11/01/08

Most Amazing Meal for $55

by princesswildflower

Don't give up on this little restaurant yet! Just ate on Wednesday and it was the BEST MEAL I've had in a LONG TIME! Don't get me wrong, this was not my first attempt at Bar Milano. I ate there in early June and was disappointed. However, I saw potential and chose to return this week and give another chance - THANK GOODNESS! I arrived on Wednesday night to meet my date, but i was early. The hostess or maitre d' almost ruined my experience by being short, ingenuine and rolling her eyes(the only bad part of my experience), but the drink I was served at the bar lifted my spirits. It was called a Corpse Reviver. It was the kind of cocktail that inspired me to try everything on the cocktail list (and I did! the 323 is also amazing). When we sat we learned that they pour house filtered water and sparkling on tap, so that they don't sell bottled water. SO GREEN! and the food....

All of the reviews about this place blame the food, but I don't understand it. We asked our intelligent, lovely waitress to help us choose and she picked a fabulous meal for us. There was a sort of gleam in her eye when we told her we were open to suggestions and we eat almost anything. This was our meal:

First Course: Patata Imbottita (potato stuffed with egg yolk and cheese); Yota (seared pork belly stew)

Second Course: Veal Sweetbread and Mushroom Whole Wheat Pasta; Razor Clam and Cuttlefish Pasta

Third Course: Pork Chop (so fatty and so flavorful); Braised Short Ribs and Hanger Steak (the BEST!)

Dessert: Housemade Coconut and Blood-Orange Sorbet; Chocolate Custard with Caramel Sauce and Almond Brittle.

IT WAS ONLY $55 per person to do four courses. It was just the right amount of food and we got to taste so much! Including drinks my share was less than $100 for the best meal I've had in ages.

• Pros: Incredible Food, High-End Cocktails, Amazing Price
• Cons: Location

10/25/08

great food, great wine, great staff

by mfunk1000

I feel like all the below people ate at a different restaurant. the food was great. additionally they have one of the best value tasting menu's I have seen in nyc for such high quality of food. veal stuffed pasta and sweetbreads are a must. The trout was also perfectly done.

The sommelier was very helpful in choosing a wine with us since their list is so long and also gave us desert wine suggestions.

• Pros: food winelist decor

09/05/08

Out of its depth

by amsterdam99

I have to agree with the other reviewers who gave high marks for the atmosphere, service, drinks and wine list but low marks for the food itself. Our party of three arrived for dinner on time and we were seated promptly. Service was impeccable and the wine suggestion from the sommelier was just what we were looking for (the entire extensive wine list is Italian wines so if you don't know your Italian wines, you will need some help). The atmosphere and decor was soothing and conducive to conversation. The problem was the food. It just didn't taste that good, from the appetizer to the main course to the desert. I had quail and foie gras to start. It was sort of a terrine, but bland and tasteless. It came with toast points and some sort of jam-like spread, but I had no idea how it was all supposed to work together. The main course was pork chop with mustard fruit and escarole. The meat was cooked fine, but had too much fat running through it. The escarole was so bitter I couldn't eat it. The desert was a sort of chocolate creme brulee, but not very rich, just sweet. It felt like the kitchen tried so hard to visually impress the diner that it didn't focus on making the food taste good. The evening held great promise, but the food just didn't deliver.