Absolutely love that spot.
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Anybody been to Craft lately? Menu looked good and hopefully itās not too noisy. TIA for any info!
Hi Peter, my wife and I went for drinks about 2 months ago and it was great but I didnāt order any food. The place was pretty busy even upon opening and by the time we left it was full. I plan to go back and have dinner there, itās one of those places that has been around a while and you forget about. BTW the drinks were great. Enjoy!
Thanks, Dan! Good to hear.
Weāre going in about two weeks. Iāll report back.
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Went to Hanoi House last week since itās in the area and Robert had some nice things to say upthread. They were unexpectedly down a server, so things were a bit slow. They were packed on a Wednesday night, and we were sat in a small little side room in the back of the restaurant. Felt a bit cramped - not somewhere I would take my parents, for instance - but comfortable enough for a casual weeknight meal. The papaya and pig ear salad was delicious, and the banh mi was good as well. While the pho was solid, we thought the broth could have used a bit more depth and flavor. There was some confusion around whether or not they do corkage; they do, and they ended up charging us $20, not $25.
Atomix was spectacular again. The menu had changed slightly since my last visit ā still the same themes with some tweaks here and there. It was fascinating to see how the kitchen had iterated on the dishes, and we felt there were no weak links ā all bangers.
We enjoyed our meal at Ugly Baby. We had the pig tail tom yum, the fried sea bream, chicken with thai chili, tiger shrimp, and panang curry. I know this place has a reputation for serving incredibly spicy food (and thereās plenty of that here), but thereās also nuance to the dishes. Flavors ran the gamut from sour to nutty to sweet to salty. Good beer list, too.
Lastly, we went to Yakitori Totto before a show this weekend ā a good spot for a pre-theater meal. Tails and tsukune were the highlight for me.
That is a pretty fair review of Hanoi House. The service was good when we went but the tables are super small and it is very loud. It could be a good spot for lunch if it is not so busy.
Nice to hear another rave Atomix review I am due for a visit.
Same for Ugly Baby.
I enjoyed the meal at Hanoi House and would go back. There is something oddly charming about being wedged into a restaurant in the East Village. It feels right. That said, I know not everyone would be comfortable in that setting. Ugly Baby is similarly a pretty tight/loud space.
Iām sure this is on your radar, but Atomix opens June reservations today at 3.
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Iām trying to take 5 30 something friends out to a dinner in a few weeks and would like to bring a few bottlesā¦ somewhere fun but not too youngish, in Manhattan.
Tried for LāArtusi but the night we want is booked out, Osamil doesnāt take corkage. Welcome to any suggestions!
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Marta, Wuās, noreetuh
Finally hit Kono. WOW! I really loved everything about it. The overall vibe is so energetic, the chef has great taste in music and creates the playlist. The non Yakitori dishes were excellent. I know $175 is not cheap but for high end Japanese I think it was a value. I liked it better overall than Torien; however, I might like the Yakitori at Torien just a tad better? I plan to go back very soon.
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Awesome spot; hope you checked out their vinyl listening/whiskey room too. Suntory put serious money into the sound system.
I myself lean to Torien, went Sunday myself, I think his Yakitori hits better too. But Kono is definitely innovative and delicious. I think my Kono experience was only a little less than with that large party table they have perched above had a group cackling all night behind me that might have thrown my mood. Would definitely recommend both spots.
Finally hit Lāindustrie pizza. It is very good. Love the Burrata pizza, which is their signature pizza. The sandwich was also very good. Not going to break into my top 5 but definitely in the upper echelon of NYC pizza.
We got there 30 minutes before opening on a Sunday and we were first in line. There were about 40 people in line by opening but it looked to move very fast. I will be going back.
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You can try Upland. Infatuation lists them at $35 per bottle.
Fiaschetteria Pistoia in the East Village had always been a consistent byob for me with their very casual vibe and solid Northern Italian foods. $20 per bottle.
Last time I went to Upland, corkage was $60.
Thanks guys.
I did an event at upland and it was all good, but wanted to change it up.
We are doing Osamil (no corkage!) and will share a bottle before heading over there.
i have to be near grand central later today and didnāt feel like spending yasuda money so thought iād head back to a long time favorite, aburiya kinnosuke.
permanently closed as of early april. i loved that place
Bummed, but not surprised that it closed. Went there twice last year and I was probably one of half a dozen people dining in the whole restaurant both times
i work 2 blocks away. my little secret isā¦you can order a la carte at the sushi bar at yasuda. i tend to get their sushi tokuā¦their chefās selection. i tend to slip in what i prefer to avoid to the chef and i tend to get a mini omakase for 1/3 the price.
iāve never had omakase at yasuda. always order a la carte as well
maybe itās time i try it
i never sit at the tables at yasuda. just not worth it in my experience. im a big fan of yasuda for the last 15 years. hard for me to pay more for top sushi.