Thursday, May 27, 2010
Banjara
WAH WAHHHH - Banjara is permanently closed.
In a casual atmosphere somewhat evocative of someone's home (what with the carpeted floor and couch-like benches), you can enjoy creamy saag paneer , crispy samosas , spicy bhundi karrara , puffed naan , and moist dumpakht . I apologize to those who just gagged at the word "moist." Twice.
Banjara accepts reservations, but walk-ins are welcome as well. In the rare instances when a table is not available, you may wait at the bar in the smaller dining area to the left of the main room. Unfortunately, this tiny space is as comfortable as waiting in a phone booth. With three other people. Who are all inexplicably wearing innertubes around their waists. Between the tables steps away and the waiters running drinks, you are always in someone's way.
Once seated at your table, however, you can spread out and relax as you read over the extensive menu and snack on the cracker-like flatbread with three accompanying dips of varying spice levels. At the end of the meal, you may linger over the complimentary ice cream/sorbet.
Banjara - 97 1st Avenue, at the corner of East 6th Street
Monday, May 24, 2010
Alta
To call Alta a tapas restaurant is somewhat of a misnomer. The food portions are small, but the selection is not Spanish. However, if someone were to ask what type of restaurant it is, "tapas" would be a more succinct answer than "an establishment offering small plates of Mediterranean dishes, which are unconventional in their composition, yet which encompass a flavor profile particular to that part of the world." Not only is the truth unwieldy, it sounds obnoxious.
Even the decor is and is not Spanish. Whereas the color scheme (saffron yellow and terracotta red) screams Espana, the stone fireplace in the main dining room and solid wood beams bordering the mezzanine whisper Swiss ski chalet. Wait. Mezzanine? Say what? Ok, let's back up.
Alta is located in a townhouse in the West Village. The entrance is steps down from the sidewalk, making wheelchair access a tricky business. Just inside, extending quite a ways back to the host/hostess station, is the wood bar lined with many leather-cushioned stools. Beyond this is the beginnings of the main dining room, the rest of which is up three stairs illuminated by lanterns resting on each. Up many more stairs to the left is that mezzanine. It is U-shaped, shares the same floor as the kitchen, and overlooks both the dining area on the main level and the metal chandelier hanging from a chain from the ceiling. Rumor has it a private table is accessible via the kitchen. In all my visits, however, I have never been seated here. Word on the street (or more accurately, Alta's website) is that private parties may be held in two adjoining rooms overlooking West 10th Street. These rooms are a mystery to me as well. I trust they are as warmly lit as the rest of the restaurant and outfitted with the same sturdy wood tables.
So the menu. It is extensive. It waivers between ordinary (marcona almonds) and unexpectedly delicious (brussel sprouts with apple, creme fraiche, and pistachio pesto). Whereas tuna tartare is available at plenty of restaurants (ordinary), Alta's incorporates hearts of palm and macadamia nuts (unexpectedly delicious). Many of the dishes contain Mediterranean elements (lamb meatballs) without being traditional (said meatballs are paired with a butternut squash foam). With approximately forty five dishes covering poultry, four-legged beasts, seafood, vegetables, pasta, cheese, and grains, there should be something for everyone. For $420, your table can even order "the whole shebang," which, as you may have guessed, clever reader, is the entire menu. This bold move is for the truly indecisive and exceptionally hungry.
My recommendations for Alta include:
Alta - 64 West 10th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues
Even the decor is and is not Spanish. Whereas the color scheme (saffron yellow and terracotta red) screams Espana, the stone fireplace in the main dining room and solid wood beams bordering the mezzanine whisper Swiss ski chalet. Wait. Mezzanine? Say what? Ok, let's back up.
