Arte Café

Rachel’s birthday party at Arte Café! At each seat, the guest’s name was written on a slip of paper and affixed to a purple ribbon tied around a cellophane-wrapped homemade chocolate chip cookie that’d been hand-dipped in white chocolate and rainbow sprinkles. I had mine and half of Tina’s as an appetizer. For dinner, I had the melanzane parmigiana (baked eggplant with tomato sauce and parmigiano), a bunch of cheap red wine and 1.5 vanilla cupcakes from bakeshop chain Crumbs.

Arte Café

• 106 W. 73rd St. (off Columbus Avenue)
• (212) 501-7014
• Meal 40 of 52: baked eggplant ($16).