Pete Wells reviewed a trendy dining spot with a secret door from an art gallery. It conjured an antique shop with a mirrored armoire that led to a hidden little garden restaurant across from the original Barney’s back in the day. A former speakeasy. I commented on it in the NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/24/dining/frevo-review-pete-wells.html#commentsContainer&permid=102710761:102710761
A traditional celebratory favorite over the years. This year, our son’s 30th birthday with family was no exception. Still fun and lively. Attentive service. Great raw clams. Succulent and perfectly cooked fish. It is the only place in Manhattan I’ll actually go downstairs to dine for its ship-like atmosphere. We’ll never forget a few years back when Mike Bloomberg and Chuck Schumer stopped by to say hi. And stayed for a long chat. Always a people-watching scene. And. One of those consistently good spots for return rendez-vous.
On Columbus and 73rd, in its third iteration since we moved to the UWS. A.G. Kitchen was really good. The Flying Fisherman was really not. Now. Harvest Kitchen has potential. In the first week under a new name, not sure about management, lunch was fine. Spicy Red Snapper tacos tasty and fresh. Hamburgers a little too fussy. Huevos rancheros a bit skimpy looking. Service okay. Glazed windows and curtains a little claustrophobic, open glass was better. On the second try for lunch with our young 9-year old nephew, kid friendly and… Read more Harvest Kitchen UWS →
So many Italian restaurants on the Upper West Side. Most of them mediocre. Cotta is casual with outside tables. Inside it is dark and loud with blaring music. But. The homemade pasta is superb. Sauces fresh and delicious. Sets it apart from any of the other choices. For the food.
We experienced two distinctly different restaurants at Del Posto. The first one a few years ago was perfection. Great food and understated yet sophisticated service. We left singing superlatives. The second one, under the new regime was a tacky touristy vibe with superfluously showy service. And underwhelming food.
Saturday in the Park. March 2014. PopUp Piano Man. Warm sun. Pure Joy. Outdoor tables ready and waiting. Shake Shack opens. Crowds soon gather. Can Spring be far behind? MadisonPark Onze it. Quatorze–course tasting adventure. Pricey. Priceless. Grilled lobster lunch with friends at ABC Kitchen. Specially good. Roasted octopus, striped bass downtown at Colicchio and Sons. Delectable. Memories of a Mad March Birthday Weekend 2014. Indelible. Folie en food.
Dogs drool and rule at most restaurants. Getting worse by the day. Don’t want to share a meal with people’s pets. Yuck. That’s why we mostly stay in and cook or take-out. Nobody else seems to mind I guess, yet there are more boarded up bistros every week. Good luck out there! Woof. Woof. NYPost
West Side Rag posted New York Magazine’s Best Restaurants on the Upper West Side. To say the list is sad is to be polite. On the list are a couple of actual restaurants rather than hot dog stands and Asian food chains. The good ones include Oxbow Tavern, Sushi Kaito, The Milling Room. Not there and should be Osteria Cotta, The Mermaid Inn, Da Capo, Santa Fe, Arte Cafe.
