Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Dinner and a Movie: East Village

I had plans to see Bridesmaids with a friend tonight.  What a hoot this movie was.  A must see!
We wanted to grab dinner prior to catching the show and I was on the case.  So I asked my neighbor who like me loves food, if she had any suggestions.  I wanted east village location, outdoor seating (because we finally got a decent day) and delicious food.  Here's what she gave me…
* Barbone
* Back Forty
* Moustache
* Frank
* Tree
* Candela
* Mermaid Inn
I've been to Frank 100 times and wanted to try something new.  Mermaid Inn is a classic favorite of mine and always will be.  Been to Back Forty and didn't love the menu.  Dying to try the rest.  

Decisions, decisions. 

I had heard great things about Moustache so I figured we'd give is a try.  When we arrived we were very disappointed when sent to the garden in the back as it was fully closed in.  And it was HOT!  I mean really hot, I started to sweat.  Not a great start to the meal.

We started off with a Greek salad with feta and a hummus platter.  The salad had artichokes and mushrooms in it.  Odd for a Greek salad, no?  I hated both additions.  The dressing was bland and the tomatoes were mushy which is a major pet peeve of mine.  Think it may have been the grossest Greek salad I've ever eaten.  The hummus was missing something…maybe some salt?  For our mains we shared grilled chicken kebabs and lamb ribs.  Both were outstanding.  
I was happy to at least have had a couple of tasty dishes not to mention the service was pretty good as we told them we were in a rush to see a movie and they were very accommodating.

Overall, I cannot recommend this restaurant…BUT I so appreciate the suggestion from my pal down the hall and am certainly looking forward to trying the rest of the pending list above.

265 East 10th Street (between 1st and Avenue A)
212-228-2022