Eat In Something Unique
Instead of focusing on eating something unique, let's talk about eating IN something unique!
There are so many restaurants with delicious food and drinks out there, sometimes I need a little something extra to help me decide on a new place to try. What intrigued me most about the below list of places were the distinctive environments you got to eat in. Each one had something special to offer - whether it was the physical object you ate in or the historic purpose of the location.
Don't worry, the meals and cocktails we had while at these restaurants were great too!
Eat In... a former Bank Vault!
I mean what could be cooler than eating inside of a bank vault? Just walking into the restaurant and seeing those iconic vault doors was an experience in itself. We went shortly after Covid, so it wasn't very crowded at the time and we were able to get a table right by the inner door. I was able to take all the photos I wanted and was totally in heaven.
I am definitely all about an ambience and this had a very unique feel - I loved how the doors were lit up to dramatize and highlight the bank vault features. The food was tasty and they gave us free dessert to share at the end of the night.
Eat In... an Alpine Gondola!
The Lavaux is a wine and fondue bar in New York City that happens to also provide the option to reserve a table inside a replica Alpine Gondola. It's a comfortable fit for two people and makes for a cute date night idea. The food menu focuses mainly on meats & cheeses, as well as cheese and dessert fondues - which were all delicious. Nevertheless, the highlight of the restaurant was definitely their selection of Swiss wines and wine cocktails.
Although a little gimmicky, Craig and I really enjoyed having the private and unique space to ourselves. We were extremely happy with our charcuterie selections, the Raclette dish we ordered and the Swiss chocolate dessert fondue (although a little pricey!). We were not rushed out of the table/gondola and were able to order multiple rounds of food and drinks.
There is only one Gondola table available though, so you do have to make reservations far in advance to secure your spot.
Eat In... George Washington's former headquarters!
For any history buffs out there, this place is a can't miss. Fraunces Tavern touts itself as the oldest bar and restaurant in New York City. George Washington used to drink there - in fact, he even fired all of the New York troops from the Revolutionary War at the bar (although they tell the story a little more eloquently than that).
The tavern has several bars, each with their own historical feel to them. We went there for brunch and although the brunch menu was not unique, the food was solid. I would have to recommend the watermelon and tomato salad, if it is on the menu, as well as the grilled flat iron steak which was extremely tasty. We made sure to walk around to see all the "dining" rooms and grabbed another round of drinks at a second bar to get a feel for the whole place.
Eat In... NYC's first whiskey distillery since prohibition!
The Grid Restaurant at Great Jones Distilling
Although I am not typically a whiskey drinker, it was hard to pass up a visit to see NYC's first distillery since prohibition. The fact that they had a restaurant on-site where they offered plates that incorporated their whiskey/bourbon into the recipes enticed me even more. Craig would probably say the highlights of our visit were the bars and the various cocktails on the menu, but for me it was absolutely the meal we had at The Grid Restaurant. The menu seems to rotate, but we had the lobster roll and short rib which were both excellent.
Although not cheap, the food was outstanding and very unique. They did a great job of infusing the food with the alcohol and everything I ate was better than the next thing. Between the drinks and the food though, be prepared for a high bill at the end of the night.
Eat In... a Yurt!
Unfortunately our experience at Nowadays was not the best when we went, but it was years ago and we're hoping they have had a chance to get their act together. At the time, we needed to pay $5 per person to reserve one of the Yurts. These days, you can reserve them for free via Resy as long as you have at least 4 people.
We made a plans to go with our friends Matt and Alanna, as part of a day bar hoping in Brooklyn. When we arrived for our reservation, they informed us that they were having issues with the electric and the heaters so they had fewer Yurts available. They told us if we still wanted the one we reserved and paid for, we would have to wait at least an hour for another group to finish up. They gave us no warning or courtesy phone call, just waited until we showed up to break the bad news. Despite being disappointed, we decided to wait it out. We were extremely hungry though so we ended up ordering food inside the main building/restaurant - they actually had a delicious Japanese menu. The ramen was so flavorful that we've actually returned to Nowadays since just for that.
So technically when it comes to the Yurt, we can't actually vouch for eating inside of it - just drinking inside it. By the time it became available to us, it was pretty late and we didn't end up staying very long - just enough time to have one drink. We also think they didn't take the time to clean it after the previous group, as it smelled very strongly of cigarette smoke when we walked in.
It has now been a few years, so we are hoping they have developed a better system for the Yurts. The food was so amazing that we figure it's still worth a spot on the list.
Bonus: Pittsburgh and Miami
Eat In... a historic church!
The highlight of Church Brew Works was definitely the beer (they brew their own!) and the old church architecture and decor. The outside of the restaurant still had the structure and facade of a church, plus they repurposed the pews and used them for seating inside. The food they offered wasn't exactly memorable, but it wasn't bad either.
We went here years ago and unsurprisingly, I cannot recall what I ordered. I do remember leaving feeling very satisfied with my meal and just recently recommended the restaurant to our friend Tom who was taking a road trip to Pittsburgh. Craig for his part left dinner quite tipsy - he basically ordered samples of every beer on their menu!
Eat In... the former Versace Mansion!
Gianni's Restaurant at the former Versace Mansion
When we went to Miami Beach recently with our friends Billy and Jenna, Billy told us that we had to check out the former Versace Mansion. He explained that they had turned it into an upscale Mediterranean restaurant and I was immediately convinced. The food was decent - definitely a little pricey for what you got. However, any shortcomings with the meal were easily made up for the gorgeous and impressive surroundings.
We had a table inside the courtyard, close by the pool and it was a beautiful night to eat outside. The one memorable dish we ordered was the Cacio e Pepe, which was cooked in and served from a big cheese wheel. I have had pasta from other restaurants that were done this way, but I was never impressed with the taste - until the one from Gianni's.
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