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I haven't been to Commerce, but I've been to Cookshop a few times.
The food there is quite good and made with care. It is fresh, tasty, and presented thoughtfully.
The atmosphere is bright and natural feeling (sort of a "butcher block" feel, but light). It's an excellent space, well arranged. Towards the back, the kitchen is partially open. There is an outdoor space out front, too.
The place where Cookshop tends to fall down is service. My own experience has included: wrong salad delivered to me (even though I was eating alone), forgotten drinks, room temperature tap water served during lunch, bus boys high-fiving each other inches from, and oblivious too, the diners around them. In general, the whole service staff seems like they are in need of a little more structure and motivation to get service up to the same level as the food.
I'm not alone in running into these sorts of issues with the service -- they often get mentioned on the various review sites.
It's a nice place, the food is good, and it means well, but I wouldn't risk an important occasion or big date there...the service is just too unpredictable.
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Cookshop
156 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011 -
