Review: Evviva

We've eaten at many an East Village Italian in our time, but never have we had cause to guffaw more often than a dinner this past weekend at Upper Avenue A newcomer Evviva. This is a restaurant that wants to be taken seriously—so very seriously—but hasn't made it even half past amateur hour. The result is an hour-long master class in how not to run a restaurant. Comedic gems abound: wine glasses so large they could hold the entire bottle; seats so small they cannot hold an entire ass; an absurdly overambitious wine list replete with $800 bottles; a tepid gnocci entree smaller by half than most appetizers; and a swirling plasma TV screen that bathes the restaurant in a dim screensaver glow. The coup de grace came during our main course when the waiter arrived with two glasses, turned them upside-down and placed candles on them. "For romance." The payoff came moments later when the too-small table was jostled, sending hot wax flying across our shirt and down our pants, with a special detour onto our date's skirt. The only way to have more fun at Evviva, we figure, would be to go ahead and order the tasting menu. Frankly, we dare you.

Lil Frankie's Bulks Up

Just in time for al fresco dining, Li'l Frankies (1st Ave. @ 1st/2nd) has added a second front dining room a few doors down from its original storefront. Of course, you'll still want to sit in the back. Regardless, not for the first time, we urge you: the Focaccino. The Focaccino! (And yes, this website has nothing better to do than shill once more for Frank Prisinzano.)

Review: No. 1 Chinese

As you approach No. 1 Chinese, Frank Prisinzano's new restaurant on Avenue B (@ 4th St.), the stench of smug self-satisfaction intensifies. It's hardly an olfactory amuse-bouche. But you can't blame Frankie P., who knows full well that his ever-expanding below 14th food empire will suck you in and charge you twice what you'd pay for Chinese food twenty blocks south—and that, despite your better instincts, you'll like it. Over a year in the making, No. 1 Chinese reunites Frank with his partner at Hue, and apparently adds another partner to the mix. Whatever. The result is Supper gone Chinese, with a large open kitchen and dining area upstairs and a dark bar and lounge for dining downstairs. The food has a clean edge to it—General Tso was spared his usual drowning—and, despite the prices, it's a raw inevitability that the place will be jammed before the month is out. But last night, on its first night open to the public, the downstairs lounge was deserted, and we sampled food off the plates of the barstaff. The window is open—you've got a week of grace until NYMag blurbs it up next Monday.

He Said/She Said: Bianca

Two B14 correspondents, DR and KS, separately dined at new Bleecker (@ Bowery) Italian eatery Bianca this weekend. Now, exclusively on Below 14th, the genders face off! HER: "Expressing delight at the recent influx of 'tall women,' the maitre d' escorted us to a prime table. A bit more charming and polished, or perhaps just newer and therefore more interesting than Frank or Supper, Bianca sports a shabby chic, hyper-cozy warmth. And it's really, really noisy. The menu was pretty nice, except for one item: Giant boiled sausage. The special entree, some sort of hand-cranked pasta with white wine clam sauce, looked to be a winner. The flavor was there, but so faint that many bites were just bland floury pasta. When the owner asked how everything was, intently wondering what we ladies thought, I made the mistake of telling him the truth. He got cranky. 'Well I will be SURE to tell the chef!' Note to self: Italians never want to know the truth if it's not glowing. Dessert was on the house." HIM: "The maitre'd had a pleasant, crazed smile that suggested that he had spent the last three nights in Atlantic City with Fred, Resort's memorable gatekeeper, and several other old friends. Our first glass of wine tasted like something you would receive if you ordered the Pinot at Lit circa 3:45 a.m. The sommelier, who likely joined Fred and the maitre'd during their jaunt, expressed condemnation of our disapproval and charged us for the wine anyway. After that, it's just tough to get excited about a menu that emphasizes so much sausage. The food was good, though I really just wanted to be at a bar watching the UConn game, so my criticisms and observations may be unwarranted and/or unfounded. The real highlight was the wait at Von, which now features the hottest bartender in New York."

Iso Reborn

Word on the street that the space that once held East Village sushi haven Iso, which shuttered in December, re-opens next Wednesday. The restaurant is now under the management of two former Iso employees and carries a new monicker, Koi. New York Metro reports that the new name means Asian carp, and features "a similar menu built on a core collection of old favorites." [Thanks, JH]

East Village Bar Project

Ah, this is too good. According to the ever-earnest Villager, East Village residents are fed up with bars. "We’re building a fund to sue the State Liquor Authority for the oversaturation of bars in the community," local activist Anna Sawaryn tells the paper. The activists are mapping the bars in the area "to show the saturation, to show how close [the bars] are and the impact on the community." Interesting! We're also building a map—of undeveloped East Village storefronts that would be just perfect for, say, a new bar! tips and digipics to the crack B14 mapsquad. Together, we can make a difference!

