Yesterday was a banner day for small, cute, moderately overpriced restaurants downtown. After work, 2 colleagues and I went to the famous Cafe Habana at Prince and Elizabeth to try their grilled corn. n8 loves it, and Sabena swears by it, so I wanted to try. It was good, and strange. It was the first time I’ve had corn and cheese together, at least that I can remember, and I think that’s what makes it so interesting. I’d really like to try it next summer when corn is peaking—the corn we had last night was a bit limp and sad.

We teamed the corn with delicious margaritas with plenty of rock salt on them (nothing like the “Morton Margarita” at Gonzalez y Gonzalez). Sabena had a frozen mango, I had a regular rocks. I like to try a traditional margarita before I move into flavors.

Last night, when Mavis finally arrived at about 9:30 PM, we went to Momofuku Noodle Bar on 1st Ave between 10th and 11th street. We ate steamed pork buns and roasted rice cakes. Both were delicious. The roasted rice cakes were not at all what I was expecting. They were shaped like packing foam, quite spicy, and had a perfect, very slight crispiness to them that was addictive. And the pork buns were elegantly presented and scrumptious. It’s a very cute little restaurant—I only wish it were cheaper. Anyway, I’d like to go back and try the noodles.