I love catch-up dinners. My friend Katie (aka Life Editor) and I just had a fabulous one at Mud (or “The Mudspot”) in the East Village. It was my first time at the small restaurant that spawned from the orange Mud Coffee Truck that frequents the Astor Place area downtown.

Apparently they have their own Secret Garden with a colored-glass canopy and lanterns. It’s very laidback with a good mix of music (Radiohead, and B.I.G. within minutes of each other). I got the Mud special blackened chicken panini with roasted peppers and garlic mayo on 5-grain bread with a side of salad. A simple, healthy meal.

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