L’Artusi can officially go on our list of favorite restaurants in this town. A few things stand out as qualifications for such an honor – outstanding and consistent food, great service, good music, and some ancillary entertainment since we can’t sit still. Let’s address each individually. L’Artusi is the sister restaurant to Dell’anima, and it’s the larger, louder sister for sure. The cuisine is Italian, and it’s the kind of Italian cooking that’s not afraid to go heavy on big flavors like garlic, lemon, olives, chiles, and fat to win your favor. Not that it’s unrefined – these are some of the most well thought out and beautiful plates we’ve had the pleasure of eating at an indecent pace. The service is fantastic, from the hosts to the bartenders to the guy getting crazy at the cheese counter. Music get’s an A+ with Santogold and Kid Cudi in the mix on current and upbeat playlists. As for entertainment, that comes in the form of excellent people watching. There is always a good mix of dates in various stages of progression, generally hot people, and a celebrity here and there to pretend you don’t notice. Not to mention one night when some dude spent three minutes violently pounding on the bathroom door that he couldn’t push his way out of, despite the massive “pull please” directly in front of his face. Yes, L’Artusi gets a ridiculously high rating, but we stand by it. It hits all the Immaculate Infatuation erogenous zones, and the roasted mushroom dish alone is worth a boatload of points.
It’s official, we need to get to Brooklyn more often. I can’t believe we’ve been sleepin’ on Marlow. I knew it was on the second I laid eyes on this place, before I’d consumed any food or drink. Marlow my friend, you had me at hello. It’s friendly and inviting; a funky oyster bar relatively small in size but big on personality. A fitting selection of funk, soul and electro sets the mood. As I look around, soak in the positive vibe and notice all the quirky antiques and liquor bottles lining the walls, it feels like a nice hybrid between San Francisco and NY. The employees are just as much Bedford Ave as they are Mission district and look like the kind of group who’d be a good time to kick it with. Even if the food wasn’t good, I’d happily come back to hang here. The fact that the food is great is an added bonus. If your approach to life is the same as ours – work hard, play hard, relax hard – then you’ll appreciate what Marlow brings to the table. Discovering places like this is what the Infatuation is all about. Before my wedding, I’m bringing my wedding party here for whisky and oysters.
In the music biz, we believe that good music will eventually prevail. If you keep putting out great records, your time in the spotlight will come. Take long time Infatuation favorite Phoenix for example. They spent the better part of the last decade flying under the mainstream radar, releasing perfect indie-pop albums that anyone who actually paid attention to, fell in love with. They finally got what’s been coming to them this past year in the form of a breakout single, “1901” and the Grammy for “Best Alternative Album.” The same philosophy can be applied in the kitchen. When you’re consistently cookin’ up the chronic, you can’t hide for long. Hell, even if you’re illegally preparing the perfect lobster roll and selling them through your mail slot in Brooklyn, someone in this town will get wind of it.
We’ve long considered Yerba Buena home to one of the more criminally underrated menus around. It was one of the first rave reviews we ever posted on this site, and for good reason. The food is tremendous. Famous for their cocktails, YB doesn’t receive the kind of culinary critical love it damn well deserves. Possibly because the original East Village location is slightly out of place – a more upscale, expensive restaurant in an area that caters to the exact opposite. While Yerba Buena EV will remain their less well known flagship, it’s their new West Village spot, Yerba Buena Perry, that’s set to catch fire like Bluth’s Frozen Banana Stand and blow their cover. … read more
I have to admit, when I walked up to Scarpetta (which sits on the 14th Street border of the Meatpacking District) late on a Saturday evening, part of me expected to see an H2 limo pull up and let out a gaggle of women having “like the best night ever on Stacey’s 34th birthday!” Luckily, that was not the case. For now, the tasteful and dim lit room is calm and relatively untouched by Meatpacking District sprawl. I say “for now” because rave reviews, proximity to the Gansevoort, and the chill out lounge beats pumping through the speakers will soon draw in Stacey and her wobbly heeled friends. Regardless, Scarpetta fully lives up to all the recent hype. The food is absolutely incredible, and I was blown away by how simple and well executed everything was. Truffles and foie gras make appearances, yet don’t come off the slightest bit heavy handed. I was never a fan of sweetbreads, but Scarpetta might have changed my opinion after having them in the excellent farfalle dish. The spaghetti is just that, spaghetti in tomato sauce with basil – incredibly simple and somehow the star of the menu. I will deduct points for the electronic elevator music, but otherwise Scarpetta is about as good as it gets.
How awesome is Brooklyn Bowl? Think back to your youth and that ultimate birthday party/bar mitzvah/sweet 16 spot. That rare place that provided anything and everything your heart could desire. 10-year-old Steinthal could hang out at Sportime USA and never, ever get enough; batting cages, skee-ball, video games, laser tag, that ridiculous push the quarter over the ledge game, and on and on. I currently feel the same way about Brooklyn Bowl; a music venue, bowling alley, bar, and restaurant all rolled into one. This place is unbelievable and pays attention to all of the important details. Huge screens everywhere play classic movies and TV shows from Planet Earth to Wall-E to Seinfeld to VH1 Classic. Their music selection is top notch, and on our last visit, Rolling Stone editor/Sirius XMU radio host Jenny Eliscu played an appropriate mix of current favorites including My Morning Jacket, Band of Horses, and Radiohead mixed in with some classics from Todd Rundgren and Bob Seger. Pitchers of Brooklyn beer flow for under $21, which is cheap by NYC standards. Speaking of reasonable prices, bowling lanes are only $40 an hour for up to 8 people. Oh, and did I mention that they’re going to be hosting football on Sundays? Oh yes, full NFL ticket. But the best part about the whole situation? Blue Ribbon provides all the food. You can get dirty on apps while you bowl and they offer a full menu of classics at the restaurant.
Giveaway: Dinner On Us
