Even before we reached media mogul/baller status here at Immaculate Infatuation, Bar Stuzzichini has always welcomed us with VIP treatment. While we like to believe that this is a direct result of our indelible charm and a general awareness that we would soon be making it rain, we will concede that the place is usually half empty. That said, I personally have had experiences visiting a restaurant on a slow night and being treated like a Swine Flu patient (see Shang), and also to be fair, the dining room at Bar Stuzz is pretty large. What really makes Bar Stuzzichini a staple though are a few superstar dishes, a well priced wine list, and a varied menu that has both small plates and entree size portions with something for everyone at the table. Put it all together and you’ve got the perfect spot for a large group meal, or just to stop in and feel like you own the joint.
If you’ve ever been to the Maritime Hotel for drinks on the patio, you basically know the drill when it comes to La Bottega – everybody is way too cool, ultra Euro, and nobody seems to have a job, including the wait staff. The Maritime patio is always crazy in the summer months, and its proximity to Meatpacking and Highline action ensure that even in colder weather, La Bottega could be slinging Totino’s Pizza Rolls and still turn out a nice dinner business. There are a lot of reasons to expect mediocre food out of a place like La Bottega, but surprisingly, this Italian restaurant is far better than it needs to be. The tagliatelle bolognese is incredibly good as are the rest of their homemade pastas, and the pizzas are also a nice size and tasty. A respectable wine and beer selection makes the environment a little more tolerable, but let’s be honest – you’ll have to take La Bottega as it comes. You might as well embrace it and throw on a really tight t-shirt, some silver Pumas, and one of those Gucci fanny pack things … you know you kind of want one of those anyway.
Midtown wine bars are pretty high up there on the list of places you won’t find us hanging out. Why? Well, first of all, the majority of them are slightly less exciting than having a glass or two inside your local Pottery Barn. Second, we’re not so down with the menus rife with shitty pizzas and cubed cheese served on cutting boards. Oh and that fig thrown in next to the pile of Wheat Thins? Yeah, that’s not fooling anybody.
On the surface, Bocca di Bacco doesn’t look much different than any of those places. What is interesting, though, is that the food is actually very good. On the menu is an extensive offering of Italian small plates, pastas, and tasty full sized entrees to accompany all the wines that pour from a giant wine keggerator behind the bar. The crowd is a nice mix of Hell’s Kitchen’s hottest residents and some downtowners that know where to get good eats when they’re in the area. We went in on a Twitter recommendation and have now had two solid meals at Bocca di Bacco, along with some nice wines by the glass that didn’t put too bad of a hurting on the wallet. I’m glad we gave it a chance. The ridiculous house music on the website almost doomed it from the start.
Aside from having a bocce court in the dining room, Il Vagabondo isn’t much different than any other old school, NYC Italian restaurant. We have so many places like this in town that it’s hardly worth writing them up … “the home made pasta is great, best meatballs ever, their red sauce is to die for” … whatever. What makes Il Vagabondo special, and worth some real estate on this site is that it’s a true neighborhood restaurant. Regulars have been coming here for forty years, not four. Friendly faces and consistent food keep people coming back. It’s a relaxed atmosphere – the antithesis to Il Mulino, and not somewhere you are going to bring your friends on a weekend night to blow their mind. This is a place to chill out and get down on some pasta on a winter Tuesday. The front bar and dining room have been renovated sometime within the last ten years, but we recommend eating in the “vintage” dining room with the bocce court. If you’ve got any self-respect, you’ll slam a bottle of wine and challenge some old dudes to a game.
I once witnessed Rachel Ray making it rain $100 bills in Peasant like she was Pacman Jones at a strip club. In her standard not-so-subtle way, she worked the room for everyone to see, slipping hundreds to the chef, waiter and even bus boy. I remember asking our server if I was seeing correctly. “Yeah man, she just slipped me an extra bill on top of the tip she left on the check. She does it all the time.” Hey, if you got it, spend it, right? Hopefully the Infatuation will be rolling into our favorite spots with duffle bags full of cash in the relatively near future. Until then, we’ll leave the balling to Rachel and Pacman.
Peasant is a classic spot, a spacious room that feels more like a rich person’s Tribeca loft than a Nolita restaurant down the block from Cafe Habana. Baskets of apples, potatoes, firewood and produce line the kitchen in the back, where everything is cooked over an open fire. The food is consistent in the sense that some dishes are always excellent and others always mediocre, but if you order right, you can have a solid meal. Whatever you do, eat the spaghetti vongole which will be gushed about in the food rundown below. While Peasant isn’t an Infatuation go-to, it’s definitely a spot we enjoy. The quality service, welcoming space and addicting bread help make up for Peasant’s hit-or-miss menu and inflated prices.
Feature: Infatuation TV: P.O.S.
