night out – Downtown Magazine

BiCE Cucina Opens a New Location in Soho

In this episode of Downtown Highlights, we visited BiCE Cucina, an authentic Italian restaurant that brings together hospitality and Northern Italian flavors. BiCE has two locations in New York City, Midtown and Soho. In this episode, we visited BiCE Cucina in Soho, their newest location.

The Story Behind BiCE

BiCE’s story starts about 90 years ago. It all started with Beatrice Ruggeri, also know as Bice. She shared her talent and love for food with her family and friends while growing up in Northern Italy. Impressed by Bice’s food, her friends and family encouraged her to open a restaurant, or “cucina”. She decided to listen to her loved ones and in 1926, she opened her own Trattoria in Milan with her husband, Gino.

Bice and Gino’s sons, Remo and Roberto, took over the business in 1970. They opened the first location in the United States in 1987. This restaurant is in Midtown, between 5th and Madison Avenue. BiCE quickly gained popularity around the world, opening locations in Palm Beach, Tokyo, LA, Paris, and Chicago over the span of three years. BiCE has even gained the attention of some major clientele such as the Kennedys. The legacy of BiCE continues on through Raffaele Ruggeri, Bice’s grandson.

Here, You’re Family

Raffaele’s goal for BiCE Cucina is clear: to make every guest feel welcome like they’re family. When you visit our restaurant “you’re coming into our home…and when you come into someone’s home, our home, you do everything you can to make sure you take care of your guests,” Raffaele Ruggeri explains to us. This goal is definitely being met, as we felt like we were home while eating here. As soon as we walked in the door, we felt welcome here by Ruggeri and the friendly staff.

Authentic and Light Cuisine

BiCE Cucina works hard to not only serve delicious food but food that is healthy and light. “We hope to create a beautiful restaurant where the food is really impeccable,” Ruggeri explains. BiCE Cucina has a wide variety of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options so everyone can find a dish that they love.

Everything that we tried at this restaurant was absolutely delectable. The food, including the pasta dishes, was incredibly light. In this episode, we tried three appetizers, the Tuna Tartare, Octopus Carpaccio, and Baked Eggplant Parmigiana, and two pasta dishes, the Tortellini and a gluten-free version of Tagliolini Aragosta. BiCE Cucina is not only a restaurant that serves delicious, healthy food, it is an experience. BiCE truly has something for everyone to enjoy. We will definitely be paying BiCE a visit again soon.

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There is no better way to get a fresh look at our home city than by seeing it through the eyes of a tourist. It is all too easy to visit the same restaurants and bars and have the same nights out, so now is the time to shake things up and try something new!

Why not channel your inner tourist and visit that art gallery that you have been intending to go to and try that new restaurant that you have always passed by — but have never gone into. Imagine that you have just 24 hours to spend in downtown NYC; here, we’ll show you how to spend your time wisely.

Bearing in mind that you’ll probably eat a lot throughout the day, why not start it off with an invigorating run before breakfast. One of the most popular routes for tourists to run in Downtown is over the Hudson River Greenway, which is also a favorite for dog walkers, runners, and cyclists alike. The pathway takes you from The Bronx all the way down to Battery Park where you can enjoy the city’s best sights while en route.

Made it through your run? Congratulations! Now you can take a well-earned rest and relax in one of the best coffee shops in Battery Park: Inatteso Café. While you’re there, treat yourself to a delicious cinnamon roll or a cheddar-thyme scone with a cup of coffee and take a break from it all to watch the world go by.

How about a stroll down to SoHo and Little Italy where you can visit some of the many interesting shops. Make like a tourist and head to It’s Always Christmas in New York, a Christmas-themed shop that is open all year round. And don’t forget to pick up your novelty bauble, too, as every good tourist knows souvenirs are everything!

Speaking of tourists, did you know that there are some New Yorkers who have never made the trip to visit the Statue of Liberty? If you have never been, don’t write it off as just another tourist attraction, it’s so much more than that.

For lunch, head over to Eataly, which aims to bring a little piece of Italy Downtown. Choose from either a classic pizza or go for a coupling of fine cheese and wine from one of the many cafes and eateries within this bustling market.

Sure, it’s a little cheesy, but what jaunt through downtown doesn’t include a brief sojourn on one of New York’s finest sightseeing tours? All you need is a bus buddy and you’re ready to hail a ride on a downtown tour, which takes you through the likes of Greenwich Village, SoHo, the Financial District, Chinatown, and the Lower East Side. Hop on and off as often as you like, and don’t forget to people watch. as well as take in those iconic sights!

After a delicious dinner at Kosaka in the West Village, have a drink at Brass Monkey — an incredible rooftop bar with amazing views of the Hudson River. From there, don your tux or little black dress and head to one of the Downtown casinos or poker rooms where you can expect to mingle with some of the city’s top rollers.

Looking to have some fun? Of course, you are, so what better way to end your day than by having a couple of drinks and do a little dancing? Le Bain has it all: cocktails, dancing, and of course, breathtaking views of the city from the rooftop bar.

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