NYCGuide
Where Joe Jonas Goes For Pasta, Chicken Parm & Martinis In NYC
photo credit: Jack Lawless
Welcome to Perfect For, a weekly Infatuation series of ultra-specific restaurant recommendations from people around town you don't know personally, but might wish you did. Today, musician and famous brother Joe Jonas shares his favorite spots in NYC.
We have a lot in common with Joe Jonas. We both wait in line at sceney spots in the West Village, are intrigued by weird martinis, and love to sit in peace at a restaurant and scroll on our phone. But unlike us, he’s also on tour, and just sold out Yankee Stadium—twice.
Read on for a few of his favorite brunch, dinner, and date night spots downtown. And if you see him in a sake-induced haze at La Cabra early on a Sunday morning, no you didn’t.
photo credit: Teddy Wolff
“I spend a lot of time in the West Village, and I love the people who do Via Carota and Buvette. I think they do a really great job. They’re always at the top of the list of restaurants to go to when I’m in town. There’s incredible Italian at Via Carota. You really can’t go wrong, just run down the menu, but you gotta get pasta, and they have a good wine selection.”
photo credit: Teddy Wolfe
“The French food at Buvette is great for brunch. I love their croque madame and croque monsieur, and their french toast is insane. I think it’s great because you can share a lot of stuff there. But you do want to go hungry, and you want to make sure you go with time to wait in line, because there’s always a line. And they have good coffee there as well.”
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
“Emilio’s Ballato is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in New York. He’s a good friend of ours, and his whole family works there. It’s the best taste of authentic New York City. We’ve done a lot of family meals at Emilio’s, and I think we’ve done a few holiday meals there. We always try to take over the back room, and he just opened up a speakeasy next door.
The chicken parm is amazing, the veal parm is amazing, the eggplant parm...I’m a sucker for pappardelle or tagliatelle meat pastas, so that’s my go-to. And they also have the best zucchini fritti. It’s gonna have a line and they don’t take reservations, so you have to go with enough time to wait. And don’t go with too many people, because the tables are better for four, max.”
photo credit: Cafe Gitane
“Right by Emilio’s is a cafe I’ve always loved, Cafe Gitane. It’s my go-to for a quiet meal. If I were to read the news, I would go there to read the news, or just, you know, scroll on my phone. It’s delicious, and the Moroccan couscous is unreal. During the day it’s good for people watching. You sit on the street and have great food—they have an amazing avocado toast. But at night, it becomes kind of romantic. It’s dimly lit and really feels like you’re in Europe somewhere.”
“For date night, or just a cozy spot that kind of reminds me of England, The Waverly Inn does a really good job. I like the feel and vibe of the fireplaces and everything. They do a mezcal Old Fashioned that I get every time I’m there. Their chicken pot pie is mind-blowing—you have to get it.”
photo credit: Emily Schindler
“I like Casino a lot right now. It’s fantastic and feels like a Wes Anderson movie when you walk in. They changed their menu quite a bit, but I love all of their pastas. They just do a great job with their ingredients, and their espresso martini is fantastic.”
photo credit: Carina Finn
“For pastries and coffee, La Cabra. They opened one in Soho, but the OG one on 2nd Ave in the East Village is unreal. If you get there at 8am, the fresh pastries in the morning are just mind-blowing.”
“One of my go-to favorite spots that’s open late is Sake Bar Decibel. It’s an old faithful. It’s right by La Cabra, so if you’re out really late, you can just roll over there for pastries in the morning. There’s graffiti on the walls and it’s such a vibe, I love it there. I just go straight sake. I don’t know the name, but they have one that I’m obsessed with that’s wrapped in a banana leaf.”
“My favorite cocktail bar is Martiny’s. I love a good mixologist, and this guy literally won best cocktail awards a couple of times. He’s phenomenal—you want to sit at the cocktail bar to watch him work. It’s in an old carriage house. The upstairs is cool, but if you can get seats at the bar it’s such an experience.
You don’t even have to like whiskey, and you can fall in love with whiskey and be like, ‘I’ve never had drinks like this in my life.’ They have a Caprese Martini that tastes just like a caprese salad. It sounds weird, but it’s delicious. They also have a Michelin-starred chef making their snack menu. It’s a great date night spot, and if you also want to impress an out-of-towner, that’s where you take them.”
