The Lion is a new joint opened by the chef from Waverly Inn and a bunch of other people you would only know if you a) spent too much time at Beatrice Inn or b) give a shit about who the “celebrity” investors are in a restaurant. Either way, this place is New York’s newest hot spot, and if you read all the other reviews, you’ll no doubt find a long list of A-listers recently sighted here. Exciting! But what has us considering an amendment to one of our beloved dining axioms is that despite all the baggage that comes along with a “scene” like this, the food at The Lion is actually pretty damn good. We’ve even found the place to be generally tolerable on all of our recent visits. Yes, tables can be hard to come by, and yes, it’s full of people who probably refer to themselves in the third person, but so far we’ve found the staff to be friendly and courteous. And while the quality of food and service are a bit surprising – what makes the biggest impression is the interior of the restaurant itself. The main dining area is an amazing two-story space that looks like the living room of a drug addled safari hunter/art collector (my dream job). It’s a pretty incredible place to eat your steak, and makes the hefty price tag a little more bearable. The bar in front is cozy and tavern-like, a perfect spot for sucking back dark and stormys and even possibly scoring a walk up table, especially if you arrive for dinner on the earlier side of the evening.

So while we can’t fully throw our full Infatuation approval behind a place that has a door guy out front, we have to admit that there is a lot to like about The Lion. Enough for us to make one exception to a big time rule…for now.

Photo Credit: Janelle Jones

Food Rundown:

Artichoke Fritters
Delicious little fried spheres with soft artichoke and lemony goodness inside them. On the small side for what you pay, but tasty nonetheless.

Spring Asparagus
A straightforward Spanish classic – fresh asparagus with a soft egg on top. This is always a crowd pleaser, and the Lion’s version is no exception. I think I saw one of these things coming over the kitchen counter and off to a table every twenty seconds.

Pasta Annunziatta
On one of our visits, the waiter had the balls to recommend I try this pasta rather than the burger, which I appreciated. After having both, I’m glad he steered me in this direction. Octopus, guanicale and olives make for an incredible combination tossed with pasta. That guanciale pops in your mouth and leaves behind a fat slick that makes everything that comes after taste awesome.

Burger
We’ve heard people throwing around comments that this thing is up there with Minetta’s Black Label Burger. It’s a good burger for sure, but let’s everyone sit down and take a breather. Plus, we’re not entirely sure that a piece of pork belly on a burger is a good, or particularly responsible idea. We do respect the gusto though.

Lobster Pot Pie
Flaky crust, lobster, vegetables…what’s not to like? This is a football shaped pie full of lobster, and it comes to the table volcano hot.

Delmonico Steak
An expensive steak at $55, but one of the better things on the menu here. This guy is tender and has a nice marble, so it definitely doesn’t lack in flavor.

Double Crown is a bar and restaurant where people who have outgrown the club scene hang out. At least this crowd knows it and doesn’t still wait in line outside of Greenhouse on the weekends. Or maybe they do, but they just eat here first. Either way, the place is a scene, but one with pretty good food. The short description of the menu at Double Crown is that it’s Colonial Asian, meaning the cuisine that resulted from British expansion into Southeast Asia. We’ll go ahead and just call it Pan-Asian, and we had some dishes that were very good. It’s a bit on the pricey side for sure, but the cheaper things on the menu tend to be the better choices, and the $35 Sunday Nyonya Dinner is a good deal. As for the atmosphere, the room basically looks like a west side mega-club with better lighting, but it’s tasteful and doesn’t feel too kitschy. I’m pretty sure this restaurant is exactly what Shang was supposed to be, just with customers and food that doesn’t taste like poison.

Food Rundown:

Salt and Pepper Squid
Essentially calamari, this wasn’t mind blowing, but it certainly didn’t suck either. We like the green chili dipping sauce.

Crispy Pork Belly
I hate to say it, but I think we’re starting to tire of pork belly. Yes it’s good, and Double Crown’s crispy belly is served in appropriately sized, tasty chunks, but it’s all starting to taste the same.

Duck Steamed Buns
Steamed buns are all over the place nowadays as well, but these were small rolled buns with duck and a really tasty hoisin sauce. Very good.

Apple, Lotus, and Lily Bulb Salad
A sweet apple salad with a kick, and nice crunch from the fried lotus. Definitely order one of these.

Seared Tuna
Small medallions of tuna served with a bonito custard and sweet sake sauce. This had nice flavor but didn’t overpower the tuna.

Prawn Dumplings
Possibly my favorite thing at Double Crown. These are big, plump dumplings served in a bowl of hot and sour broth. You can really taste the imperialism.

Grilled Strip Steak
This was fine, but definitely not one of our favorites. A little on the tough side.

Big Braised Short Rib
OK I’m no butcher, but I know a short rib when I see one. There is no way this is thing is anything other than the entire hind leg of an elephant. The meat falls right off the bone and it tastes really good, so I’m not complaining. I guess they just get good elephant.

