Oh, December. This month is always tricky because I find myself gone for the end of the month, and overloaded with holiday parties throughout the first few weeks. This month’s restaurant round-up is lighter than usual, but still packs a punch. Read on for some of the spots I checked out this past month in NYC.

Arcade Bakery – Billed as the best croissants in NYC, I didn’t mess around here. A plain croissant, pain au chocolate, and ham and cheese croissant were ordered, but as usual the plain croissant won out. This was indeed the best croissant I’ve had in NYC. Note that this spot is only open during the week, so swing by before work while the selection is wide.

Mamma Giudara’s – This old school Sunday Sauce joint takes over the restaurant at the Nomad Hotel on Sunday evenings in the winter, and it is an Italian food overload (in the best sense of the word). You’ll start off with homemade bread, frito misto, and a hand-tossed caesar, followed by a pasta course (get the vongole) and an entree course (get the chicken parm and the whole fish), and tiramisu for dessert. Wear stretchy pants.

Three Seat Espresso – This little east village coffee joint was absolutely packed with locals on a Saturday morning, and truly felt like a neighborhood spot. They are serious about their coffee here, but also have a selection of goodies such as homemade frittatas to get you through the day.

Los Tacos No. 1 – The sister spot to Los Mariscos in Chelsea Market, Los Tacos is my top pick for tacos in the city (but I still prefer the seafood-centric Los Mariscos next door). Get the steak and the pork here.