231048 Mon Feb 13 13:34:33 -0800 2006 2 18 Manhattan 0 1226945 Anyone been? I ducked in yesterday to see if I could go there for din on valentines day. Yay or Nay? What if not everyone is a veg, sufficiently tasty? Thanks! Mon Feb 13 13:34:33 -0800 2006 0 vegetarian valentine 1 1226956 nay! i really wanted to like this place, but the food really wasn't great. nice enough space. the service was mixed. in fact, apart from the maitre d', who was nice, the best service we had all night was from the poor bus boy who also earnestly, but accidently, refilled my mineral water glass with tap water (the waiter had removed our empty bottle). i made him get us a new one, and then felt bad about it. the food was either bland in some cases, or way over salted in other (e.g. the sundried tomatoes on one dish i had). what i also don't like about the place is they way they say something like eggplant ravioli but what you get is not pasta with eggplant filling, rather it is sliced eggplant with a sundriied tomato filling - yet, the menu neglects to indicate this. similarly a pasta dish, lemon fettuccine i think. or, if that was real fettuccini, it was way overcooked to mush. the chickpea "fries" were waaaay too thick, probably so they'd stay together, but the flavor and consistency was bland and mealy. i'll not be back. Mon Feb 13 13:55:31 -0800 2006 1226945 0 mondaybox 1 1227056 Nay- it's a wonderful place for drinks (they make amazing cocktails, from Charbay vodkas-not sweet, really creative) and appetizers at the large, attractive bar area. Dinner was disappointing, especially the mains- bland, monotonous flavors, with overly salted dishes and uninteresting texture. The service was friendly- I kind of feel bad for them because the food is so disappointing. Mon Feb 13 22:26:37 -0800 2006 1226945 0 Retriever