20 replies to this topic

[ckkgourmet]

You'll have to forgive the somewhat provocative topic description: I did want to bring attention to Allegretti, the relatively new restaurant of Alain Allegretti. I've read a lot about the restaurant over the last several months, but I put my visit off again and again (despite several good reviews, there was something in the thought of Provencal food that didn't quite grab me). Over the last few weeks, however, I've gone twice for lunch. The 2 or 3 course prix fixe is an excellent value at $24 and $28. What is more, Allegretti serves excellent food. My lunch today began with a well-executed mushroom risotto (with nicely crunchy hen-of-the-woods on top), a lovely pork loin in jus with zucchini, asparagus, carrot, and potato, all properly roasted in herbs, and a conservative (but equally excellent) strawberry tart for dessert. As you've probably read, Allegretti does not try to innovate too much, but if one likes the occasional French classic, this place is great. The portions are generous, too.

The first time I went, I was nearly alone in the dining room (I wonder how long they'll keep open at lunchtime?), but there was Mario Batali with a friend or associate. Because he was seated at a table nearly adjacent to mine, I couldn't help but overhear his conversation: let's just say that he has quite a few interesting plans afoot to fatten his bottom line, expand his empire, and improve his own lifestyle. As for the food, he was an enthusiastic salesman, telling his companion that he loved everything there. He ate with relish, and praised each dish that arrived at his table. So if my own word isn't good enough, I encourage you to take Batali's. I may be going too far, but Allegretti, at lunch, appears to be a chef's restaurant.

[ChefAnnette]

I've enjoyed dinner at Allegretti several times but have not been in for lunch yet.

The food has always been well-executed and very tasty. I was in recently for the new summer prix fixe menu (black squid ink tagliolini with uni, monk fish with baby fennel and creme brulee), I don't know how often that menu changes but each dish was fantastic - generous portions and so delicious!

I wish Alain Allegretti great success and many days and nights of a full dining room... glad to hear Batali is feeling the love too!

[pierre45]

The four of us had dinner recently at this restaurant that does not seem to be on anybody's radar.Its a small place with choices from the south of france and Italy.Its good value for NYC with entrees around $30 and appetizers around $15,dessert $10,also a prix fixe menu @$39. I started with the fish soup provencal .It came with rouille and cheese.It tasted quite authentic ,except for the lack of fish. My partner had grilled octopus,which was very good. The mains I tried were a delicious seafood tagatielle and a tasty and tender duck breast with a wine and pepper sauce.The wine list is quite good with many choices in $30 and $40 range.We drank a lively and refereshing Routas Rose,a cote de Provence for $32.The noise level however was quite high.Incidentally is this the case with most NYC restaurants?
Overall, this restaurant is good value and I wonder why its not better known.

[oakapple]

The four of us had dinner recently at this restaurant that does not seem to be on anybody's radar.Its a small place with choices from the south of france and Italy. Its good value for NYC with entrees around $30 and appetizers around $15,dessert $10,also a prix fixe menu @$39...The noise level however was quite high. Incidentally is this the case with most NYC restaurants?

It is quite common, unfortunately.

Overall, this restaurant is good value and I wonder why its not better known.

It is reasonably well known. It received a favorable two-star review last year in the Times, and it even made the critic's list of the 10 Best New Restaurants of 2008.

[LPShanet]

The four of us had dinner recently at this restaurant that does not seem to be on anybody's radar.Its a small place with choices from the south of france and Italy. Its good value for NYC with entrees around $30 and appetizers around $15,dessert $10,also a prix fixe menu @$39...The noise level however was quite high. Incidentally is this the case with most NYC restaurants?

It is quite common, unfortunately.

Overall, this restaurant is good value and I wonder why its not better known.

It is reasonably well known. (There is a previous eG thread, with which these posts should be merged.) It received a favorable two-star review last year in the Times, and it even made the critic's list of the 10 Best New Restaurants of 2008.

Ironically, it seems like the biggest gripe about Allegretti in many reviews has been from those that questioned the value and found it overpriced. Which makes it quite clear how relative value is...