Now, I can’t claim that I was around when The Bowery was home to Syd Vicious and Dee Dee Ramone and all the people they did smack with. But I did manage to get here before CBGB turned into a John Varvatos and before Daniel Boulud took a dump on it’s memory by naming his restaurant DBGB. That’s right Danny, God Save the Queen. Unfortunately, I missed the really good stuff, when the neighborhood was filthy and punk rock changed the world. But I did at least experience something a little different – before Mickey and Goofy cleaned up the streets and put in a gift shop.

Either way, Keith McNally is here now, and he’s brought his flagship Pastis over from the Magic Kingdom. What’s the difference between Pastis and Pulino’s? Pizza. Ultimately, this is just another McNally franchise, which is fine, but you better know what to expect before you eat. You aren’t coming here for a great New York pizza experience. You’re coming here to either stare at, or show off some ridiculous legs in a miniskirt, and God bless you for that. The pizzas are definitely decent, but this place is more about the scene and having a good time. We’ll go on record saying that we are totally cool with that…but let’s not shower the joint with Michelin Stars just yet. If you want to avoid the craziness but still get in on the action and get a table, we recommend rolling up at about 10:45 on a Friday night. The bar will still be bumping, but you should sit quickly, and at midnight they begin serving a limited number of killer late night burgers. Part of us definitely wishes there was still some grit to the area, but another part of us is also just fine with late night food and miniskirts. Maybe Disney World isn’t so bad after all.

Food Rundown:

Mozzarella Burrata
A killer burrata, drizzled with olive oil, and all around fantastic. You need this at your table.

Baked Ricotta
Another must to kick off your meal at Pulino’s. This is a cast iron pot of baked ricotta cheese, served with crusty bread. The edges are crispy and brown and the middle is soft, warm and perfect.

Margherita Pizza
The true test of a quality pizza. Believe it or not, this is one of the better pies we had at Pulino’s. Simple and delicious.

Gamberi Pizza
Rock shrimp and speck is an interesting pizza combo, but it definitely works here. The briny shrimp and salty speck are friends when they’re together in my mouth.

Porchetta Pizza
Ah yes, now we’re in our element. Porchetta on pizza is a good fucking idea. The pork is tasty and liberally dispersed, and the fennel comes through strong. This one racked up a few points on the rating for sure.

Funghi Pizza
A pretty basic mushroom pizza. The ‘shrooms are good, and this is fine, it’s just nothing special.

Salcissia Pizza
Sausage and broccoli rabe, with a nice kick from some chiles. We liked this one quite a bit.

The food is simple and very good – straightforward American, with something for everyone. Fish and meat dishes are equally tasty, and if all else fails, there’s french fries cooked in duck fat. There’s also a nice curbside patio and a huge wine list, which just so happen to work together very nicely. Order a few bottles and hang out for a while.

Food Rundown:

Buffalo Mozzarella
I haven’t met a buffalo mozzarella that I didn’t like, but this one is especially good, largely due to the balsamic carmelized onions on top.

Troutlings
Whole baby trout, deep fried and served with a tartar sauce. These are awesome. Pop them in your mouth head and all. I used to do this with goldfish in college, but they were alive and I was drinking Keystone Light out of a bucket instead of expensive wine. Otherwise not much else has changed.

Duck Fat Fries
I don’t know what to say about this other than to state the obvious. These are french fries, fried in duck fat. Enough said.

English Cut Lamb Chop
A huge cut of lamb that looks like a t-bone steak. Served with baby carrots, anchovy, and fennel. Excellent, but this is a massive plate of food, so come hungry. Those baby carrots are amazing.

Pan Seared Salmon
A really nice piece of salmon. Perfectly cooked and the peas and guanciale on the plate make it that much better.

Sauteed Skate Wing
Another great piece of fish, this one is a perfectly cooked piece of skate served with brown butter and golden raisins.

By no means are we claiming that dell’anima is some under the radar date haven that nobody else knows about. Ask any female that lives west of 7th Avenue and she will probably have this place in her top ten. We’re big fans too, and also hold sister restaurant L’Artusi in high regard. Both are great date spots and both have a vanity apostrophe, which makes them cool or Italian or something. Both can also be loud and a bit sceney at times, though dell’anima is much smaller and more intimate. We like dell’anima specifically for the ample bar seating and chef’s counter, perfect for a more casual meal, and making it a great First/Early in The Game Date destination. We also like it because the food is pretty damn spectacular. There are a few really special pasta dishes, and some sharable first courses that are excellent. The wine list is smart though a bit pricey, but there are a handful of good bottles under forty bucks to choose from.

One thing to note – we’ve heard some recent feedback from the field that both dell’anima and L’Artusi are too heavy handed with the salt in some dishes. These chefs definitely don’t shy away from seasoning, so take that into account. I happen to have dangerously low blood pressure, so it’s good for me.

