Monthly Archives: April 2010

There are several rites of passage for any man who moves to NYC after the age of 18…puking in or around Bowery Bar…getting in a fight and then eating a shwarma on Bleeker Street…spending way to much money at a terrible club/bar and still not having sex (with another person)…getting on the subway and ending up in Queensboro Plaza (when you meant to go somewhere else) and stuffing your face on Arthur Avenue, the so-called “Real Little Italy of NY. ”  Well, I had banged out everything on that list years ago except for Arthur Avenue, which I finally hit up on Sunday.   Among the many restaurants and cafes to choose from, we went with Dominick’s, mostly because it was advertised as having no menu, a tradition of which I am a huge fan (I love being told what to eat).  The place was packed (it was post-Yankee game) and is by no means fancy.  After sitting at one of the communal cafeteria - style tables, an elderly Italian waiter (my favorite type of waiter) asked what we wanted…and he then proceeded to name 350 possibilities.  We went with the Veal Pizzaiola, Meatballs, a Stuffed Artichoke and more.   Although the artichoke was the standout, the food was not incredible.   But does it really matter?  If you’re looking for amazing Italian food, hit up Il Giglio, if your’e looking for house wine, big portions, and a good time ,  then Arthur Avenue (and Dominick’s) is the spot (I also here great things about Roberto, Zero Otto and Enzo’s.)  I haven’t even mentioned all of the pastry shops to eat dessert at after dinner but I figured I would leave that for you to discover.  So if you have already been beaten up on Bleeker and spilled white sauce from Mamoun’s all over your shoes, you should really head on up to the Bronx for some old school Italian eats.

Wow…we have not actually reviewed any food on here for awhile…ok, back to it.  After contemplating it for some time I finally made it to No.7 in Brooklyn.  The idea of fried broccoli and Bavette Steak had danced in my head all day long, but, while the space is great, the food was simply, Eh (yes, that is the technical term.)  The good:   the mussels were fantastic - big, juicy and sand-free, and the oysters fit the same bill.  The Fried Broccoli, Tyler Kord’s pseudo-signature dish, was disappointing. While some people dug it, I thought it was too heavy on the batter.  The Bavette Wagyu steak was decent, but certainly is not going on my list of great steaks (or even good ones).  If you live or play in Ft Greene on the regular,  No. 7 is definitely a cool spot with some good eats…but it isn’t all that.  Chef/Owner Tyler Kord does have a pretty good beard though so I can’t knock the joint too much.