[pierre45]

The four of us had dinner recently at this restaurant that does not seem to be on anybody's radar.Its a small place with choices from the south of france and Italy. Its good value for NYC with entrees around $30 and appetizers around $15,dessert $10,also a prix fixe menu @$39...The noise level however was quite high. Incidentally is this the case with most NYC restaurants?

It is quite common, unfortunately.

Overall, this restaurant is good value and I wonder why its not better known.

It is reasonably well known. (There is a previous eG thread, with which these posts should be merged.) It received a favorable two-star review last year in the Times, and it even made the critic's list of the 10 Best New Restaurants of 2008.

Ironically, it seems like the biggest gripe about Allegretti in many reviews has been from those that questioned the value and found it overpriced. Which makes it quite clear how relative value is...

ITs good value relative to other similar restaurants in NYC.Its somewhat subjective but one gets a tasty meal around $40 to $60 and a good bottle of wine around $30

[Sneakeater]

Yeah, I think questioning the value at Allegretti is weird. It's not off-the-charts great value like Aldea, but in the scheme of things, it's very well-priced for what it is. (Especially with that prix fixe they're now offering.)

Frankly, I think the reviewers questioned its value just because they were put off by how nice (in a traditional sense) the dining room is.

[oakapple]

Frankly, I think the reviewers questioned its value just because they were put off by how nice (in a traditional sense) the dining room is.

Exactly. If the restaurant offered the identical food, with counter dining on bar stools and hard rock blasting out of the iPod, Allegretti would be praised as a genius.

[LPShanet]

Frankly, I think the reviewers questioned its value just because they were put off by how nice (in a traditional sense) the dining room is.

Exactly. If the restaurant offered the identical food, with counter dining on bar stools and hard rock blasting out of the iPod, Allegretti would be praised as a genius.

Completely agree with Sneak and oak's assessments, and would add that it certainly didn't help the cause that they opened with the current economic situation. Critics tend to be very hard on places they see as "fancy" or inappropriate to the times when the current ethos is otherwise. Not really fair, but that's reality. Add to all that the fact that Allegretti wasn't a high profile kind of chef, and they assume that he's charging too much relative to his prominence.

[oakapple]

Critics tend to be very hard on places they see as "fancy" or inappropriate to the times when the current ethos is otherwise.

Frank Bruni and Adam Platt have been skeptical of these places for their entire tenures, and we haven't been in a recession the whole time.

[LPShanet]

Critics tend to be very hard on places they see as "fancy" or inappropriate to the times when the current ethos is otherwise.

Frank Bruni and Adam Platt have been skeptical of these places for their entire tenures, and we haven't been in a recession the whole time.

Also totally true.

[KennethT]

I'd like to thank everyone here for turning my wife and me on to Allegretti... we went last night, and it was excellent, both for the price, and regardless of price. I know it's summertime, and restaurants are typically less full, but including ours, there were 7 tables occupied all evening... such a shame - I really hope this place can survive this!

Here's what we had:
Grilled quail: It was perfectly cooked - nice and charred on the outside and rare on the inside - just the way it should be, IMO... it came with a lovely salad of cucumber and shaved celery witha yogurt dressing...

Prawns on a stick (not the actual name): here, there were 3 shrimp (all perfectly cooked) on a rosemary spear, served with a variety of baby vegetables in a sauce I don't remember what was in it - but it was delicious and addictive.

Tagliatelle with shrimp, octopus, calamari, etc... the octopus was maybe the most tender I've ever had.. and all other items cooked perfectly as well - I'm sure they must have cooked all seafood items separately and combined at the end... pasta was nicely al dente, with another addictive sauce

Branzino with stuffed calamari- I feel a bit like a broken record, but the fish and calamari were both perfectly cooked - the fish was juicy, flaky, and the skin was nice a crisp... the calamari tender with a very tasty stuff, I don't happen to remember - but I remember it was great too....

All together with a lovely $32 rose from Provence....

We will definitely be returning here!

[gastrodamus]

Frankly, I think the reviewers questioned its value just because they were put off by how nice (in a traditional sense) the dining room is.