Alta is located in a townhouse in the West Village. The entrance is steps down from the sidewalk, making wheelchair access a tricky business. Just inside, extending quite a ways back to the host/hostess station, is the wood bar lined with many leather-cushioned stools. Beyond this is the beginnings of the main dining room, the rest of which is up three stairs illuminated by lanterns resting on each. Up many more stairs to the left is that mezzanine. It is U-shaped, shares the same floor as the kitchen, and overlooks both the dining area on the main level and the metal chandelier hanging from a chain from the ceiling. Rumor has it a private table is accessible via the kitchen. In all my visits, however, I have never been seated here. Word on the street (or more accurately, Alta's website) is that private parties may be held in two adjoining rooms overlooking West 10th Street. These rooms are a mystery to me as well. I trust they are as warmly lit as the rest of the restaurant and outfitted with the same sturdy wood tables.
So the menu. It is extensive. It waivers between ordinary (marcona almonds) and unexpectedly delicious (brussel sprouts with apple, creme fraiche, and pistachio pesto). Whereas tuna tartare is available at plenty of restaurants (ordinary), Alta's incorporates hearts of palm and macadamia nuts (unexpectedly delicious). Many of the dishes contain Mediterranean elements (lamb meatballs) without being traditional (said meatballs are paired with a butternut squash foam). With approximately forty five dishes covering poultry, four-legged beasts, seafood, vegetables, pasta, cheese, and grains, there should be something for everyone. For $420, your table can even order "the whole shebang," which, as you may have guessed, clever reader, is the entire menu. This bold move is for the truly indecisive and exceptionally hungry.
My recommendations for Alta include:
- Making reservations - It is a busy place, and you'll want to guarantee a table.
- Bringing cash or American Express - That is all they accept.
- Ordering the Philadelphia Truffle Surprise - It sounds like an unappetizing concoction involving phyllo dough, cream cheese, and truffle oil, but it has been a crowd pleaser every time.
Alta - 64 West 10th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues
Monday, May 17, 2010
Churrascaria Plataforma
A night out at Churrascaria Plataforma is not a dinner so much as an event. In theory, it is a Brazilian steakhouse with a salad bar. In practice, it is giving me the meat sweats just thinking about it.
Plataforma (we're familiar here) at first glance reminds me of any upscale restaurant at any Atlantic City hotel. It is a large room with a well-stocked bar up front, leather seats around cloth-draped tables, and a sizable buffet. On weekends, there is even live music. However, slate floors replace the expected busy carpets, and the lighting gives the room a bright, clean aura.
So here's the low down on dinner. It is a price fixed meal (prix-fixe, if you're fancy), which costs $56.95 and includes two (seriously hefty) courses from 3:30pm until midnight. Lunch is $35.95 and is served between noon and 3:30pm. A meal for children 10 years of age and younger costs $19.95, and there is no charge for those who are 5 and under. Additional packages are available at various prices, which include beverages and dessert.
What do these two standard courses include? Ultimately, a test of your ambition and pride. In more concrete terms: food, food, and more food. The first course is amassed at the buffet. Everything from salads to vegetables (grilled, marinated, hot, cold, you name it) to sushi to cheese to casseroles to chilled shellfish is available. Vegetarians can be completely sated here. I implore the carnivores, however, to take it easy and save room for what is about to come next.
The second course is served back at the table. Side dishes are family style, and I yet again caution you not to over indulge. Do you see that red coaster by your place setting? You are about to flip that over to its green side. Vegetarians, you might want to look away at this point. Carnivores, the green side indicates to the waiters, "Meat. I want meat. Bring on the meat. Give me meat."
Ohhh and meat you shall have. A parade of men wielding meat pierced swords (alright, waiters with skewers) ring the table with their offerings. A slice of beef here, a sausage there, a cut of pork here, some chicken there, a serving of lamb here, more cuts of beef there. As the waiters carve the meat onto your plate, you assist them by using the pair of tongs you have had sitting next to your boozy caipirinha (ice, sugar, lime, and cachaca - a Brazilian liquor made from sugarcane). The gluttony continues until you flip that coaster back to red. This indicates to the waiters, "Ow. I...can't." You can always flip it back to green if you get a second wind - sometimes a discreet yet necessary belch will do that.
If you're up for the challenge when all is said and done, desserts are available. If you are able to get one down, you either didn't do the first two courses properly, or you're just showing off. Either way, I like your moxie.
