Best of East Village and LES? Lots of Questions!
Trying to help a friend with a best bet restaurant list for the east village and Lower east side area. The only newish place I have eaten at in this area is BAO 111 which I thought was good, but not overly impressive. However I did like their infused cocktails, albeit quite expensive. Have heard mixed reviews about WD-50, in terms of consistency, and frankly I think their menu is a bit farout for my friend. Would like to hear your suggestions for places from moderate to not overly expensive. Seems like Supper, and Gnocco are favorites here, and Frank's and Max's as well. 71 Clinton seems popular, Hearth is mentioned quite a bit (but they are very expensive), Lucien seems like a reasonable bet, Prune seems pricey, and I generally read about their brunch and not other stuff, Inoteca is often mentioned, but is this place mostly wine and sandwich place as meunpages seems to suggest, Max looks reasonable priced for Italian , is it mediocre or really great?
Anyone tried Pylos? Is 1492 known for their tapas or main dishes, or both? Went to La Paella, and was none impressed, so will not reccomend. Thanks for some guidance!
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Pylos is wonderful - very authentic Greek (of course, you can go to Astoria and find cheaper, but the ambiance in Pylos is gorgeous). Hearth is not inexpensive, but so worth it. I don't think it's all that more expensive than others you mention. And 'Inoteca is excellent - even though it appears to be more "snacky", we left full (think of it as leisure cuisine, not snacks!).
There's so much in EV and LES, you really have to narrow it to cuisine or interest (and price range - there are really inexpensive places that are divine!).
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I think listing the best restaurants in the EV and LES is pretty easy:
EV: Jewel Bakko, Hearth, Tasting Room, Prune, and for casual snacking Bar Veloce.
LES: WD-50 (consistent, or not, it's on its own in terms of ambition and skill), 71 Clinton, Alias, Chubo, and for casual snacking, Katz's, Inoteca and maybe AKA Cafe.
When you step down a level, you find an enormous number of French bistros, Italian joints, Japanese izakayas, Dominican and Puerto Rican cuchifritos, Russian and Polish diners, and just about everything else. Very hard to separate out the good ones. Any specific cuisines of interest? -
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I would add Lil' Frankies to your list for pizza, as well as Lavagna for Italian. Max's isn't really great, but they have good lasagna and they are one of the cheapest for that syle of Italian that is all over the EV. I absolutely love Prune for dinner, I have never had brunch there. It is expensive, but their portions are huge, so you can really get away with sharing an appetizer and a dessert. Clinton Street Bakery for breakfast/brunch and lunch too. Banjara for Indian food. You can get more than just sandwiches at 'inoteca, they have salads and other small plates as well. A lot of people on this board seem to hate 'inoteca, but I think their food is quite good, and a chef I know told me it is her favorite casual dining place in the neighborhood. 1492 is really mainly tapas, I would say good but not outstanding, alothough they serve a great dates and almond wrapped in bacon. Lucien is good, I also like Casimir. My pick for reasonable sushi is Takahachi.
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Hearth is no more expensive than several of the other restaurant on your list.
Compare the menus at www.menupages.com
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