Casa Mono

52 Irving Place, Gramercy, NY

8.5

map & more

Neighborhood
Gramercy

Cuisine
Spanish

Nearby
Gramercy Theatre
Irving Plaza

212-253-2773

Official Website

By Chris Stang
April 1, 2009

Casa Mono is a small Spanish restaurant on Irving Place – part of the Mario Batali empire, though probably not as well known as Babbo or Del Posto. This review is a simple one…come here with people that love food and will try anything. This is one of those rare places that, if you sample a lot of things, enjoy a bottle of wine or three, and listen to what your waiter suggests, you will have a complete and satisfying dining experience. A note to keep in mind – this is not a place for a quick drink and an appetizer. For that, there is Bar Jamon, adjacent to Casa Mono, and it’s always packed. Now you know.

Food Rundown:

Jamon Iberico
Sit near the bar, and you can watch the waiter cut these thin slices of cured ham directly off the pig leg. Also be sure to take note of how your waiter’s demeanor changes when you order something that takes about fifteen minutes to execute. Good, but not worth the $25 price tag, or pissing off your waiter.

Bacalao Croquetas with Orange Alioli
Simply put, these are a cod fish sticks, and if you are into fish sticks, amazing.

Cana De Cabra With Golden Beets
Beets and a mild, soft Spanish cheese alternately stacked with some greens, etc. A fantastic starter that splits nicely two ways.

Brussels Sprouts a la Plancha
These grilled brussels sprouts are insane … seasoned perfectly, with a nice black char on them.

Whole Grilled Trout With Mushrooms en Escabeche
Whole trout, butterflied and boned so that you can share it and simply pick the meat off the skin, both of which are delicious. The mushrooms that top it nearly overshadow the fish.

Duck With Capers
One of the best duck dishes I have ever had. This was cooked perfectly and presented simply – a breast sliced into three or four pieces accompanied by capers. I can’t recommend this highly enough.

Piquillo Peppers With Oxtails
This one was the surprise of the evening … I expected it to be much more about the pepper (piquillos are a mild, sweet, red pepper), but the oxtail was the star here. If you’ve never had oxtail, it’s almost like beef that you would find in a stew.

Txomin Etxaniz
You won’t see many wine recommendations here, at least for now. That said, this is one of my favorite white wines, and it’s always a crowd pleaser. It’s a crisp Spanish white that is slightly effervescent. A perfect summer bottle, and reasonably priced.