I would recommend Churrascaria Plataforma to anyone with a hearty appetite. It is not at all just for men, though you might not be surprised to find several large parties of them upon your visit. Go for your friend's birthday, for your fiance's graduation, for that couple's combined bachelor/bachelorette party, with that moron who offered to pay if you could identify ten cuts of meat, or after you catch a show in the neighborhood. I would not suggest a pre-theater outing, however, as the resulting food coma may take you out of commission for the second act.
Bonus? There's a second Plataforma down in Tribeca. Kudos? To those who got through this post without saying "That's what she said."
Churrascaria Plataforma - 316 West 49th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues
Plataforma (we're familiar here) at first glance reminds me of any upscale restaurant at any Atlantic City hotel. It is a large room with a well-stocked bar up front, leather seats around cloth-draped tables, and a sizable buffet. On weekends, there is even live music. However, slate floors replace the expected busy carpets, and the lighting gives the room a bright, clean aura.
So here's the low down on dinner. It is a price fixed meal (prix-fixe, if you're fancy), which costs $56.95 and includes two (seriously hefty) courses from 3:30pm until midnight. Lunch is $35.95 and is served between noon and 3:30pm. A meal for children 10 years of age and younger costs $19.95, and there is no charge for those who are 5 and under. Additional packages are available at various prices, which include beverages and dessert.
What do these two standard courses include? Ultimately, a test of your ambition and pride. In more concrete terms: food, food, and more food. The first course is amassed at the buffet. Everything from salads to vegetables (grilled, marinated, hot, cold, you name it) to sushi to cheese to casseroles to chilled shellfish is available. Vegetarians can be completely sated here. I implore the carnivores, however, to take it easy and save room for what is about to come next.
The second course is served back at the table. Side dishes are family style, and I yet again caution you not to over indulge. Do you see that red coaster by your place setting? You are about to flip that over to its green side. Vegetarians, you might want to look away at this point. Carnivores, the green side indicates to the waiters, "Meat. I want meat. Bring on the meat. Give me meat."
Ohhh and meat you shall have. A parade of men wielding meat pierced swords (alright, waiters with skewers) ring the table with their offerings. A slice of beef here, a sausage there, a cut of pork here, some chicken there, a serving of lamb here, more cuts of beef there. As the waiters carve the meat onto your plate, you assist them by using the pair of tongs you have had sitting next to your boozy caipirinha (ice, sugar, lime, and cachaca - a Brazilian liquor made from sugarcane). The gluttony continues until you flip that coaster back to red. This indicates to the waiters, "Ow. I...can't." You can always flip it back to green if you get a second wind - sometimes a discreet yet necessary belch will do that.
If you're up for the challenge when all is said and done, desserts are available. If you are able to get one down, you either didn't do the first two courses properly, or you're just showing off. Either way, I like your moxie.
I would recommend Churrascaria Plataforma to anyone with a hearty appetite. It is not at all just for men, though you might not be surprised to find several large parties of them upon your visit. Go for your friend's birthday, for your fiance's graduation, for that couple's combined bachelor/bachelorette party, with that moron who offered to pay if you could identify ten cuts of meat, or after you catch a show in the neighborhood. I would not suggest a pre-theater outing, however, as the resulting food coma may take you out of commission for the second act.
Bonus? There's a second Plataforma down in Tribeca. Kudos? To those who got through this post without saying "That's what she said."
Churrascaria Plataforma - 316 West 49th Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Tea & Sympathy
English food tends to get a bum rap. Maybe it's because the names of some dishes are straight up unappetizing - spotted dick? toad-in-the-hole? blood pudding? Maybe it's because people envision endless meat stews and meat pies and yep, meat puddings. I don't want to venture additional guesses, since I don't know everyone's reasoning and don't want to offend my future British husband - who I have not yet met, but who I expect to be adorable. My imaginary husband and our imaginary children (who say things like "mum" and "loo" - so precious) can take heart in the fact that when I say I love Tea & Sympathy and its English food, I am not lying.
