Cuisine

Neighborhood

CUISINE: American (New), Bistro
NEIGHBORHOOD: Williamsburg

247 S. 1st St. Between Roebling and Havermeyer Sts. 

(p) 718-218-8047

Hidden on First St. in Williamsburg, I never would have found Rye if not for Frankie's bright yellow vespa, conveniently parked in front of the restaurant's sneaky wooden doors. Bingo! 

While waiting for our table, we sipped on old fashions, fancied up with gigantic square ice cubes, and discussed how everyone in the restaurant was way above average looking. (Singles, take note.)

I was really into the atmosphere: the lighting was low, the wooden floors were creaky, and our antique salt and pepper shakers arrived on charming silver platters. Our waiter, who didn't seem to know much about the menu, was at least well-styled, rocking a sweet vest and black skinny tie. CONT'D

Our meal began with the macaroni and cheese which was scraped clean in approximately 2.5 minutes. Easily the best bite of the night, the dish was made with fontina, pecorino and mascarpone cheese, with slippery noodles which broke apart rather than sticking together in cheesy glue.  Moving on, the famed meatball sandwich left our friend Sean raving. Seth and Frankie's gigantic ribeye for two, sliced into manageable slivers, had us all stealing bites. My lamb chops were okay; I would have like them to taste more like lamb, and less like any other almost over-cooked animal.  I had similar things to say about the grilled char. The meal ended with a chocolate souffle cake. Topped with vanilla ice cream and oozing with gooey chocolate, this cake met (but didn't quite exceed) expectations. 

Aside from the mac n cheese, the food isn't mind-blowing. But it's very, very decent, and the atmosphere, cocktails, and easy prices — entrees range from $12 to $24 — make Rye deserving of your weekend patronage.

Posted in FOOD on April 13, 2010 9:39am by Jena Steinbach | 9 comments

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We are young (early 20's) and hungry (for knowledge! music! art! food!) friends living on (or in areas which border) Manhattan. We moved to the city seeking higher education, and an alternative to frat parties and gin buckets. We prefer a bottle of Chianti to a keg, lunches at City Bakery to a dining hall, Joe's to Starbucks, Frankie's Amatriciana to Batali's. Our uniting factor is our love for food. For detailed, personal information, keep reading.
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