Babbo

visited Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Waverly Pl. between Sixth Ave. and MacDougal
212-777-0303
http://babbonyc.com/

look: upstairs is roomy and sweet
taste: everything was met with "awesome"
staff: susan was like the aunt you always wanted. special feature: slid past Mario Batali downstairs!
laugh: olivia headbanging along to ac/dc and metallica
if we had to do it over again: there will never be a 'had to', we plan to go back as soon as the pasta tasting menu changes.

River Cafe

visited Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Fulton Landing, Brooklyn
718-522-5200
http://www.rivercafe.com/

look: flowers! beautiful view of sun setting over downtown, it's like a large, stuffed living room at a nice house
taste: semolina rolls, solid entrees, delightful desserts, kir royal
staff: older but wiser
laugh: "kir royal, my favorite coffee"
if we had to do it over again: set ground rules for conversation topics

edited to add photos

Aquagrill

visited Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Spring St. at Sixth Ave.
212-274-0505

look: dim, a little cramped, nice yellow walls and lights
taste: oysters! They seem to use the saffron bisque for entrée sauces
staff: he looked like Tobey Maguire
laugh: we needed one, poor Olivia didn't feel very well
if we had to do it over again: go at brunch for stone crabs

Shun Lee Palace

visited Friday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day), 2006
E 55th between Lexington and 3rd Ave.
212-371-8844
http://www.shunleepalace.com

look: nicer than expected
taste: peking (beijing?) duck! noodles, great tea. suprisingly good wine by the glass
staff: terrifyingly eager, amazing English
laugh: oriental menu was heavily regulated. racial profiling in use.
if we had to do it over again: go with a big group including at least 1 mandarin speaker

Wallse

visited Friday, February 17, 2006
W 11th at Washington
212-352-2300
http://wallserestaurant.com/

look: euro-snob, old-home, nice flowers
taste: small plate desserts of lovely sorbets, good wine
staff: spotty, bi-polar
laugh: "this is mine" "no, this is mine" champagne switcheroo
if we had to do it over again: skip the entree, sit at the bar, go in springtime or with a person in a suit

wd-50

visited Thursday, January 12, 2006
Clinton between Stanton and Rivington Sts.
212-477-2900
http://wd-50.com

look: tastefully snooty, comfortably elite
taste: amazing cocktails, fun papadum, fried mayo!
staff: fun, nice guys, bartenders were busy
laugh: sat at bar, got a free drink, oogled the pastry chef
if we had to do it over again: sit in a booth, call ahead and do a customized tasting menu, consider wine pairing

Bette

visited summer in 2005
W 23rd just east of 10th Ave.
212-366-0404
NY mag review

look: anxious, too many mirrors
taste: yummy lobster gaspacho, lovely cod
staff: extraneous, like the sweater vests
laugh: people watching
if we had to do it over again: probably wouldn't

Asia de Cuba

visited sometime in 2003
Madison Ave between 37th and 38th Sts.
212-726-7755
www.asiadecuba.com

look: loud, scene-y, neon
taste: soup dumplings! duck ropa vieja!
staff: our waiter was perfect
laugh: changing into fancy heels just before entering and right after exiting
if we had to do it over again: pee before you go (the bathroom is solitary, upstairs, and opens almost right onto a table)

Entry Level

Hola, amigas. I have yet another incident of myself out here.