This Is It

Keith, Alain, Rocco... so two months ago. Who's stepping up? Meet Grace and Jack Lamb, the duo behind East Village sushi shrine Jewel Bako and too-hip-for-its-own-good coffee shop Blue Goose Cafe. He "bounces" (Citysearch) and is "nattily attired" (NYMag); she is "warm" (Citysearch); together, they are a "hip, adorable couple" (Gotham). With the requisite egos to match—"I'll be the Danny Meyer of the East Village," Jack told the Daily News earlier this month. Friday, they open a new oyster bar across the street from Jewel Bako—on the first floor (yessss!) of their Fifth St. carriage house. Called Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar (ohhh yesss!), it marks the third in the Jack & Grace (anyone else feeling the Jack & Meg magic?) empire. Hold on, kiddles. Fame if not fortune, dead ahead. We'll see you on line, begging an autograph, tomorrow night.

No Mojo

Last night, after sake at Angel's Share (whose backroom is the definitive post-Lost in Translation venue for those desirous of capturing a moment of the movie's flavor below 14th), we tried to take MB's advice and hit new East Village southern comfort food restaurant Mojo (5th St. @ 1st/2nd Aves.; formerly home to Monk). Mojo is from the kids behind Suba, which normally would give us pause, but MB sounded so... enthused. Uncharacteristically so! "A great feel to the place, tasty mac and cheese, an enormous burger, sea bass tacos, blackened shrimp with a corn-feta relish, that kind of thing," he wrote. "They're working on the liquor license, so for a while it's BYOB." Feeling smugly in-the-know, we stopped further down 5th Street at is-wine, where the proprietor talked up Mojo, recommended the empanadas, then sent us on our way with a pinot noir. Punchline: Mojo is closed Mondays. So it was off to Lil' Frankies with the bottle under our arms. May your timing better ours.

Mermaid Inn Review

Keeping the East Village beat... We're hardly the first (Eric Asimov, DailyCandy and Gothamist, among others, long ago beat us to the keyboard), but it bears repeating that the Mermaid Inn (2nd Ave. @ 5th/6th) is far and away the East Village newcomer of the year. We arrived at 8pm on a recent Saturday night and wiled away the 1:15 wait time—the Citysearch photo gives a good indication of what the place looks like at 5:15pm—sucking down oysters at the bar. In point of fact, the joint was hopping—a former Miss America contestant was even in the house. Once at table, the whole fish we consumed was terrific, and the after-dinner surprise even managed to captivate our post-ironic crew. (N.B. The success of no-reservation Mermaid Inn, on the same block as no-reservation Frank, ensures that terrible bars that should have died long ago—e.g., Global 33—and mediocre restaurants—hello, East Post—will continue to thrive as holding pens for the mobs awaiting superior cuisine nearby.)

Cicciolino Review

Summer's here, and it's time to head north to cooler climes. For us, that means the East Village, still—in our opinion—the greatest place in the world to be as the sun sets on a summer Saturday night. So: this week at Below 14th, it's all East Village, all the time. We start at relatively new Italian restaurant Cicciolino (4th Street @ 1st/2nd Aves.), which we recently hit with EMA. On a block packed with other good, affordable, undiscovered eateries (e.g. Basque blast Euzkadi), Cicciolino looks promising: charming interior, friendly staff, relaxed vibe. In other words (you see this coming, right?) brace yourselves for—yes!—yet another Frank knock-off! Alas, the quality of the cuisine doesn't measure up to Frank, Supper or even Max (which everyone seems to love more than us, though we fully expect to see outposts in malls across America by 2008). Cementing our negative take on Cicciolino is the bizarre Citysearch "profile," which gives new meaning to the advertorial concept. (Damn, these people also run the tasty Esperanto on Ave. C, at one point in time our couldn't-miss first date place? How far they've fallen.)

Ruby Lounge Review

Hit the just-opened Ruby Lounge (East 2nd @ Ave. B), a new East Village boîte (French for "velvety craphole"), on Saturday night. We'd heard rumors it was going to be a pleasant place to hang out, with cuisine as well as drink, but the vibrating techno beats (which don't usually phase us) drilled so deep into the skull that we felt like we were experiencing that new sound technology that beams music inside the brain. "Ketel and soda," we asked the bartender. "No Ketel... not until Tuesday." Gray Goose, perchance? "Only in Limon." We settled for a badly mixed drink of Absolut, finished it, and departed. Even at that rate, the others in our party had already beat us down the line to No Malice Palace, which, although crowded, at least knows how to prepare a decent drink.

Francesco Reviews Pie

Friend o' this space Francesco V. checked out Pie, one of that wave of upscale new East Village pizza joints. His take: "The concept -- ordering bespoke quantities cut from a larger sheet of pizza and paying by weight -- is novel enough to distract you from the fact that: (a) it's certainly not a bargain;and (b) in the confusion of their opening days, they seem unable to process multiple requests at once. (The first in our group was done with her pizza before the third had even managed to get her order reheated.) Overall though, their pizza is well-executed and commendably thin of crust, reminiscent of what you'd find in a typical Italian joint. As for the nutella/banana 'dessert pizza, I don't know if it's an authentic touch but it is for sure a stroke of genius."

