Trattoria Dell'Arte

900 7th Ave (b/w 56th St & 57th St)

Evenings of attempted Rush tickets to Wicked, a popular musical currently on Broadway, are typically followed by lavish dinners in and around midtown.

The formula for Rush tickets is simple: arrive at a certain time (usually 2 hours before the show), put your name in a basket, and hope you are 1 of 13 individuals called to purchase 2 tickets at a fraction of the cost for the same evening’s performance. Otherwise tickets start at $117 per person.

Last Thursday, chances of scoring discounted tickets were even slimmer as I was late getting off work, and InterSportsWriter was left to fend for the both of us. I arrived just in time to watch the lucky 13 collect their tickets, my evening companion not amongst them. I knew dinner reservations had been arranged should something like this happen (we are going on 0:6). 1 hour later, we were seated at Trattoria Dell'Arte, an Italian eatery located in Midtown West, 2 blocks from Central Park.

We started off with the 3 Vegetable Sampler: Brown Lentil & Corn Salad (plum tomato, thyme & balsamic vinegar); Sautéed Swiss Chard w/ roasted garlic; and Sicilian Eggplant Caponata (sweet & sour eggplant, plum tomato & olives). The appetizer was great (minus the eggplant which I was unable to digest due to a preexisting allergy). Still I sampled it and secretly cursed my stomach because I knew more than 2 bites would leave me curled up in a ball for the rest of the evening.

Next came the vegetarian pizza divided into 4 with each section featuring a different topping: artichoke, wild mushrooms, eggplant and peppers. I left the eggplant to my dining companion, saved the artichokes for later, and inhaled the mushroom and pepper squares. They were amazing.

The crust was thin and crunchy like a pita chip; the oblong-shaped pizza had just the right amount of sauce, cheese, and vegetables. Even for 2 people, it was enormous! It’s no surprise that it boxed up awkwardly and was not quite as amazing the following day. The crust was soggy, and my impatience got in the way of preparing it properly to obtain that unique crispness I experienced during the initial meal.

Dessert topped everything off with myself having the lemonata cheese cake and InterSportsWriter having chocolate ice cream. My selection was fantastic: creamy, dense, and lemony. My companion, however, was dissatisfied with his choice and left over half of it behind.

Besides their signature pizza and one expansive antipasto bar, the most obvious thing worth nothing about the midtown eatery is the décor. The walls are painted in soft pastels and covered in enormous sculptures of the—umm—body. From noses to breasts to butts, Trattoria Dell’Arte has it all. The unique decorations provide a nice topic of discussion should conversation lag.

The bottom line: go for the pizza, gawk at the décor, and avoid the chocolate.

DAMAGE ~$100+
VERDICT: Go

21 Club

21 W 52nd St

Twice a year, numerous restaurants in the city take part in what is known as “Restaurant Week,” offering reduced pre-fixes for lunch and/or dinner. When I saw 21 Club on the list, I booked a reservation immediately.

When Thursday evening came around, I arrived on time and was greeted by a doorman in a fancy suit and white gloves. Sir Fancy Pants and I checked in our coats, walked through the lobby, and were seated near the entrance of the restaurant in what is called the Bar Room. I was unhappy with the proximity of the table to the door, so the host arranged for us to sit deeper into the restaurant at a booth.

The server started us off with a bread basket and allowed me to sample a couple flavors of white wine; I chose the Chardonnay. Sir Fancy Pants ordered the Manhattan cocktail, followed by a glass of Riesling.

For my meal, I ordered the only thing on the Restaurant Week Menu for vegetarians: Red and Green Oak Lettuces salad as my appetizer, Mushroom and Butternut Squash Risotto for my entrée, and the Key Lime Pie for dessert. Sir Fancy Pants ordered the salad with game terrine as an appetizer, the Seared Sea Scallops for his meal, and the Crème Brulee for dessert. The high price tag on our dinner came from 2 pre-fixe meals at $35 each plus drinks and tip.

