Maialino

REVIEW

February 26, 2010


CUISINE: Italian
NEIGHBORHOOD: Flatiron/Union Square, Gramercy

Photo: John Lei for NYTimes

 

2 Lexington Ave. at 21st St.

(p) 212-777-2410

Maialino on Urbanspoon

 

Mailaino — little pig in English — is the most recent dining venture from YAH's favorite restaurant-making-machine, Danny Meyer.  Housed in the Gramercy Park Hotel, I'm not sure what it looked like before, but after the Meyer-makeover it's looking pretty good.  At first glance, earthy colors and refurbished woods provide a simple, understated charm. But look a little closer: notice the high-tech wine cooler behind the bar, the cool, industrial light fixtures and the gigantic windows with views of the park.  It's thoughtful, detailed, and expensive.  CONT'D

 

 


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Posted in FOOD on February 26, 2010 1:26pm by Jena Steinbach | 0 comments





The Spotted Pig

REVIEW

January 13, 2010


CUISINE: Bar Food, Burgers, English, Irish, Italian
NEIGHBORHOOD: West Village


Photo: Unbreaded.com

314 W. 11th St. at Greenwich St.

(p) 212-620-0393


While I like the atmosphere of The Spotted Pig, I don’t like the atmosphere. I like the dodgy, mis-matched, British-pub feel of the place, the obscure kitschy art, the dark woods, the beers on tap, the plants hanging in the window and the creaky staircase that leads to the second floor.  I like the idea that you could settle into a back booth on a rainy afternoon, nurse a drink, and not leave for hours.  I don’t, however, like the number of people that fill the place up, spill out the door and onto the sidewalk, sandwich themselves into windows, perch on miniature stools, wait in line for the bathroom. CONT'D

 


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Posted in FOOD on January 13, 2010 9:45am by Rachel Hochhauser | 0 comments





Po Brooklyn

REVIEW

January 11, 2010


CUISINE: Italian
NEIGHBORHOOD: Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens

 

276 Smith St. at Degraw St.

(p) 718-875-1980

 

In 1993 Mario Batali partnered with Steven Crane and opened his first restaurant, Po, on Cornelia Street. Fast forward a few years and Batali and his crocs were kicked to the curb, but the restaurant stayed strong. In 2007 Crane and partner Jonathan Casteel opened a Brooklyn outpost, with Chef Lee McGrath in the kitchen. Like the original location, Po Brooklyn has a neighborhood feel and draws a local crowd.  The restaurant is small and can be cozy, depending on where you sit. If you're too near the door on chilly days, you're bound to freeze, and the corner table in the back shares a wall with the bathroom, inviting the sporadic sounds of flushing, running water and a strange TV-like static. CONT'D

 


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Posted in FOOD on January 11, 2010 3:17pm by Jena Steinbach | 0 comments





Falai

REVIEW

January 6, 2010


CUISINE: Italian
NEIGHBORHOOD: Lower East Side

 

68 Clinton St. Stanton and Rivington St

(p) 212-253-1960‎

 

The decor may whisper, but the dishes at this upscale chandelier-lit Italian spot are loud. Whiter than a gallery, the narrow dining room lets the brightly colorful ingredient-driven plates speak. The pasta tasting was sadly unavailable, but a 3-course meal at Falai is more than satiating. A sublime chicken liver stack hides dried dates alongside supple hedge-hog mushrooms. Generous portions of inventive pastas are creamy and loaded with fresh vegetables. The only slip up: one of us did find a (forgivable) tiny bone in the roasted rabbit with radishes and carrots, but it was otherwise perfectly cooked and too painterly to dismiss. Falai's thoroughly delicious molecular offerings make it an enjoyable place to drop your Christmas bonus.

 


Posted in FOOD on January 6, 2010 10:17am by Ashley Hoffman | 0 comments





Corsino

REVIEW

December 4, 2009


CUISINE: Italian
NEIGHBORHOOD: West Village

Photo: Eater.com

637 Hudson at Horatiao St.

(p) 212-242-3039

 

Housed in the corner lot of what used to be Frederick's Downtown, Lupa and Inoteca partners put forth an affordably priced Italian spot serving simple food that is enjoyable, but not quite memorable. Outfitted with stainless steel seats, wood-slated walls, and a chic bar, Corsino is just as pretty as its West Village neighborhood. We snagged a spacious booth in the back, next to a sleek wooden wine cabinet. Things were looking up. CONT'D

 


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Posted in FOOD on December 4, 2009 9:35am by Jena Steinbach | 0 comments