Exactly. If the restaurant offered the identical food, with counter dining on bar stools and hard rock blasting out of the iPod, Allegretti would be praised as a genius.

i dropped in for a quick bite last tuesday. i didn't have time to change so i called ahead to ask if t-shirt & jeans would be de rigueur. i was rather surprised to hear that would be just fine. they were playing decent music in the dining room at just the right volume. the staff was friendly and made me feel at home despite my attire. it seems as if there's been a shift to accommodate more casual diners or perhaps it always has been more approachable than one may think.

i ordered:
taste of nice - marinated baby artichokes, pissaladière, zucchini blossom beignet, baby radish on bed of tapenade, brandade niçoise, vegetable farçi. spectacular starter, especially the zucchini blossom.

niçois ravioli as entree - braised oxtail, swiss chard, parmesan, orange beef jus, orange peel confit. you can single out each ingredient and the resulting flavor combination is amazing. it's nicely balanced and i didn't find it heavy as adam platt suggests in his review. i've seen alain's simplified recipe for this dish but it'd be far more economical to just dine here rather than spending hours and hours to recreate it at home. highly reco.

roasted carrots - cumin, parsley, light orange buttery sauce. i'm not a big vege guy but i enjoyed the side of sweet carrots.

orange chocolate crepe cake - w/chocolate gelato (out of hazelnut that night). great ending.

allegretti should be high on everyone's list. i had a fantastic dinner. everything was perfectly-cooked and well-executed as kennethT writes. i think there were only 2 or 3 unoccupied tables when i left, which is pretty good for a tuesday night. the price is more than fair for the quality. plus their $39 3-course prix fixe seems to be a great deal. unless it's a special occasion, i'll wear a collared shirt next time but i'm keeping my jeans.

[WK2]

We went last night as well, based on recommendations from here. A few observations before getting to food. The dining room was *empty*. So empty that I asked one of the staff what was going on. He said that they had only 14 reservations for last night (Saturday) but were expecting 70-80 on both Monday and Tuesday, an odd quirk of traffic he attributed to the fact that their core customer spends August weekends sunning themselves in the Hamptons. Take that for what you will.

I also noticed that the tables no longer sported the "crisp white linens" Bruni half-mocked in his review. I wonder whether that is an intentional nod towards the mood.

In terms of what we ate, we intended to have the prix fixe, but it didn't really speak to me. I would have been happy with the striped bass that was on offer as a main course, but wanted neither a ricotta tart or either starter. So we went off into the carte. Happily this was a good choice.

First courses: We had the Taste of Nice and the Octopus a la plancha. While the Taste of Nice is perhaps a little overwrought in the sense that I'm not sure I want six different preparations on a plate, each item was delicious. I especially enjoyed the pissaladiere loaf, which I had never seen before, and the squash blossoms. As for the stuffed red pepper, my only comment is that Allegretti must keep a squadron of Armenian grandmothers imprisoned in the back, as it tasted exactly like my own grandmother's dolma.

The octopus was presented as a single long tentacle, lightly dusted with pimenton and served with potatoes. There's not much to say about it, other than that I found it terrific. Tender, well seasoned. Just a very enjoyable dish.

Main Course:

Black and White taglietelle with seafood: I had been wanting the seafood soup as a first course, but ended up with the octopus. But the black and white taglietelle with shellfish was a noble substitute, as it replicated much of the flavors one would expect in such a soup - certainly fennel and a little spice creeping around the edges. The shrimp dotting the pasta were perhaps the best cooked shrimp I have ever enjoyed - just this side of wobbly.

Cod with Crispy mussels: This was seafood cookery every bit the equal of Le Bernardin. The cod was barely opaque, skin crisp, and the saffron sauce gave the whole thing some needed flavor. As for the crispy mussels, I am sure there was some sort of sweet spice in the breading (clove?), which imbued the whole thing with a sort of North African flair.

Dessert: We shared the peach frangipane. A classic dough, excellent peaches, and a delicious peach gelato. Yes, as others have said, perhaps not a $10 dessert, but I didn't care.

We also had cocktails before the meal. Many thumbs up to the Cucumber sling, a refreshing summer drink involving muddled cucumbers, lime, cilantro (!) and mint with 2 oz of Hendrick's gin. Not quite what you'd get at one of the big cocktail lounges, but very nice nonetheless.