For starters, Tea & Sympathy is a super cute, super quaint, and SUPER small restaurant on Greenwich Avenue. With only ten tables crammed one next to the other, it can't help but have a cozy feel. Floral tablecloths, faux bookcases, and shelves lined with teapots and mismatched cups add to the charm - as do the framed drawings and photos of the royal family and other British icons. It doesn't hurt that the waitresses have fantastic English accents and sunny dispositions.
As for the food, the menu covers a lot of ground. There are traditional dishes like shepherd's pie, bangers & mash, and Yorkshire pudding. However, the options include more than what you might find at most British pubs around the city - there's the scotch egg (a hard boiled egg wrapped in cumberland sausage), tweed kettle pie (salmon & cod in a parsley sauce, topped with mashed potatoes), and coronation chicken (chicken salad with curry) among other dishes. There are also various salads, soups, sandwiches, and scones.
Speaking of those last two, Tea & Sympathy offers "Afternoon Tea," which is available for both lunch and dinner. It arrives on a three-tiered serving tray and includes a selection of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and an assortment of desserts. It is accompanied by a pot of tea, of course, in whatever flavor you choose. Tea & Sympathy also serves a full English breakfast on the weekends and a Sunday roast on (logically) Sundays.
Ready for the bonus? The store (Carry On Tea & Sympathy) directly adjacent to the restaurant sells all things British. Did you want a certain European candy you can't seem to find anywhere else? (Lion bars are my weakness). Are you looking for an ornate teapot to call your very own? (Mine has a map of the world on it). Do you have an obsession with the Union Jack and think those cufflinks would be the perfect addition to your collection? (Um, that's all you). In addition to the goodies, you can even place a take-out order of food from the boys at the store and chat for a bit while you wait. If one winks and calls you "darling," so be it.
Bonus Part 2 - On the other side of the store is a fish and chips eatery under the same ownership as Tea & Sympathy. It is wittily named A Salt & Battery, and it's worth a visit for all things fried. More on that in a subsequent post.
I recommend Tea & Sympathy to anyone looking for an authentic bit of England. It's best to go in small groups, as the tiny establishment isn't set up to accommodate large parties. Also, they don't take reservations, and your party will not be seated until all have arrived. There is a wooden bench outside on which you may sit while you wait, or you can pop over to the store if it's too cold to linger outside. So take your date who fancies himself an anglophile, your cousin who just spent a semester in London, or your mum. If any of them know my future husband, have them tell him I say hi.
Tea & Sympathy - 108 Greenwich Avenue, between West 13th & Jane Streets
For starters, Tea & Sympathy is a super cute, super quaint, and SUPER small restaurant on Greenwich Avenue. With only ten tables crammed one next to the other, it can't help but have a cozy feel. Floral tablecloths, faux bookcases, and shelves lined with teapots and mismatched cups add to the charm - as do the framed drawings and photos of the royal family and other British icons. It doesn't hurt that the waitresses have fantastic English accents and sunny dispositions.
As for the food, the menu covers a lot of ground. There are traditional dishes like shepherd's pie, bangers & mash, and Yorkshire pudding. However, the options include more than what you might find at most British pubs around the city - there's the scotch egg (a hard boiled egg wrapped in cumberland sausage), tweed kettle pie (salmon & cod in a parsley sauce, topped with mashed potatoes), and coronation chicken (chicken salad with curry) among other dishes. There are also various salads, soups, sandwiches, and scones.
Speaking of those last two, Tea & Sympathy offers "Afternoon Tea," which is available for both lunch and dinner. It arrives on a three-tiered serving tray and includes a selection of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and an assortment of desserts. It is accompanied by a pot of tea, of course, in whatever flavor you choose. Tea & Sympathy also serves a full English breakfast on the weekends and a Sunday roast on (logically) Sundays.
Ready for the bonus? The store (Carry On Tea & Sympathy) directly adjacent to the restaurant sells all things British. Did you want a certain European candy you can't seem to find anywhere else? (Lion bars are my weakness). Are you looking for an ornate teapot to call your very own? (Mine has a map of the world on it). Do you have an obsession with the Union Jack and think those cufflinks would be the perfect addition to your collection? (Um, that's all you). In addition to the goodies, you can even place a take-out order of food from the boys at the store and chat for a bit while you wait. If one winks and calls you "darling," so be it.
