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We had lunch there a few months ago during their pre-opening period. I had a pasta dish with ground lamb and my wife had a pasta dish with seafood. We both thought the food was very good. I had a glass of red wine. It was served, as mentioned, in a large glass - perfect for the wine and it was a substantial pour.
The menu was the same as for dinner - no lunch special. I don't remember the total cost but it was OK for dinner and very high for lunch - although the portions were dinner portions. It's been awhile so I'm sorry I can't give any details. When I spoke to the server he said they would consider a lunch special after their break-in period. I drive by from time to time and haven't seen any indication yet. We are planning to return for dinner.
For good lunch specials I go to Larchmont.
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vvvindaloo
Jun 8, 2008 01:05 PM
Here's my review from one month ago:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/519625 -
I was there last night but just for drinks and apps. We knew nothing about review but I saw a waiter I knew and he told us about it. I read the review this morning. The place is beautiful. It's not a very cozy place in my opinion, but not loud by any means. There is a cute lounge area that has almost an Asian feel to it (there's also a bonzai tree in the bathroom). We started off with a few cocktails. The wine by the glass is actually served in a tiny carafe. The glasses for red wine are huge and make it look like there's no wine in it, but they are the proper glasses and it's nice to see someone pay attention to detail. I hate getting a nice full bodied red in a tiny white wine glass. The mixed drinks are not very strong and are served in a tiny rocks glass that I can't imagine being more than 8 ounces. We sat at the bar and were presented with bamboo placemats that added to the odd Asian feel, but were probably there more for practical purposes other than to add a vibe. Plates of olives and roasted garlic were given and bread with olive oil in a dish was also given. A very nice touch. There were five of us and I warned that the portions were probably individual, but we decided to split four appetizers.
Pizza Margherita - I was the only one who was disappointed with this thin crunchy crusted serving. The size was decent for four as an appetizer and the crust was perfect. The problem was, it wasn't margherita. There was no chopped or sliced tomato. No slived or shredded mozzarella, and no basil at all. It was in essence a plain pie. The sauce and cheese reminiscent of a microwave pizza. My girlfriend asked for parmesean to add to it and they gave a bowl of white romano that looked like it came from a jar. Four people liked it, I didn't.
Fried Calamari (with some shrimp) - a decent amount for three people. I went without the marinara sauce, but others said it was delivious and almost had a fra diavlo kick. I had about four pieces of calamri and no shrimp. The breading was a little too much and I really couldn't taste the squid. I actually like that bite you get from good calamari and was surprised it was lacking. Once again four liked it, I did not.
Caprese Salad - small for one serving. This was two slices of mozzarella and three slices of tomato. Very lightly oiled with a spare amount of basil and had NO salt on it. I actually like to splash a little balsamic on mine and have been to places that it is already on, but this was very bland. The absence of any salt was a crime, because that's what truly brings out all the flavors of the tomatoes and the cheese. The cheese was fresh, and yes I could have asked for salt and pepper (it wasn't given), but my portion was so small I really didn't want to ask for salt and pepper for one bite of food. While the items were fresh, a little seasoning would have gone a long way. I was neutral on this one, as was everyone else.
Fromaggio ***** (can't remember the name). Good for one person. I don't remember it saying brie on the menu, but it was basically a piece of brie, w/rind melted in the middle of two slices of red and two of yellow bell pepper. This in my opinion was the best dish. The cheese was amazing (so strong I didn't realize it was brie at first and thought it had some gorgonzola in it. The peppers were soft and light and delicious. There was also grilled belgian endive on the plate that was ok, but I was the only one who tried it. I loved this dish, but the others said it was so-so. One just doesn't like bell peppers, and the others weren't crazy about the cheese.
All the appetizers we had were between $12-$15. The prices not necessarly reflective of portion size or actual item cost, but more so with the presentation. Two of them I'd get again, two of them I wouldn't. I actually had wanted to get the salumi and fromaggi tutti platters, but everyone wanted actual dishes.
The service, even though we were at the bar was on point and everyone was very nice. The staff appeared to be diligent and took pride in the restaurant and especially the fact they got good a good NY Times review.
Our bill, for four appetizers, probably 6-7 glasses of wine, 8-10 mixed drinks, and 2-3 beers was $232 before tip. A little pricey for what we had, but it wasn't a penny pinching night and the atmosphere was very relaxed and enjoyable. I'd definitely go back to try an entree and some of the other dishes that people seemed to be enjoying.
Call for a reservation. While nobody stood and waited for more than 2-3 minutes, there was no walk-in seating
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re: intrepid
Intrepid, while I realize I didn't say to many positive things, it should be known that I also didn't asist my meal, because of a birthday situation and I didn't want to be a Mr. Complaint. The Caprese salad, while tiny could have been spectacular in taste with a dash of salt and maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar. The calamari might have just been a little shabby due to me being the last to be served and I truly got the bottom of the plate. Everyone else loved it. The pizza isn't what I thought it was, but I could see some of the more complex pies being delicious. Like I said, the crust was perfect. I definitely would be willing to give it a try for dinner. And next time it's a bottle of wine for me, no drinks at the bar.
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re: dolores
vvvindaloo
Jun 9, 2008 09:08 AM
the classic martini glass holds 6 ounces and the classic martini recipe is 4 oz. Only recently (well, at least 10 years), with trends leaning toward adding fruit juices, liqueurs and vodka to martinis, has the 8 oz. glass become the standard, and anything else is seen as "tiny".
speaking as a person who is trained in bartending, i cannot figure out why anyone would serve a martini in a rocks glass, unless-horror of horrors!- there are rocks in it. most likely, jhopp is referring to other types of mixed drinks, and not martinis.
8 oz. is on the small side for a rocks glass, but certainly not for a martini.-
re: vvvindaloo
You're right, vvvindaloo, I just went to measure. It is the 8 ounce martini that holds me all the way to dessert.
But getting it in a rocks glass would affect me as much as getting it in a wine glass, which I did recently at an event. They supposedly had 'run out' of martini glasses. How pray tell does that happen.
Silly, I suppose, but it affected my enjoyment of the drink.
And you're also no doubt right on a martini not being the mixed drink to which jhopp was referring.
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re: dolores
No way, I'll pay $15 for a Martini and not even complain about it. You figure you're getting basically 4-5 shots of booze which if you did that way, would be closer to $20.
This was a codka and tonic, with quite a bit of tonic....or...I wont accuse them of that, too nice a place.
It is funny though how when you get a Martini at a steakhouse it just seems better, stronger and lasts longer. Best one I ever had was a Sky Martini at Smith & Wollensky's. It was so cold I almost got brain freeze. Delicious.
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