MIDTOWN – BOTTEGA DEL VINO

5 EAST 59th STREET, BETWEEN 5TH AVE. AND MADISON AVE.

Stretching from Herald Square up to the Park at 59th Street, Midtown is a cluster of shops and sights, luring tourists from all over the globe.  A bit crowded on the weekends, the luxe shopping on Fifth Avenue seems to have given way to a few more “I Love NY”  t-shirts these days.  Still showcasing every designer from Gucci to Ferragamo, and the original city’s Cartier, new additions like the NBA store and that always hopping Abercrombie (even bedbugs couldn’t scare them away!) has led to a bit more tourist traffic.

Though the scene may be changing, Midtown still has its share of uptown locals who work and play in the neighborhood, with some of the best department stores in the world (hello, Bendels!) and restaurants (dinner for two at Le Bernadin?).  Since these locals know a thing or two about fine dining and good cappuccinos, naturally, they end up at Bottega del Vino.  “We love being a part of this neighborhood,” said manager Simone Baradei.  ”We have a very strong local clientele, especially our daily regular patrons from midtown offices, combined with guests visiting the city.”

Besides the authentic Northern Italian fare and phenomenal wine list Bottega del Vino provides, part of the pull is their cappuccinos.  “We pride ourselves on serving quality Italian coffee. We make coffee in the classic Italian way, without syrups or flavors.”   Using beans from Antica Tostatura Triestina, roasted in the Italian city of Trieste, the cappuccinos are rather famous, thanks to barista Sammy Lin.  Making over 500 cups of coffee a day, he can practically create a Monet in your cappuccino, perfecting gorgeous designs of butterflies and any kind of foliage one can imagine.  Martha Stewart claimed Sammy as the best in all of New York, and who would argue with Martha?  “The art of coffee is extremely important to Bottega del Vino and something we very much enjoy offering our customers,” says Baradei.  ”Sammy is always trying new designs based on the season.”  The cappuccinos are so authentic, many Italians stop in looking for a piece of home.

Baradei has no qualms about the tourists, as “[i]t is so exciting to be a part of the NYC experience to our out of town guests.”  And I used to be one.  The first time I walked into Bottega del Vino, it was a wonderful accident.  Years ago, as a (brief) student in nearby Connecticut, I visited the city often to find inspiration.  New York City was larger than life and humbling given my West Virginia roots, I was both intimidated and enthralled by its energy.  Walking around midtown, not knowing the difference between uptown and downtown, I stumbled into this cafe by chance.  I walked in and, surveying the crowd, thought, “Oh!  Locals!”  I took a seat and ordered a cappuccino; it felt like a scene out of a movie.  Here I was, in New York City, with the locals, drinking a (really great) cappuccino.  Years later, as a New Yorker myself, I still feel nostalgia for those naive and exciting days in the city.

Traveling through the neighborhood?  Nearby attractions include Bergdorf’s for window shopping, the glass-cubed Apple store for design inspiration, and FAO Schwartz for the most fun you can have as an adult reenacting the scene from “Big.”

After your cappuccino, take a walk through Central Park, a refuge from the chaos and a place I still happily get lost in.  I recently took a boat around the park’s lake for a serene and beautiful view of the city.