Perilla, Little Owl, or Dennis Foy?

[davidbdesilva]

I already have a post here (see below) about coming to NYC in mid-February for 2 nights and you have helped me narrow it down for where we will be having our big celebratory meal Saturday night (Bouley). Now for Friday night's dinner. I want something that has creative and innovative fare in a nice, very NYC atmosphere that is also at least somewhat romantic. I originally was thinking of The Harrison and Duane Park but have heard that the food at these places is nothing special (please tell me if you disagree).

Based upon recommendations from others I am looking at Perilla, Little Owl and Dennis Foy. Foy looks the most glam of the three and I am wondering if the food suffers as a result. Which one would be the best meal for our first night in your fair city? Please fell free to suggest others if you think they are good ideas. Thank you again, you are all very gracious and helping to make this what will be a memorable weekend for us!

[Nathan]

Perilla is not innovative at all. its pretty and nice though.

Little Owl is very good but not innovative at all.

Dennis Foy is the most innovative of those three but not "glam" at all. its dining room is mostly empty and it's in a poor location. it's simply not popular. (its eponymous chef was very well regarded when he last had a restaurant here....but that was almost ten years ago and so he's basically forgotten.)

why did you pick those three? for innovative and interesting I would suggest one of the Momofukus or Tailor or WD-50 etc.

edit: all three of these are good neighborhood restaurants...with DF being the most ambitious (and the most empty...the others are generally packed).

Edited January 17, 2008 by Nathan (log)

[davidbdesilva]

Why did I choose them? To be honest, people from "another" board recommended Perilla and Little Owl and I checked out Dennis Foy's and it looked nice. I guess I am looking for a nice place where I can get a meal with very good food in a nice very NYC setting that won't cost me a lot since I will spending plenty the following night. A cute little nook in the Village with very good food would fit the bill, that's why I am looking at Perilla and Little Owl. Make sense?

[Nathan]

fair enough.

Dennis Foy is on a benighted block in Tribeca so it doesn't really fit.

Little Owl is the best restaurant of its kind in the WV. but reservations are tough and walk-in tables or seats at the bar are tough as well.

Market Table is fine (and by the same people) and easier to get into.

Perilla is fine.

Dell'Amina is good. so is August.

Bellavitae is fine.

haven't been to Smith's yet.

Snack Taverna is fine.

AOC Bedford is fine.

Mas is fine but much more expensive than the others.

that's your general roundup of WV neighborhood places.

[Eatmywords]

Just a thought re Little Owl; I agree the food is really good for what it is but there's nothing romantic about it. It's bare bones, cramped and can get loud.

If the romance factor isn't so important (and that's not to say these aren't romantic) you might consider Fatty Crab, Tia Pol and Degustation for innovative/fusiony Malay, tapas, and Spanish-French. (I've been out of the country for 6 months so take these with a grain.... )

[LPShanet]

I already have a post here (see below) about coming to NYC in mid-February for 2 nights and you have helped me narrow it down for where we will be having our big celebratory meal Saturday night (Bouley). Now for Friday night's dinner. I want something that has creative and innovative fare in a nice, very NYC atmosphere that is also at least somewhat romantic. I originally was thinking of The Harrison and Duane Park but have heard that the food at these places is nothing special (please tell me if you disagree).

Based upon recommendations from others I am looking at Perilla, Little Owl and Dennis Foy. Foy looks the most glam of the three and I am wondering if the food suffers as a result. Which one would be the best meal for our first night in your fair city? Please fell free to suggest others if you think they are good ideas. Thank you again, you are all very gracious and helping to make this what will be a memorable weekend for us! 

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I agree with Nathan on pretty much all of his comments, but would add that despite the fact that no one goes to Dennis Foy, the food was actually a pleasant surprise. It's not innovative by any stretch (although maybe slightly more so that the other two), but it's the only one of the three that might be mistaken for romantic and is the only one that tries to do anything with the decor. Little Owl is much more "down home" in its cuisine (think meatballs, roasted birds, etc.) and is truly like a neighborhood cafe in its feel although the food is very tasty. Perilla is somewhere in between...a neighborhood bistro with good food and some culinary ambition. As Nathan also mentioned, if you want creative and innovative, with real NYC atmosphere, you'll do much better at Tailor or WD-50. The Momofukus are great culinarily and in terms of innovation/creativity, but the romance/decor factor is nil, despite their hipness. You might also enjoy P*ong, though people seem to love it or hate it. As you've been warned already, The Harrison and Duane Park are both no longer nearly as good as they once were...you can do better with the other suggestions.

I'm going to throw out another way of thinking, which might be to go to one of the city's great cocktail destinations, several of which have excellent small plates that you could either make a meal out of, or hit before your dinner. That would be a very NYC evening. The top such places are Death & Co., Pegu Club (both of which have excellent small plates) and PDT (which only has hot dogs in the food department, but the drinks are great). Another idea is The Monday Room, which is sort of a wine-oriented lounge with excellent small plates, that is hidden in a corner of the restaurant Public.

Good luck!