In an area of Manhattan that seems to be preserved in time with its architecture and charm, Bell Book & Candle is hidden away on the lower level on West 10th Street. Once you enter, you’re greeted by a warm and inviting setting of room after room that just screams date night spot. The space flows from bar to dining area to booth seating and finishes off with a chef’s table right outside the kitchen. The venue also includes a secret intimate dining area room, where you can call in your drinks to the bartender!

The star of the show is the food and beverage program though. Executive Chef John Mooney finds inspiration in the regions of America and revolves the menu around local, organic, sustainable and overall responsible procurement that is seasonal and heavily influenced by what is available from the Aeroponic Rooftop garden.

BB&C is hosting two events in February. One for the Super Bowl, which will feature the game on two 75” screens and snacks like BB&C Smoked Whole Wings with Chipotle BBQ, blue cheese and hot sauce for $3 each, Drunken Bean Dip with goat cheese, tomato, and grilled flatbread for $10 and a BB&C Patty Melt Burger with grilled onions, vintage cheddar and rooftop pickles for $17 will be offered.

The second event is for Valentine’s Day, which will cater to vegans and non vegans alike with separate seven course menus.The vegan dishes include Caramelized Tofu, Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Toasted Hazelnuts & Black Truffle and Spinach and Wild Mushroom Tacos and we had the pleasure of having a sneak peek of some of the Non Vegan menu with some additions and the cocktail and mocktail menu, for those partaking in Dry January.

We began our meal with the “Soup of the Day,” an extra dirty martini with blue cheese-stuffed olives, the best kind, and a Can-Nun-La Cocktail mocktail, comprised with rooibos cinnamon tea, agave, fresh lemon and grapefruit juice and a spicy rim you’d find on any margarita. Both bevs were delightful.

Moving onto food, we started with a Hawaiian Yellowfin Tuna Nacho bite, which packed a lot of flavor into a small stack. The Quail Egg Benedict, which will also be offered on Valentines Day, fulfills the breakfast for dinner quota with an unusual but warranted addition of a quail egg.

Next course was an actual Butternut Squash soup with fried sage, a really lovely winter dish addition to our dinner for the evening. The Brussel Sprout Salad course contained the perfect blend of salty and sweet ingredients with pecans, cranberries, parsley and clementines with a light balsamic dressing. 

We moved on to the Crab Stuffed Montauk Fluke with potato gratin, wilted spinach, and Old Bay butter, which will be served with the Surf & Turf dish, accompanying the grass-fed beef filet on Valentine’s Day. We were also served the Chicken in a Pot, which I feel like it was just for the ‘gram since it’s literally a full chicken in a pot! The staff then carves the chicken so that you can enjoy it with, what is hopefully a group because it’s a lot of food. The gravy that it’s served with was the necessary icing on the cake.

Speaking of sweets, we ended our meal with mini ice cream sandwiches accompanied by adorable syrups to top of the perfect meal.

For the 7 course Valentine’s Day celebration, the meal will run you $75 per person or $200 per couple, which includes a bottle of Cremant de Bourgogne Brut. Bell Book & Candle also offers happy hour Sunday through Friday at the bar from 5:30-7:30, so we know what our new spot is! You can find more information on BB&C and these events on their website. This restaurant is the best kept secret you won’t be able to keep to yourself.

– Stephanie Carino

Bell Book and Candle
141 West 10th Street
New York, NY 10014

Photos by Socially Superlative