206156 Thu Dec 18 12:00:32 -0800 2003 0 18 Manhattan 0 1098630 a bunch of us (10 adults and 1 baby) get together each year around the holidays to celebrate before we all take off for other gatherings. this year I suggested Punch and Judy (because I've been loving that place) - and it was a fantastic night! atmosphere - low lighting, great eclectic mix of music, warm colors. we were seated in the back in a big U shaped red velvet couch that was luxurious and very comfortable. I don't normally like coffee table level dining - but it worked well with the kind of food served here (more below) and was very conducive to intimate conversations, rotating seat changes and handing the baby around. food - wonderful and so reasonably priced - highlights were... warm bread with seasoned butters and oils ($7), yellow tomato soup with goat cheese croutons ($6), French dip and Croque Miseure sandwiches (so tasty! $9 and comes with big salad!), grilled tuna, ice cream sandwich (choc cake, banana ice cream) - biggest hits of the night were - lobster club (very good lobster salad, excellent bread, crispy bacon - $12) and their amazing chocolate fondue for 2 (heavenly choc, beautiful presentation, with - berries, bananas covered in nuts, cake, cookies - $12). drink - known for their wine selection and great prices, my wine connoisseur friend was blown away by the great selection in the $30 range (we had several wines - a French Pinot Noir, Cali Cab, all were great) and they also have a good selection of tap beer, the Weisse beer was the fave) service - our waitress was EXCELLENT - friendly, great attitude, very knowledgeable of all their wines, ready to offer many suggestions throughout the night (after a while we just let her run the show). they ran out of a soup we'd ordered and the chef sent us over a free us a platter of warm pita bread with humus, tiziki, and tomato/feta salad. it's a one chef kitchen - but everything flowed perfectly - 3+ hours of constant food and drink (and cheer!) price - 10 people - 5 appetizers (not including free platter), everyone had an entree, 4 deserts (including 2 double orders of choc fondue) and several bottles of wine and lots of beer - and including 20% tip added to bill - $38 a person!!! (we bumped the tip a bit and made it $40 each) everything was perfect. I've highly recommended this place for a romantic night out for 2, but what a find for parties or larger gatherings! they take reservations - maximum of 12 per table (which I'm sure is to assure good service), but the back has a nice private feeling, is very roomy and has another large table with velvet couch, another seating for 4-6, so if you reserved 3 tables and staged your orders it could easily accommodate 20-25. Thu Dec 18 12:00:32 -0800 2003 0 elvislives