Greg on Velvet Ropes

Speaking of velvet ropes, Greg emails of the time before time in the East Village: "Your post about Mission reminded me of The Mission, a small club on 5th between A&B in the late 80's/early 90's. I went there when we'd come visit from college, then when I moved here. It was a dump, but it kept serving the Femmes and Smiths well beyond their fashionable expiration date. Matt Dillon was there a lot. Around 1992 or so, they had a commercial on the radio, though, with the unironic tagline, 'If you like new wave music and wearing black,' which was a buzzkill, of course, but we were on to Jackie 60 by then anyway"... Francesco offers his own historical revision: "Wouldn't Delia's on 3rd & B predate Tapis Rouge? It flaunted red ropes & doormen as far back as 1992 for sure"... As long as we're setting records straight, Let It Be Known that Tenement finally has procured a liquor license. Wheee!

Frank's Chinese Empire?

On the topic of Chinese restaurants... We recently dined at Supper, as we are wont to do. The waitress asked us to sign a petition for a liquor license for a new restaurant the Frank empire plans to open up around the corner on Avenue B. Unlike Frank, Lil' Frankies and Supper, however, this is going to be a Chinese place. Hmmm. Remind you of anyone else?

Sen Review

Should we be nervous for the NY restaurant industry? It crossed our mind yesterday eve as we stepped into Sen (Ave C. @ 7th St.) for dinner. The place came recommended by folks like Felix Salmon, and it's the brainchild of the kids behind uberhip scenes Canteen, Thom and Bond Street. The decor is gorgeous, the food's fine and the overall experience solid. But the restaurant was empty when we arrived and had only two other couples when we left. Not good times. And not a good sign.

Tratroria Paolina Review

On Sept. 11 '01, I ate a quiet meal with good friends in the back garden at Gnocco, an East Village Italian restaurant on 10th Street that always manages to taste a little better than the unambitious menu suggests. Arriving back in NYC this past Sunday from a summer away, I had a similar culinary experience at Trattoria Paolina, a new Ave. B Tuscan restaurant from the folks behind the West Village's Piadina. Paolina's dull menu produced delicious food that suited the beautiful corner space they've carved out. Walking home, I mentally recorded a quick update on the Lower Ave. B dining scene: Casimir is still hopping; Belmondo is absolutely comatose; and Pierrot appears to have added live jazz on Sunday nights. Also blissfully noted was new techno-salon TKNY, which earned its own article in today's Times.

Lucien Review

Excellent meal at Lucien (First Ave. between First and Second St.) with special guests from L.A. tonight. It remains simply the best go-to bistro Below 14th for my money... Incredible steaks and filet mignon, plus tasty escargot... Caveat: one of our companions craved chicken liver, a treat that I'm told can be found at bistro Casimir on Ave. B, but few other places downtown... NB: appealingly plain new layout over at Citysearch NYC.

Butter Review

Got back on the hipster track last night with a visit to Butter, the new eatery in the old Belgo space on Lafayette by Astor Place. Great trepidation considering it was plugged by the insufferable Daily Candy on Friday (opening day)... Theme of the restaurant: Flavored butter. Theme rating: D+... Giant illuminated birch tree photograph at least 20 feet high by 30 feet wide dominates the tubular room. Mesmerizing... 50% of tables empty despite impossibility of booking a reservation. Obvious reason: kitchen and staff nowhere near ready to handle full capacity... Other 50% of tables: women who sort of look like models... Service rating: D-. Service highlights: After appetizer, entire table cleared. Server: "Would you like to see the dessert menu?"... After actually eating dessert (later in the meal), waiter picks up sugar container and dumps into remains of our fromage blanc... Downstairs bar space reminscent of the late lamented Meatpacking district resto-club Oriont, which burned down approximately three days after I visited it in November '99. (No surprise there -- same owners as Butter.)

Josh Reviews Lil' Frankies

Below 14th correspondent Josh A. reports: "Last week, I went to Li'l Frankie's (1st Ave. and 2nd St.), a new restaurant below 14th St. Same owner as Frank (2nd Ave. and 5th St.). Place was bustling at 8 pm on Friday night, but not so bustling that we weren't seated immediately. Unfortunately, we were seated too close to a loud and uninteresting couple. It's tight in there, but not tighter than Frank and there are promises of a garden during garden season. We had individual pizzas, which seem to be the specialty of the house. (There are pastas, too.) They were cooked in some sort of special oven. Thin crust, good stuff on top. I'd eat them again. The eggplant appetizer was fun but more show than necessary. Big, hot eggplant arrives at table, server slices it open, drizzles oil, dashes salt, voila! Wine list was reasonable, but what do I know. We didn't have dessert but the loud couple made a lot of noise about their tiramisu." Thank you, Josh. We will check it out.