a Greek restaurant by Carnegie Hall
871 7th Ave., at 57th Street
When I lived in the neighborhood, I would often walk by this restaurant with its old fashioned painted stucco facade that so vastly contrasted to the sleek modern decor or even neon signage of its neighbors, and would feel a wistful desire to head on inside to what I imagined would be warm, rustic atmosphere. I finally had a chance to indulge this whim when the husband and I went in search of a last minute impromptu celebratory dinner, and settled on Molyvos.
It was a Tuesday night, so it was not very crowded though the bar area was lively and there were a fair amount of tables occupied. The hostess was sweet and gave us no problem in checking my husband's bulky guitar case. We were seated in a cozy romantic corner booth, and knew this was going to be the exact experience we were looking for.
The interior reminded me of a ship's cabin, all dark wooded walls and ceiling. It was comfortable without being crowded, and cozy without the cramped spacing. Our table was comfortably large enough for the two of us. The service was fairly attentive, and the clean up between and after each course was complete - no crumbs or dirty utensils left behind. The waitress could have stepped up the attentiveness a notch, but we did not have a problem flagging her down when we needed her.
As for the food - we stuck with sparkling bottled water, got the complimentary side of pita breads and served with a sun dried tomato spread (I think). We began with a Greek salad and split the crab cake appetizer. I went for the baby lamb chops served with a puree of eggplant and a lightly dressed ball of spring greens. He had the halibut entree, served with some vegetable sides I don't recall. Both were fabulous, well cooked and seasoned, served with appropriately complimentary vegetable sides. For dessert, we split an almond honey cake and each had a tiny cup of Greek coffee. Our bill plus tip came out to around $150.
Overall - definitely hit the spot for our desired dinner - a bit special, a bit of pampering, definitely good food, a nice energetic atmosphere without compromising our company (meaning, we could actually talk to each other without shouting). A place where both the tourist and the post-Carnegie Hall performance audience member could dine without feeling out of place. Definitely recommend it, and look forward to coming here again.
Pros: atmosphere, food, location
Con: a tad pricey - save it for special occasions
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Fresh Direct - review
Fresh Direct
A godsend sometimes, a frustrating nightmare at other times. But life is harder without it, damnit all.
First heard about Fresh Direct a few years ago when my co-workers, who lived in Manhattan and actually had kitchens, took advantage of the $50 in free food on their first order. I had to wait until I moved into an apartment that had a full refrigerate complete with freezer before trying out such service. And move to Queens. And realize that the nearest grocery store was nothing like Whole Foods, and to get descent produce I had to either schlep it in all the way from Manhattan, or have it delivered.
The first order arrived late, almost an hour late. The eggs were broken, the frozen beef patties were nowhere to be found, and the milk carton had leaked. I complained to friends who were Fresh Direct fan, and they reacted with shock for they never had such service. So I called and complained, got my few dollars credit in compensation, and ordered again. The order was as is this time, and they came within the two hour delivery block. I found it convenient to use and more controlled than going to the grocery store. While the fiance had his Jeep, he could only go shopping with me on the weekends, and after one four-hour shopping trip complete with crowded aisles, rude customers, slovenly cashiers and cramped parking lots, I begged again for the use of Fresh Direct.
We ordered about once a week, but the then-fiance (now husband, not ex) took up issue with the delivery fees, so we cut it to twice a week, until we built up a good pantry. Now it's about once a month, and I've learned a few rules - like, don't order eggs or anything else so fragile it would not stand up to the heaving and tossing required of such deliveries. We stopped ordering the beloved froze boule bread when the last one had mold growing on the bottom - in a frozen bread, no less! The produce is generally good, though for a while it was just down right nasty, I don't know why. Now we use it mostly for heavy bulky items, like seltzer waters and cat litter, and other staples like flour and sugar. The only fresh items we still get are the bulk chicken breast fillets. Occasionally we'll try some of the heat-and-eat meals, but the last time we got gnocchi it was horrible and mushy after being cooked, even though the last time we had it, it was great.
Everytime I complain about Fresh Direct to my friends, their simple answer is to just call and complain, and they'll refund you something. Sure, okay, but that doesn't make up for the disappointment. I ordered vine ripened tomatoes, I get sent your usual store bought tomatoes, and now I have to run down a couple blocks to the grocery store to get them. I could have done that in the first place! It's a tease, you know? I'm growing weary of the constant disappointment.
I fear Fresh Direct's quality is slowly going downhill, and with each order we add more and more items to the "do not order from Fresh Direct" list. I can see us soon buying $40 worth of seltzer water, but for now that's okay. Because seltzer water is important.
A godsend sometimes, a frustrating nightmare at other times. But life is harder without it, damnit all.
First heard about Fresh Direct a few years ago when my co-workers, who lived in Manhattan and actually had kitchens, took advantage of the $50 in free food on their first order. I had to wait until I moved into an apartment that had a full refrigerate complete with freezer before trying out such service. And move to Queens. And realize that the nearest grocery store was nothing like Whole Foods, and to get descent produce I had to either schlep it in all the way from Manhattan, or have it delivered.
The first order arrived late, almost an hour late. The eggs were broken, the frozen beef patties were nowhere to be found, and the milk carton had leaked. I complained to friends who were Fresh Direct fan, and they reacted with shock for they never had such service. So I called and complained, got my few dollars credit in compensation, and ordered again. The order was as is this time, and they came within the two hour delivery block. I found it convenient to use and more controlled than going to the grocery store. While the fiance had his Jeep, he could only go shopping with me on the weekends, and after one four-hour shopping trip complete with crowded aisles, rude customers, slovenly cashiers and cramped parking lots, I begged again for the use of Fresh Direct.
We ordered about once a week, but the then-fiance (now husband, not ex) took up issue with the delivery fees, so we cut it to twice a week, until we built up a good pantry. Now it's about once a month, and I've learned a few rules - like, don't order eggs or anything else so fragile it would not stand up to the heaving and tossing required of such deliveries. We stopped ordering the beloved froze boule bread when the last one had mold growing on the bottom - in a frozen bread, no less! The produce is generally good, though for a while it was just down right nasty, I don't know why. Now we use it mostly for heavy bulky items, like seltzer waters and cat litter, and other staples like flour and sugar. The only fresh items we still get are the bulk chicken breast fillets. Occasionally we'll try some of the heat-and-eat meals, but the last time we got gnocchi it was horrible and mushy after being cooked, even though the last time we had it, it was great.
Everytime I complain about Fresh Direct to my friends, their simple answer is to just call and complain, and they'll refund you something. Sure, okay, but that doesn't make up for the disappointment. I ordered vine ripened tomatoes, I get sent your usual store bought tomatoes, and now I have to run down a couple blocks to the grocery store to get them. I could have done that in the first place! It's a tease, you know? I'm growing weary of the constant disappointment.
I fear Fresh Direct's quality is slowly going downhill, and with each order we add more and more items to the "do not order from Fresh Direct" list. I can see us soon buying $40 worth of seltzer water, but for now that's okay. Because seltzer water is important.
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