Nathan

you know, one of the things that stands out about Lupa is that unlike, say, Babbo, the mains are highlights as well. or put differently, it's not that the mains at Babbo are bad, it's just that they're not at the level (by and large) of the pastas and apps....while Lupa serves mains equivalent to the ones at Babbo...but for less. for example, I'd put the apps and pastas at Babbo as being 9's or 10's and the mains around 7's or 8's. everything at Lupa is 7's or 8's....and they're priced accordingly. edit: (this is based on a scale where the average NY Italian restaurant is serving 4's and 5's)

there is some sentiment that it's not quite as good as it was now that Ladner is mostly over at Del Posto. but I'm not sure there's any way to be certain of it. it's just under the radar cause of so many other things opening. still one of the best Italian options around...especially for the price. I'd think a birthday meal for 2 there is a great idea...and the salumi is always good.

the location is a major factor in the place having a phoned-in menu.

obviously that's a major factor.

I like this year's version of the squid salad more than last year's. the menu doesn't purport it to be spicy so you don't have that disappointment. nice play with both tastes and textures. not a fan of the pate en croute. decent charcuterie but the bar for that has been raised vastly in this town in the last few months. finally got around to the hangar steak ssam....of the ssams, I think this one is best (other than the bo). service was friendly and as pleasant as it has ever been...except for a failure to mention specials (though some diners around me were told of them)

Headley started about a month ago I think? it was on Eater at the time.

it's a fun bar/party/pickup space, kind of uptown on the LES, and the food is probably better than it needs to be (the French onion soup dumplings and the sliders are all nifty). the AvroK decor is cool. but a serious restaurant it's not.

I do like the current menu quite a bit more than the opening one. never had poor service. eaten at the bar a couple times and once a deuce opened up before the bar....so I can't say I have a good idea of the general level of table service.

that spring menu just rocks. ok, not everything is perfect. striped bass entree shows the execution level of a high-end kitchen but needs one more flavor...some sort of contrast. the new version of the sweetbread/rabbit app is really nice. so is the rabbit fettucine (yes, they're using Thumper in more than one dish). companions raved about the scallop app..didn't get a chance to try it. cocktail program sucks. wine is definitely the way to go. sometimes I think with the heavily flavored places that so many NYC gourmands spend all their time at now...they're losing their sense of subtlety....gotta mix it up once in a while.

oh I meant to say, the cocktail program is quite good. although at first the drinks kind of look obvious (rhubarb daq, smoked salt margarita)....there's an excellent use of homemade and fresh ingredients. highly recommend.

I really liked the food at the Biltmore Room (although they had some FOH issues) so I'm pretty hopeful about Sheridan Square. The decor is tasteful though nowhere near as elaborate as the Biltmore Room or nearby restaurants such as Bar Blanc or Commerce.....and no cellphone booth either (anyone remember that?). Service was very good and friendly. Had a special to start: young garlic soup with potato, crab and creme fraiche. I first thought of the JG garlic soup with frog legs...but it's nothing like that. I liked my first few bites more than the rest....it seemed to get a little mundane. ingredients were good. then had a duck entree and added a side of roasted mushrooms (some tasty maitiakes in there). the duck was properly cooked and flavorful. ditto for its sauce. but the bed of greens it rested on struck me as kind of amateurish....the kind of thing you'd expect from a good home cook. there is an abundance of roasted fish on the menu and the foie dumpling app looks interesting so that's probably the way I should have gone (and will soon). obviously, it just opened so we'll see how it turns out. prices are standard. a couple drinks were comped.

Definitely the best aphorism I've run across in years! ← who says?

oh sure, the final check price at Ko is pretty similar to some other three-star establishments (there are a few that are considerably more)

there's current an excellent pasta special: bucatini with ramps, pesto and flecks of guanciale.

the pizza pebbles are the worst restaurant dish of all time. almost everything else is spectacular. highly recommend WD-50...but save the pizza pebbles for cats (not good enough to give to dogs)

not sure I understand you. Pasternack may well have first introduced it to America... but I'm sure that these good folks would be surprised to hear that crudo is not originally Italian. http://www.crudoroma.it/home.html

unless crudo has somehow been backward imported to Italy from NY (not likely based upon the Italians I know), this simply isn't true.

Regardless, if a chef serves a truffle tasting menu nobody assumes the menu is uncreative simply by virtue of having truffles in every dish. Rather, in order to judge the creativity of the menu, we have to look at how the truffles are utilized. Two chefs could do truffle tasting menus, and one menu could be totally dull and unremarkable while the other could be brilliantly creative. And if that chef did a small-format restaurant with a set menu, and served only brilliantly creative truffle menus all season long, it wouldn't make it any less creative. ← But I'm not aware of any chef in this town that has made a truffle tasting menu the central element of a restaurant. ← does no one here remember 325 Spring Street?

Regardless, if a chef serves a truffle tasting menu nobody assumes the menu is uncreative simply by virtue of having truffles in every dish. Rather, in order to judge the creativity of the menu, we have to look at how the truffles are utilized. Two chefs could do truffle tasting menus, and one menu could be totally dull and unremarkable while the other could be brilliantly creative. And if that chef did a small-format restaurant with a set menu, and served only brilliantly creative truffle menus all season long, it wouldn't make it any less creative. ← this was tried a few years ago here in the city. Grimes reviewed it...don't remember if he complained about truffle fatigue.

I didn't hate the pork wing...I just found it absurd. the fritter was downright offensive.

I finally came up with a palatable cocktail based upon Zirbenz (it's such a _____ to work with)... 2 brandy 1 Zirbenz 1/2 Benedictine dash of maple syrup liqueur (I'm guessing maple syrup or simple would be fine too)....optional...but I like the mouthfeel this adds. edit: think I'm calling this the St. Gotthard.

there's a very flavorful spring poussin dish on the current Bar Room menu. served with (lightly braised?) romaine and parmesan.

considering how hard it is to get (and cook) good bluefish....that to me is one of the best recommendations of Pasternack's kitchen. he's really really good with that sort of thing.

you know, I have yet to try the new menu since the original chef left for Bagatelle....but damn this is a pretty restaurant. cocktails really are serious. jiggers are used. Q tonic and celery in the Garden Tonic. Hemingway Daq was a little too sweet (I'd say their recipe uses too much Luxardo) but it is a legitimate cocktail program.

the menu has expanded. an almost awesome spring pea risotto with ramps and pancetta (the negative being that it was too soupy). a nice menu of $9 bar snacks (generous portions of grilled octopus, crispy beef shins and the like)