Bonus Part 2 - On the other side of the store is a fish and chips eatery under the same ownership as Tea & Sympathy. It is wittily named A Salt & Battery, and it's worth a visit for all things fried. More on that in a subsequent post.
I recommend Tea & Sympathy to anyone looking for an authentic bit of England. It's best to go in small groups, as the tiny establishment isn't set up to accommodate large parties. Also, they don't take reservations, and your party will not be seated until all have arrived. There is a wooden bench outside on which you may sit while you wait, or you can pop over to the store if it's too cold to linger outside. So take your date who fancies himself an anglophile, your cousin who just spent a semester in London, or your mum. If any of them know my future husband, have them tell him I say hi.
Tea & Sympathy - 108 Greenwich Avenue, between West 13th & Jane Streets
Monday, May 10, 2010
dell'anima
dell'anima (immediate side note - they don't seem to capitalize the name on their window or website, so neither shall I) is one of those places that you pass by, glance in, and think, "Well, that looks nice." Any evening, any day of the week or time of the year, this small Italian restaurant seems to glow from within, luring in passersby - much like the grail-shaped beacon upon Monty Python's Castle Anthrax but with fewer sex-starved nymphets.
It is situated both on 8th Avenue and West 4th Street off the corner of Jane Street. Huhwhat? West Village, you so crazy, I think I wanna have your baby...and other Salt N Pepa lyrics. The main entrance is on 8th Avenue, but dell'anima backs onto West 4th Street, where in warmer weather, customers may dine al fresco at one of the seven or so tables lining the sidewalk. Inside the restaurant, customers may sit at the raised table along the left wall, at the standard-height tables throughout the room, along the bar to the right of the entrance, or along the counter facing the open kitchen at the rear left of the space. When these fifty or so seats are filled with guests, and additional patrons mingle in the small space behind those seated at the bar, dell'anima pulses with energy.
Much of that energy is attributable to the staff. The hostesses up front have always been friendly, even when one might be struggling to hear you over the chattering customers in the background, or the other is relaying jackets to the coat check in cooler weather. The bartenders are attentive, whether you are simply ordering a cocktail or eating a full meal at their bar. The management seems eager to please, as noted one visit when a problem with one dish was not only corrected but removed from the bill.
Most remarkable for their liveliness, however, may be the chefs at that back counter. Their presence is felt no matter where you are seated, but if you are offered one of the raised chairs facing them, take it. The resulting show is impressive, as two people handle boiling pastas, grilled items, scoops of this, and pinches of that in what looks to be the tightest of quarters. Sure, a lot of fast-paced effort goes into dishes at other restaurants too, but at dell'anima, you get a front row seat. A rather hot front row seat, mind you, as you are not all that far from those boiling pastas and grills.
So, the food? I like it. I am a fan of the ever changing bruschette, which are served in small bowls with grilled bread on the side. I am also partial to the homemade pastas, as they are typically well composed dishes. Since the pastas are advertised as primi (first courses, after appetizers) rather than secondi (main dishes), the rather small sizes are reasonable. The menu changes fairly regularly - a sign of dell'anima's eagerness to deliver a flavorful, seasonal meal - so appetizers and entrees enjoyed in the past may no longer be available. Fingers crossed more delicious items appear in their place.
Alright, friends. Time to address the salty elephant in the (sleek yet cozy) room. You can get away from dell'anima having had a terrific meal with interesting wine and cocktails. You can also get away with high blood pressure and a serious thirst. As noted in other reviews on other sites, some of the dishes are seasoned with a heavy hand. A heavy, salty hand laden with the saltiest salt that ever salted. During my first several visits, I personally hadn't found this to be the case - but then there was that OTHER time. Oh boy.
