Raoul’s is the shit. That’s really the only proper way to put it. If you can’t have a good time here, you probably can’t have a good time anywhere. This boisterous French bistro has been a Soho institution since the 70’s. It’s that awesome NYC restaurant depicted in your favorite Woody Allen flick, one that probably doesn’t exist in real life. Except it does and in reality it’s just as cool. Raoul’s is useful for a variety of different reasons. Having dinner with friends from out of town? They will feel the upbeat, lively vibe at Raoul’s. Double date with your favorite party couple who like to un-tuck, throw a couple back and grub hard? This is the place. Just be prepared to drop dollars. On the prowl after work with your favorite wing-man/wing-woman? There’s all kinds of good action here and a nice variety to choose from; a classy crowd of spunky ladies and well put together dudes. If you want to be all up in the mix, make sure to request a table in the front of the restaurant. For a more subdued good time, the back atrium through the kitchen is where it’s at. Time to talk food.
Much like other recent openings (see Minetta Tavern, DBGB), Locanda Verde has been a hot topic among food critics and writers of late. Those who faithfully read these reviews will surely come away able to tell their friends all about how Robert DeNiro is still involved, as is an up and coming New York chef, Andrew Carmellini. And they will surely let everyone know how much better Locanda Verde is than Ago was, even though the Ago in LA is fantastic. How nice for them.
Luckily, you come to this site for the real deal (and also because you are awesome), so here it is. Locanda Verde is a very good restaurant, and it is so because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. What does that mean exactly? The space is nice, but you’re not going to be sending your friends pics from your blackberry. The wait staff is pleasant and well versed in the menu, but they aren’t going to make you want to drop a thirty percent tip. The wine list is nice, though ordering by the glass seems to be the way to go. Most importantly, the majority of the food on the menu is very good on its own, but if you order correctly, the entire meal will be a fantastic experience and you will need a forklift to get your fat ass out of there. Take each individual aspect, add it together, and you have a pretty great dining experience, one that is actually quite deserving of the recent praise. Kudos to Bobby D.
If there’s one cuisine whose hype is usually warranted, it’s pizza. Because of its universal nature, critics and “the people” will generally see eye to eye. At the end of the day most pizza is either fantastic or good enough and it doesn’t take a food expert to distinguish between the two. With these facts in mind, the Infatuation was fired up to investigate New York Mag’s declaration of Kesté as NYC’s best pie of the moment.
As anticipated, Kesté serves up some of the best pizza in town. We went during prime time and waited about half an hour for our table – the perfect amount of time to whet our appetites with a couple craft pints from the Blind Tiger down the block. Kesté doesn’t serve by the slice (unless you’re lucky and they hook you up with a taster slice for waiting), and while the pies are sized for one person to eat, you should come hungry and with friends. On our last visit, we each ordered our own pie and no slice was left uneaten. Kesté’s decor could use a little spruce up; the exposed brick almost looks fake, and the random artwork doesn’t add much to the vibe. They jam as many tables as possible into the small space and it’s hot as balls thanks to the open oven in the back. You know what though? I’m fine with Kesté concentrating their efforts on the food, and it pays off. I’d rather eat like a king at a dive than consume crap in a palace. Not that this place is a dive by any means, but you get my point.
First off, much respect goes out to Ken Friedman who owns The Spotted Pig. Dude worked in the music biz for years before venturing into the culinary world and we obviously applaud the marriage of music and food. The fact that Bono, Trent Reznor, and Courtney Love are all listed as investors is awesome. Friedman’s landlord, Jay-Z, can now add the 173-year-old building that houses The Spotted Pig to his resume of timeless classics which already include Infatuation favorites Reasonable Doubt and The Black Album. Jigga decided to buy the place and renovate, adding more dining/bar space on the second floor and an exclusive third floor room where he and his crew can dine in peace, away from the riff-raff.
Appearing in Page Six on a regular basis and having a lively bar scene has led The Spotted Pig to become one of New York’s most infamous eateries. Don’t be fooled by the hype on the food though – this is next level gastro-pub fare, not fine dining. The food isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but you’re coming here for the scene first, food second. Although The Spotted Pig is only five years old, the interior space properly reflects its vintage home. Sporting plaid booths and an overabundance of pork related paraphernalia, the space has a real old New York feel to it. The Spotted Pig doesn’t take reservations, so be prepared to commit at least an hour to wait for your table. Hopefully you’ve got money to spend at the bar while you wait. The Spotted Pig is ideal for evenings where you’re looking to mix it up, throw a couple down, and see where the night takes you.
It would seem to us here at Immaculate Infatuation that the only way to properly assess the fawned over revival of the Minetta Tavern is to take aim directly at the ridiculous love fest that both the national and New York food media has had with the place. Let’s start here – everyone chill the f–k out.
I don’t want to start this review out with negativity, but it’s only fair that we discuss what has been said about Minetta. All the hype led us in with high expectations, as it would with anyone paying attention to the heavy hitters like The New York Times, New York Magazine, and The Food Network. It’s one thing to read a chorus of glowing reviews about a new restaurant online, but once Frank Bruni crowns Minetta Tavern “the best steakhouse in the city,” you should be expecting perfection. It’s also probably worth mentioning that Tyler Florence went off about the burger on the Food Network for a full half hour, but then again, anything that guy puts in his mouth on television is “fantastic.” That being said, here’s the Infatuation bottom line: while the food at Minetta Tavern is very good, it does not, and can not live up to all the hype. Is it the best steakhouse in New York? No way.
Our meal at Minetta was definitely satisfying, but there were some notable let-downs. The $26 Black Label Burger is excellent, and the cheaper Minetta Burger is also very good, but going to a place like this just for a burger seems counter-intuitive … a burger joint, this is not. For starters, there is a gigantic bouncer with a clip board at the door, and reservations at a decent hour are nearly impossible to secure. The room is appealing and the service is good, but an attempt at exclusivity diminishes the charm. If Minetta Tavern were a little cheaper, a little more accessible, and a little less Waverly Inn, it could be one of the great restaurants in New York for a long time to come. We’ll see if it can continue to thrive under the weight of such great expectations.
Feature: Infatuation TV: P.O.S.