Food Rundown:

Bruschetta
A bowl of crostini, served with your choice of bruschetta in a tiny bowl to spread on top. We reccommend ordering a few. The options change regularly, but we really like the avocado and the rapini pesto.

Charred Octopus
A few grilled octopus arms on a bed of tiny white beans with fennel sofrito. Top notch.

Vognole
Kind of a strange dish – small clams in a bowl that seem to be missing the pasta. Good with some extra crostini if you have them lying around from the bruschetta.

Endive Salad
A nice light salad of endive spears with anchovy and pecorino. Pretty straightforward.

Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese
A nice pasta, but not their best. As with all the pastas, the homemade noodles are excellent, but this bolognese isn’t quite as meaty and rich as we’d like it to be.

Garganelli
Almost like a pasta version of the dish we freaked out over at L’Artusi. A simple bowl of short tube noodles with mushroom, parsley and lemon. Mind blowing and perfect.

Tajarin
A noodle similar to tagilatelle but thinner. This is a fan favorite at dell’anima, and rightfully so. It’s a take on carbonara with a poached egg and speck instead of bacon. Hearty but not terribly heavy, and really good.

Orata
A good option from the entree menu, a nice light piece of fish that’s a can be a pleasant break from some of the aggressive seasoning you’ll find elsewhere on the menu.

Though The Smile has been open for close to a year now, we’re betting you haven’t heard much about it. Situated a few steps below the sidewalk, it’s a place that you have to be looking for to see, and other than the models and musicians that fill it for brunch, it remains relatively under the radar. Yes, brunch is popular, but it’s not yet overrun by the hoardes in this city that treat the meal like a sport. People eat and linger, everyone seems to know each other, and everyone looks really good – even with dirty hair and last night’s clothes on. Dinner service began only a few weeks ago, and like the breakfast and brunch menu, the food is surprisingly good. Imagine Freemans without the two hour wait. Things here feel laid back and matter-of-fact, as if those running the place have no interest in the hustle that can come along with making a New York City restaurant successful. Maybe they are simply confident that word will spread and people will come. Or maybe they just don’t want them to.

Food Rundown:

French ToastA very simple French toast done with small pieces of baguette and drenched in honey. Served with an amazing maple syrup and fruit, it’s a modest but incredibly tatsy plate.

A few years back, Sarma Melngailis decided to show New York that a raw food restaurant doesn’t have to mean serving carrot sticks and lentils to a soundtrack of Ben Harper songs. Pure Food And Wine opened, and in the process she’s become an icon among those passionate about the raw lifestyle. Her restaurant, cookbooks, and One Lucky Duck takeaway business have all been extremely successful, and it’s because, raw or not, the food is incredible.

What makes the restaurant particularly special is that, as we mentioned before, it’s a place dedicated to pleasure. The food is obviously meant to make you feel good, but there are also some slammin’ cocktails, a solid wine list, and a ridiculously large garden out back that ensure that you’ll be feeling it on all levels. You’re going to be surprised at how much you like what you’re eating, and even though your bank account will be the one thing feeling less healthy after your meal, you’re going to want to come back. Don’t be afraid. Eating at Pure now and again doesn’t mean you have to give up your burgers and steaks. It just means you’ll look like shit compared to all the hot, healthy people in there if you don’t.

Food Rundown:

Salad of Frisee, Wild Arugula, and Belgian Endive in Banyuls Vinaigrette
A really nice salad, put together with a cashew “cheese”, pear slices, and a sweet and tangy vinaigrette made from dessert wine.

Asparagus Sushi Rolls with Mirin Soaked Forest Mushrooms
At first glance, this is a pretty straightforward sushi roll with some very tasty veggies inside. What you might not notice is that the “rice” is mostly jicama with some pine nuts.

Zucchini and Local Hothouse Tomato Lasagne
This one seems to be the perennial favorite on the menu. Fresh and delicious, this has a sun-dried tomato marinara and macadamia pumpkin seed ricotta that gives it the flavor of a traditional lasagna. Could be the best thing we had all night.

Wasabi Sesame Cabbage Salad with Cashew-Black Sesame Crunch and Wasabi Aioli
This salad is a new addition to the One Lucky Duck takeaway menu, and it’s really, really good. We’re already petitioning for a One Lucky Duck midtown so we can get this into our daily lunch rotation.

Sweet Pickled Tri Color Beet Ravioli Stuffed with Golden Raisin and Pistachio Cheese
Half dollar sized beet “ravioli”, these again use the nut cheese to trick you into thinking you’ve got some dairy on the plate, and they’re excellent.

King Oyster Mushroom Scallops with Hijiki Seaweed Caviar
What looks like a scallop is actually a mushroom, and it tastes good, especially with that tomato broth that’s on the plate.

Mint Sundae
Another house favorite, coconut serves as the substitute for dairy, and the result is something that tastes like mint chocolate ice cream with Thin Mints on top. Nice.