you can afford to spare a little more time, one fine cappuccino ($3) to stay will make all the difference in your day.

Gottino

52 Greenwich Avenue, New York, NY 10011 (map)
212-633-2590‎
ilovegottino.com