Two Hands, One Obsession
Two Hands NYC
Delicious avocado toast with gooey yolky egg on top: check. Trendy Instagram-worthy food presentation: check. Yummy cappuccinos for your caffeine pick-me-up: check. Decor that feels more like a beach down under than the middle of busy NYC: check. A brigade of attractive Australian accented waitstaff: check. G'day mate!
Most people here in the city have heard of Two Hands, but if you haven't consider this your wake up call because you need to try it ASAP. The first location was the cafe in the Lower East Side, but they recently opened a restaurant in TriBeCa that is bigger and brighter than the first! A large part of their success is owed to the Aussie trendy aesthetic and the friendly atmosphere, as well as the onslaught of Instagram fame, but what it really comes down to is how darned good the food really is. The dishes are simple and clean, never fussy, err on the healthy side, and are portioned very well. I think that's what I appreciate the most -- they don't overdo it with anything. My go-to favorite is the smashed avocado on sourdough toast with scallions, jalapeños, cilantro, pepitas, and lime; it has a slight zest that balances wonderfully with the blander flavor of the avocado. I've tried the mushroom toast and the ricotta pancakes and both are just as divine. I also recently ordered the banana bread with espresso mascarpone, puffed buckwheat, and honey, and devoured it gleefully -- just the right ratio of toppings to bread and a perfect sweet treat after the avocado. The main downfall with Two Hands is that they do not accept reservations of any kind, but they're very efficient and will send you a text when your table is ready so you can tool around the area while you wait. If you have a laid back morning to spend and want something great to eat, look no further.