[oakapple]

I also noticed that the tables no longer sported the "crisp white linens" Bruni half-mocked in his review. I wonder whether that is an intentional nod towards the mood.

I believe I read somewhere that they were ditching the tablecloths. Obviously they're an extra expense, and certain critics and diners actually think less of a place for having them.

[ckkgourmet]

I had another excellent meal at Allegretti tonight. The seafood (black and white) tagliatelle remains my favorite seafood pasta in NY. And the fruit clafoutis! It was so good I ordered a second.

[jeffperez62]

I had dinner for the first time at Allegretti last night. Very good meal, nice atmosphere.

My question is: is it always as empty as it was last night? We sat at about 6:45 and left at about 9. We were one of 4 tables the entire night (3 "duces" and a table of 8). I hope they are doing well.....I plan on returning soon.

Also....the prices on the wine list need reconsideration. It appears that most bottles are marked up 3-4 times! I thought those days were over?!!

[LPShanet]

I had dinner for the first time at Allegretti last night. Very good meal, nice atmosphere.

My question is: is it always as empty as it was last night? We sat at about 6:45 and left at about 9. We were one of 4 tables the entire night (3 "duces" and a table of 8). I hope they are doing well.....I plan on returning soon.

Also....the prices on the wine list need reconsideration. It appears that most bottles are marked up 3-4 times! I thought those days were over?!!

I was there on the 21st (two days after you) for one of the "Zagat presents" dinners with a Provencal theme, and the place was not empty at all. In fact, it was packed. The empty room you experienced may have had to do with the fact that it was a Monday. It's possible that they're not filling up on other nights, too, as I've only eaten there twice in the last year, but it didn't seem dead either time. Didn't notice the wine list, as there were wines included in our set menu ($75 for four courses, each with a paired wine...pas mal).

[oakapple]

I had dinner for the first time at Allegretti last night. Very good meal, nice atmosphere.

My question is: is it always as empty as it was last night?

I was there on the 21st (two days after you) for one of the "Zagat presents" dinners with a Provencal theme, and the place was not empty at all. In fact, it was packed. The empty room you experienced may have had to do with the fact that it was a Monday. It's possible that they're not filling up on other nights, too, as I've only eaten there twice in the last year, but it didn't seem dead either time.

Unfortunately, aside from special events, Allegretti is available whenever you want to go. Just look on OpenTable: any night, prime time, short notice. You name it, Allegretti can accommodate you.

As for why? When it opened, Allegretti was on the fancy side. Such places can succeed (Corton, Marea), but in an increasingly casual world, there is a very limited window during which you can command the attention of the "influential diners who matter." For Allegretti, that did not happen. The restaurant toned down the ambiance, in an effort to alter the perception of formality, but once The Moment has passed, it's often hard to get people's attention again. You almost certainly can't get the critics back.

[The Food Doc]

I went to Allegretti for dinner last night for the first time. It was 6:00 PM on a Saturday night; other than a couple of girls at the bar, I was the only dining patron there. Staff was professional and helpful; dining room was sleek and very bistro-y. Food was good but does not re-invent the wheel; I particularly enjoyed the Taste of Nice and the branzino. By the time I left, there were three couples and a family of three having dinner. Chef Allegretti came out of the kitchen to greet the family and one of the other couples while I was eating. It is a decent restaurant in an unfortunate location: I do hope that more people try the place out.

[oakapple]

I went to Allegretti for dinner last night for the first time. It was 6:00 PM on a Saturday night; other than a couple of girls at the bar, I was the only dining patron there. Staff was professional and helpful; dining room was sleek and very bistro-y. Food was good but does not re-invent the wheel; I particularly enjoyed the Taste of Nice and the branzino. By the time I left, there were three couples and a family of three having dinner. Chef Allegretti came out of the kitchen to greet the family and one of the other couples while I was eating. It is a decent restaurant in an unfortunate location: I do hope that more people try the place out.

I don't really think the location has anything to do with it. Tons of restaurants have succeeded in that general vicinity. I think your earlier comment is more to the point: the food is very well executed, but isn't any kind of game-changer. That means it's merely one of many very good, equally accessible places competing in a fierce marketplace.