I recommend dell'anima for a time when you are in the mood for an upscale neighborhood spot but are tired of your usual haunts. If your neighborhood is not the West Village (as it is not mine either), it can be worth the trek. Try to make a reservation beforehand, as those seats of varying heights fill up quickly most evenings. They are thankfully available for weekend brunch too (Saturday and Sunday from 11:00am until 3:00pm), so don't feel you have to limit your dell'anima dining experience to nighttime. Good food tastes just as delightful in the daylight.
dell'anima - 38 8th Avenue, between Jane & West 12th Streets (rear door on West 4th Street)
It is situated both on 8th Avenue and West 4th Street off the corner of Jane Street. Huhwhat? West Village, you so crazy, I think I wanna have your baby...and other Salt N Pepa lyrics. The main entrance is on 8th Avenue, but dell'anima backs onto West 4th Street, where in warmer weather, customers may dine al fresco at one of the seven or so tables lining the sidewalk. Inside the restaurant, customers may sit at the raised table along the left wall, at the standard-height tables throughout the room, along the bar to the right of the entrance, or along the counter facing the open kitchen at the rear left of the space. When these fifty or so seats are filled with guests, and additional patrons mingle in the small space behind those seated at the bar, dell'anima pulses with energy.
Much of that energy is attributable to the staff. The hostesses up front have always been friendly, even when one might be struggling to hear you over the chattering customers in the background, or the other is relaying jackets to the coat check in cooler weather. The bartenders are attentive, whether you are simply ordering a cocktail or eating a full meal at their bar. The management seems eager to please, as noted one visit when a problem with one dish was not only corrected but removed from the bill.
Most remarkable for their liveliness, however, may be the chefs at that back counter. Their presence is felt no matter where you are seated, but if you are offered one of the raised chairs facing them, take it. The resulting show is impressive, as two people handle boiling pastas, grilled items, scoops of this, and pinches of that in what looks to be the tightest of quarters. Sure, a lot of fast-paced effort goes into dishes at other restaurants too, but at dell'anima, you get a front row seat. A rather hot front row seat, mind you, as you are not all that far from those boiling pastas and grills.
So, the food? I like it. I am a fan of the ever changing bruschette, which are served in small bowls with grilled bread on the side. I am also partial to the homemade pastas, as they are typically well composed dishes. Since the pastas are advertised as primi (first courses, after appetizers) rather than secondi (main dishes), the rather small sizes are reasonable. The menu changes fairly regularly - a sign of dell'anima's eagerness to deliver a flavorful, seasonal meal - so appetizers and entrees enjoyed in the past may no longer be available. Fingers crossed more delicious items appear in their place.
Alright, friends. Time to address the salty elephant in the (sleek yet cozy) room. You can get away from dell'anima having had a terrific meal with interesting wine and cocktails. You can also get away with high blood pressure and a serious thirst. As noted in other reviews on other sites, some of the dishes are seasoned with a heavy hand. A heavy, salty hand laden with the saltiest salt that ever salted. During my first several visits, I personally hadn't found this to be the case - but then there was that OTHER time. Oh boy.
I recommend dell'anima for a time when you are in the mood for an upscale neighborhood spot but are tired of your usual haunts. If your neighborhood is not the West Village (as it is not mine either), it can be worth the trek. Try to make a reservation beforehand, as those seats of varying heights fill up quickly most evenings. They are thankfully available for weekend brunch too (Saturday and Sunday from 11:00am until 3:00pm), so don't feel you have to limit your dell'anima dining experience to nighttime. Good food tastes just as delightful in the daylight.
dell'anima - 38 8th Avenue, between Jane & West 12th Streets (rear door on West 4th Street)
Monday, May 3, 2010
Sala One Nine
Whenever I say I'm going to a tapas restaurant, people ask, "Topless?!" Either I don't enunciate, or I know a lot of pervy morons. Whatever the case may be, the subject of this post is a perfectly lovely Spanish restaurant, where all guests and staff are fully clothed.
Sala One Nine is logically situated on West 19th Street. West One Nine Street. Yeah, it took me entirely too long to piece that together. There is another Sala located in NoHo on Bowery, and it is sometimes cleverly referred to as Sala Bowery. Though the two locations exhibit similarities, today's focus is on the Flatiron location.
