When I first graduated from college I used to visit my cousin in New York City every 8-10 weeks. One of our favorite spots was Penelope on the corner of 30th and Lexington. We usually went for Sunday brunch, but lately Penelope has become one of my top choices for meeting friends for dinner.
Penelope is, in a word, adorable. Even before you walk in, the appearance from the outside is so charming.
They even painted the fire hydrant outside their door to match the restaurant's color scheme!
Saturday night I met one of my favorite college girls for an early dinner at 6:30pm. There was no wait (this is early bird special time for Manhattanites).
Every aspect of Penelope's design and decor is super cute. Check out the flower napkin ring!
We started with the rose sangria. We chose that drink because it came with fresh strawberries and papaya, but when ours arrived, there were no strawberries! As we looked around, everyone else drinking the same cocktail had strawberries in theirs! Not cool.
For dinner, my friend ordered the spinach and beet salad which also had avocado and goat cheese and came with two slices of hearty bread. Can you really go wrong with any menu item that includes avocado?
I ordered the veggie burger which comes on an English muffin with lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, cheese and pesto mayo. This is one of the best veggie burgers I've ever had! Top five for sure.
As our catch up session went on, the restaurant got more and more packed. By the time we left at 9:30pm we had to yell to hear each other.
Our waiter delivered the bill in metal pail, another lovely touch!
I have loved everything I have ever ordered at Penelope and cannot recommend it enough! The menu is amazingly vegetarian friendly.
Penelope is a great choice for brunch, lunch of dinner. See you again soon, P.
