I can't think of a restaurant with these criteria...

[lesliepc16]

Hey all,

My parents will be in town and I am trying to come up with a dinner destination. Unfortunately, I can't think of a good one that meets these criteria. So, as usual I've chose to consult this board.

Looking for a place ...
1) <$30/person for appetizer + entree, not including drinks.
2) Healthier/lighter food
3) Not asian or italian
4) Preferably in the east or west village
5) A place without much wait, or one that takes reservations
6) At least decent ambience. Preferably warm, relaxed atmosphere.
7) And of course, yummy food :)

Yep, that's a lot of criteria. I'm almost embarassed to post this. Parents are hard to please.....

Some ideas I already have (in case you have any thoughts on these places...):
- Cafe Mogador (never been)
- Caracas Arepas (food is just so so?)
- Pylos (too expensive?)

Thanks a lot for any thoughts.

[Lucia]

Jane

[jasmurph]

I like Jane a lot. I think it'd be really close with the $30 limit, but definitely possible. I like their pork chops.

[lesliepc16]

Cool. I hadn't thought of Jane, and have been meaning to try it. I've heard good things. Thanks.

[dec132]

I second Jane. I had a great meal there and my waitress was by far THE BEST i have ever had. and i have eaten at very fancy places

[ChrisZ]

How about the Place on West 4th...I know they were running a early evening prefix special a few weeks ago. Will admit I have not eaten there in a year or so, but it was good when I did.

[Tom Steele]

Try Brick Lane Curry House on East 6th Street near Second Avenue.

[Pan]

Leslie said lighter, healthier food!

[jasmurph]

Perry Street's $24 lunch deal fits the bill perfectly, but you said dinner, so maybe the 530-6 dinner deal? I think it's $35 (call and check to make sure it's still going). Yeah, that's an uncivilized time to eat dinner, but the food is good enough that it will re-civilize your night. The food is so smart and so good. The space is not exactly warm, but it's nice and as warm as a Richard Meier space is going to get.

[Rodrigo]

Danal, on 10th St. between Third and Fourth Ave, has a cozy environment and a delicious food that's not too heavy.

[erin07nyc]

Cornelia Street Cafe meets your criteria. They take reservations, the food is consistent, and there's definitely light choices on their dinner menu. And if you don't get a reservation, there's a bar to wait at, and the wait shouldn't be too bad.

[piccola]

I'd be hard pressed to choose between Mogador and Cornelia Street. They're both adorable, affordable and, well, great.

In that area, there's also Elephant and Castle, Le Gamin, or Westville. Each has lighter options. But they're, er, cozy so it depends on how big your group is. If it's just you and your parents, you should be fine.

[Pan]

Funny. I've had dinner at Cornelia St. Cafe twice and was unimpressed both times. What do you like there?

[piccola]

I like the salads and the pizza-ish thing. I've had the gnocchi, too, and they were good (assuming you like gorgonzola)

[eeee]

depending on menu choices, you could squeak in at your budget at Mermaid Inn, which does take reservations. Another really good choice might be Westville or Westville East (the one in the East Village is bigger, so less of a wait.) Very affordable and they always have lighter offerings.

[rose water]

Don't be embarrassed, your detailed criteria help a lot!

Caracas arepas is great, with really tasty food, but I agree with Pan that it may not meet your healthiness criteria (especially given that my favorite there is their deep fried arepitas appetizer served with a sour cream-like dipping sauce). There may be less of a wait in their new location, but it has more of a sitting-right-up-against-your-neighbors atmosphere that might exclude it on warm/relaxed atmosphere criteria grounds.

Mogador will definitely meet your criteria, as will Moustache. Moustache has two locations, in the East and West Village. There may be less of a wait at the EV location. Their food is tasty, light, fresh, and great. They have my favorite hummous anywhere, a great fresh tabbouli, chewy light freshly baked pitas, and a great, super flavorful, super garlicky grilled chicken served over lentil puree.

Tides may be pushing your budget, but does take reservations, and fits your criteria.

[lesliepc16]

I think I will take your advice and pass on caracas arepas.

Between Moustache and Mogador, what would you say? I've been to Moustache in the W Village and thought it was good, but have been wanting to try Mogador.

Thanks!

[rose water]

Depends on what you want. The food is actually quite different--Moustache has lighter, fresh fare, with complex flavoring (there were barberries on my chicken pizza!...plus parsley, scallions, lemon. yum). Mogador is more rice and grilled meats or couscous and stews. I prefer Moustache personally, but they're both very good.
Caracas arepas doesn't meet your criteria this time, but is definitely worth a trip. Oh, and around the corner is Flor's Kitchen, which has a similar menu, but without the wait, and with a touch more space between tables. Resist the urge to go there. Really. The food is many times better at Caracas.

[Lucia]

The E Vill branch of Flor's Kitchen is closed, in any event: http://www.menupages.com/restaurants....

[RGR]

Tides is teensy and cozy, and the food's delicious. The latest menu has a Norwegian theme. Although keeping within budget could be an issue, the majority of main courses are priced low enough so that adding an appetizer would not overstep the $30 limit. Definitely worth considering.

http://www.tidesseafood.com

[Pan]

Mogador would be a good pick. I like the arepa bar, but their food is not devoid of fat. I think Pylos might be pushing it for your budget, but you can look at PDFs of their menus from the following site and make up your own mind:

http://www.pylosrestaurant.com/

[nyufoodie]

You maybe able to do this in a Japanese Izakaya restaurant - a place that doesn't really serve sushi but, more cooked food. One place I have in mind is Chiyono on 6th St. bet. 1st and 2nd Ave. it's a very small place but, not a lot of people go there as it is located right in the middle of curry row. Prices are reasonable and service is very personalized and it has a very serene vibe to it. Plus, most of the Japanese food our prepared on the healthy side. But, you don't like Asian. You may get away with that budget in the French resto called Flea Market on Ave. A just North of 8th St.

[lesliepc16]

Hey. It's not that I don't like Asian, it's just that we eat it all the time plus they're from the SF so they can get it whenever they want.

When I was excluding Asian, I was actually thinking more of Korean, Thai, Chinese -- all of which are heavier, but often fall in this cheaper price range. Japanese is actually a good idea. Thanks for the suggestion.