The only thing worth noting in both our meals was my lime pie. It was delicious and round in shape. I also liked the crème brulee, but Sir Fancy Pants said it was overcooked. Everything else was average and boring; I could easily have cooked the meal myself from scratch. Call me foolish, but when I drop $35 on a meal, I expect something more than what I can make in my kitchen.

I understand it was Restaurant Week, but I could not help feeling cheated and pissed at the limited menu I was presented with. If you are going to offer vegetarians one entrée to choose from, at least make it something worthwhile and unusual. Maybe this is too much to ask.

That said, the service was impeccable; from the wait staff, to the bathroom attendant, everyone was very friendly and attentive. The dining room itself was neat with toys airplanes and trucks covering the ceiling, gifts from former patrons. The horse jockeys lining the entrance are also gifts from former regulars.

21 Club has been around since the days of the Prohibition Era and, from the looks of the crowd, will be around for many years to come. Younger people want to visit because it is a famous New York establishment; older people want to visit because it is a famous New York establishment. Back in the days of the Prohibition, the owners had a wine cellar to next door to stash the goods (i.e. alcohol). One day the feds raided the place while the mayor was in the cellar. In order to get him out, police ticketed and towed their cars to allow the mayor to escape. The website lists its entire history, something worth reading up on.

Despite my pathetic meal, I would give 21 Club another shot for the right occasion. Steer clear during restaurant week, or at least order off the main menu. You will probably spend about the same anyway. Beware the fanciness of the place; guys must wear a jacket and preferably a tie; no sneakers or jeans allowed.

Kudos to the service, the décor, the atmosphere; criticism to the prices, the limited menu, and the poor selection of entrees on the menu.

DAMAGE ~ $156
VERDICT: Go, but not during Restaurant Week

The Irish Rogue

356 W 44th St

After attempting to buy Broadway tickets near Times Square two hours before the box office opened, I decided the day was not to be lost yet. What better way to spend a Sunday morning waiting to get tickets than at Brunch? Although I was outside my comfort zone of the Village, Sir Fancy Pants and I made a go at Brunch anyway.

The first place we checked out was Mercury Bar. We were in and out in three minutes. Although the place was empty, we were informed by the waitress they do not serve mimosas until noon. Something about being on a residential block. It was 11am. I hold mimosas in rank with my coffee for Brunch; I cannot have one without the other. No way were we going to stay at a place advertising $15 Brunch specials, including three complimentary drinks, without the ability to order the three drinks for another hour.

So we walked across the street to Marseille. Same story, different tune. This was unfortunate because I was looking forward to eating there; I will make an effort to come back one day after noon.

Finally, we went around the block to The Irish Rogue. With Brunch specials starting at $11.95 plus two complimentary drinks, I decided it would be our best option. The place was empty save a couple guys at the bar. We were seated immediately and both sat on the same side of the booth to watch the numerous flat screen television screens littered around the room. There was a European soccer game showing, which impressed Sir Fancy Pants because he had just come from viewing an earlier game of Liverpool v. Newcastle. He was more than happy to keep watching the sport.

I ordered a mimosa, a café au lait, Eggs Florentine, and a Hot Chocolate with Butterscotch (a specialty drink they serve during winter). The Eggs Florentine was not on the menu, but Eggs Benedict was, so I got them to substitute the bacon for spinach; the expresso machine was broken, so they brought me a regular coffee instead; and they were out of marshmallows, which should have come with the Butterscotch Hot Chocolate. Sir Fancy Pants had three mimosas (he got my extra that came with the meal) and steak and eggs. He said his steak was not as rare as he would have liked but cleaned his plate nonetheless. Our meals were served with potatoes shaped as chips, of which I only managed to get through about 1/3 of mine.

That being said, I enjoyed our meal. The Eggs Florentine were delish, and the Butterscotch Hot Chocolate was a delight to my taste buds and stomach, which normally cannot handle anything that sweet mixed with alcohol. Although I do not see myself coming back because I am rarely in that area before noon, I appreciated their prices and them serving alcohol when the next block refused.


DAMAGE~$38 before tip (2 meals + 1 coffee + 1 butterscotch hot chocolate)
VERDICT: Go if in the area before noon and want liquor