I have been to Sala One Nine countless times, and the food has always been consistent. The menu includes sopas, ensalada, tostas, raciones, plancha, and horno. In other words: soups, salads, toasted bread with various toppings, small plates, larger grilled items, and equally large oven baked dishes. Basically everything is intended to be shared, so the size of your party should determine how many plates you order. Or, you can do what my friends and I do, which is order entirely too much food, because we can't resist certain dishes (hello, fried goat cheese with honey and caramelized onions [insert wink here]). The prices are reasonable, but it is possible to both rack up a sizable bill (see, night out with my girls) or get out unscathed (see, "Paella Sunday's," 2-for-1 happy hour, and any night without all my girls).
The atmosphere in the restaurant is lively, which is why it's tempting to round up the whole crew for an evening out. With two bars in the room (one up front, and one in the middle) and upbeat music playing overhead, the buzz is constant and, at times, outright loud. The lights are dim without being dark, and the rustic look (pockets of exposed brick peeking from behind painted plaster, arches framing the kitchen at the back as well as the stairwell down to the bathrooms, and dark wood tables and chairs) gives the impression of late night dining in Spain. It is also a great spot for a date, as banquets in the back allow for cozying up in the corners as well as face-to-face quality time across small candlelit tables.
I would recommend Sala One Nine to anyone looking for a fun night out with good food (multiple dishes feature serrano ham, yet vegetarian options are plentiful as well) and a substantial wine list (sangria too, of course). Before stopping in, however, it is best to make a reservation, as the restaurant's popularity does not appear to be waning. If you can't get a table until late, try to snag a spot at one of the bars, or pop next door to the Flatiron Lounge for a finely crafted cocktail while you wait. You don't have to be buzzed to enjoy the food at Sala One Nine, but it usually doesn't hurt.
Sala One Nine - 35 West 19th Street, between 5th & 6th Avenues
Sala One Nine is logically situated on West 19th Street. West One Nine Street. Yeah, it took me entirely too long to piece that together. There is another Sala located in NoHo on Bowery, and it is sometimes cleverly referred to as Sala Bowery. Though the two locations exhibit similarities, today's focus is on the Flatiron location.
I have been to Sala One Nine countless times, and the food has always been consistent. The menu includes sopas, ensalada, tostas, raciones, plancha, and horno. In other words: soups, salads, toasted bread with various toppings, small plates, larger grilled items, and equally large oven baked dishes. Basically everything is intended to be shared, so the size of your party should determine how many plates you order. Or, you can do what my friends and I do, which is order entirely too much food, because we can't resist certain dishes (hello, fried goat cheese with honey and caramelized onions [insert wink here]). The prices are reasonable, but it is possible to both rack up a sizable bill (see, night out with my girls) or get out unscathed (see, "Paella Sunday's," 2-for-1 happy hour, and any night without all my girls).
The atmosphere in the restaurant is lively, which is why it's tempting to round up the whole crew for an evening out. With two bars in the room (one up front, and one in the middle) and upbeat music playing overhead, the buzz is constant and, at times, outright loud. The lights are dim without being dark, and the rustic look (pockets of exposed brick peeking from behind painted plaster, arches framing the kitchen at the back as well as the stairwell down to the bathrooms, and dark wood tables and chairs) gives the impression of late night dining in Spain. It is also a great spot for a date, as banquets in the back allow for cozying up in the corners as well as face-to-face quality time across small candlelit tables.
I would recommend Sala One Nine to anyone looking for a fun night out with good food (multiple dishes feature serrano ham, yet vegetarian options are plentiful as well) and a substantial wine list (sangria too, of course). Before stopping in, however, it is best to make a reservation, as the restaurant's popularity does not appear to be waning. If you can't get a table until late, try to snag a spot at one of the bars, or pop next door to the Flatiron Lounge for a finely crafted cocktail while you wait. You don't have to be buzzed to enjoy the food at Sala One Nine, but it usually doesn't hurt.
Sala One Nine - 35 West 19th Street, between 5th & 6th Avenues
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