Where Colin Ate: Bistro Ha, Bar Bianchi, Schmuck
Plus: some elite pop-ups
Colin Camac (aka @resyguynyc) is officially Blackbird’s “Strategic Sales Lead,” and unofficially is our resident insider’s insider. He is out, on the town seven nights a week, sniffing out the city’s best joints, skateboard in one hand, martini in the other.
After a whirlwind week in Mexico, my girlfriend Marcela and I returned to NYC to do what we do best, namely, check out spots new and old. Needless to say, the two weeks below did not disappoint, and I was able to congregate with many of my favorite folks in the industry. All of which made the inclement weather more than manageable.
All the restaurants and bars below our worth first time or repeat visits, so add ‘em to your list, friends.
Colin
Coqodaq
📍 Flatiron
🍽️ Korean
Why I Ate Here: Last minute invite when friends’ table had extra seats after people left early to beat the snow. Simon Kim’s temple to Korean fried chicken is always a fun landing spot, especially on a chaotic weather night.
Who I Ate With: Lala (host of Put It In My Mouth podcast), Marcela, Lucy (Steak Club / The Wild Honey Pie), and my friend Gloria who was in town from LA for work.
What I Ate: Champagne picked by sommelier Fred, caesar salad, 24 karat nuggs topped with caviar (a must), regular and soy garlic chicken (my preference over gochujang), cold perilla noodles, and soft serve before heading back out into the snow.
Bistrot Ha
📍Lower East Side
🍽️ French-Vietnamese
Why I Ate Here: After years as a pop-up and then a snack bar, the Ha’s team opened their first full restaurant — one of the most hyped openings of the year.
Who I Ate With: Emmett Burke (owner of Emmett’s).
What I Ate: Bright, punchy dishes heavy on fish sauce, lime and chilies. Sticky rice with pork and foie in fish sauce with pickles was the standout. Also crab salad eclair, leeks vinaigrette with mussels, and profiteroles.
Corima (Eliane pop-up)
📍 Mexican
🍽️ Chinatown
Why I Ate Here: Pop-up from Kobe Desramaults of Eliane and In de Wulf, hosted at one of my favorite restaurants in NYC.
Who I Ate With: Phillip Kirschen-Clark (chef/owner of Phillip Marie).
What I Ate: Corima’s house flour tortilla (the best here), potato with caviar, turbot in reduced mussel sauce. Curveballs included a brain taco and mushroom and abalone tostada. Mezcal throughout.
Chin Up Bar
📍 Nolita
🍽️ Cocktail Bar
Why I Ate Here: Brand new LES gin-focused bar — one of my two spirits of choice.
Who I Ate With: Jenna Ransom (artist) and Chef Phillip Kirschen-Clark.
What I Ate: Perfectly made house martini and a dealer’s choice cocktail with gin, curry, coconut, apricot and lime. Fried clams and a strong raw bar.
Le Veau d’Or
📍Upper East Side
🍽️ French
Why I Ate Here: Team lunch done properly at one of my favorite dining rooms in the city.
Who I Ate With: Timothy & Rachel (Blackbird team).
What I Ate: Salade lyonnaise, pate en croute (a must), steak frites, and poulet roti over mashed potatoes. Always fantastic service.
For All Things Good (TJ Steele pop-up)
📍 Bed-Stuy
🍽️ Mexican
Why I Ate Here: TJ Steele (chef/owner of Claro) doing a memelas pop-up at the Bed-Stuy molino.
Who I Ate With: My friend Thalia.
What I Ate: All five memelas. Pork rib over beans with cotija was my favorite. Soft braised chicharron prepared like trippa alla romana was a really fun play.
Superiority Burger
📍 East Village
🍽️ Vegetarian
Why I Ate Here: Presidents Day meeting in the East Village — stopped in for their underrated lunch service.
Who I Ate With: Marcela.
What I Ate: “The Ezekial 4:9 grilled cheese w/ pickled Norwich Farms daikon & carrots,” with creamed cabbage hidden inside and tangy pickles on the side. Incredible fries.
Moon & Back
📍 West Village
🍽️ Thai
Why I Ate Here: Valentine’s Day lunch wandering the Village looking for somewhere not insane.
Who I Ate With: The arcela.
What I Ate: Giant prawn with green nam jim and fried watercress salad, chicken & shrimp dumplings, khao soi that brought me back to Chiang Mai, and pork blood larb with dill.
Kees
📍 West Village
🍽️ Cocktail Bar
Why I Ate Here: Friends from PDT & Mixteca opened their long-awaited high-end bar.
Who I Ate With: Sarah (VP at Boka Restaurant Group).
What I Drank: Fancy vesper with Grey Goose, Tanqueray 10 and Chateau d’Yquem. Mini mezcal negronis with Del Maguey Tobala. Large backbar heavy on brown spirits.
Noz 17
📍 Chelsea
🍽️ Japanese
Why I Ate Here: Belated birthday dinner; downtown location of Sushi Noz with a shorter, more nigiri-focused format.
Who I Ate With: Sarah (VP at Boka Restaurant Group).
WhThe at I Ate: Kohada, young sea bream, bottarga with grilled mochi wrapped in nori, shirasu handroll with anchovy sauce, custardy tamago.
Bar Bianchi
📍 East Village
🍽️ Italian
Why I Ate Here: Industry family meal hosted by Jamie Gordon, longtime industry bar vet.
Who I Ate With: TJ Lynch (co-owner of Mother’s Ruin), Naama & Assaf Tamir (Lighthouse), Will Wyatt & Alex Thaboua (Electric Burrito / El Camino / High Life Burger).
What I Ate: Martinis, fantastic breadsticks, caesar salad, and a large serving of lasagna.
Golden Steer NYC
📍 Greenwich Village
🍽️ Steakhouse
Why I Ate Here: Las Vegas steakhouse import; excited to see how it translated to NYC.
Who I Ate With: Steak Club and Alexandra Shapiro (Hoexter’s / Flex Mussels).
What I Ate: Shrimp cocktail, oyster shooters, tableside caesar and wedge, tomahawk and porterhouse medium rare (preferred the char on the tomahawk), and tableside bananas foster.
Schmuck
📍 East Village
🍽️ Cocktail Bar
Why I Ate Here: Post-event stop; Barcelona import built to feel like several rooms in a large home.
Who I Ate With: Jamie Skrocki (runs memberships at ZZ’s Club).
What I Ate: Martini variation with blended vermouths topped with olive oil drops. Savory, food-inspired cocktails — I’ll be back for the Thai larb one.
Team lunch envy