Did anyone else feel like April absolutely blew by? I, for one, am consummately amazed by the fact that it’s already spring in New York. The warm weather has been slow-coming, so in April I took advantage of the chill and continued to explore some more hearty and comforting dining options (with some ice cream thrown in for good measure). Read on for a guide to all of the spots I dined at in April!

Davelle – This miniscule lower east side spot is brand new, and specializes in Japanese oden. What is oden, one may ask? I had never tried it until I visited, but it is small plates-esque dishes that are served in dashi broth. I would recommend the tomato and the tofu. But the star of the show is the Japanese curry here, I could have ordered it 10x over. Go for dinner, get the curry.

PQR – I had heard great things about this square, Roman-style pizza joint, and was especially excited because it’s in my new neighborhood (upper east side). However, I found the crust to be overly tough and not nearly flavorful enough, which made this pizza quite challenging to enjoy. I’d stick with Prince Street Pizza or Emmy Squared if you need to get your square pizza fix.

Il Laboratorio del Gelato – I simply have no excuse for taking so long to make it to this LES gelato mecca. But I can say that it was worth the wait. The flavors here are pure, and the texture is out of this world. Add this to your ice cream hit list for summer.

De Maria – I had a lovely brunch at De Maria when it first opened, but finally made it back to try the new dinner menu and it was even better than my first trip. Everything here is healthy and made with care, plus the space is gorgeous. Favorites were the snapper ceviche, heirloom carrots, spicy octopus, and chimichurri trout.

La Pizza Fresca – This may be my new favorite pizza place in all of New York. And that’s coming from someone who samples a lot of incredible pizza. This neopolitan pizza join is located in Flatiron next to Sugarfish, and is serving some of the best ‘za in NYC. The dough is perfection, and each pie is made with care and only the most high quality ingredients. Also, you can BYOB. It doesn’t get much better.

Pouring Ribbons – This second floor, alphabet city cocktail bar is serving up some of the best cocktails in the city right now. From a classic aviation (theirs is fantastic), to some more inventive tequila drinks, I loved everything that this place had to offer.

Hearth – I recently revisited Hearth for dinner after many years, and it was as lovely as ever. Post up at the bar at the front, peruse the extensive Italian wine list (I recommend the Dolcetto), and don’t miss the braised sea bream and fava bean salad.