Dining out is not just about the food, but the service and decor can play just as big of a factor for a great meal. Luckily my experience at L'Apicio was a fabulous combination of great food, great waitstaff and great decor. Given that it's from the team behind L'Artusi and Dell'anima, it's no big surprise that it was a well run machine. Despite them telling me that they only had a 5:30pm or 10:30pm opening on Saturday, they were kind enough to tell me that I could also order the entire menu from the lounge or bar area and that walk-ins were welcomed. So Cicily and I met up at 7:30 and luckily we were able to snag two seats at the bar since there were no tables available. I loved that fact that they let Cicily sit down first and save me a seat as many places won't even let you sit down anywhere until your entire group has arrived.
I don't know about you guys, but I sometimes really enjoy eating at the bar. You don't have to worry about if the table is wobbly or if you aren't too far from the table and when you eat at the bar you get to sit close to your dinner mate and not have to scream across a loud table. I loved that the bar was a beautiful marble top with ample space and room for you and your guest to have a complete meal without crowding the people next to you. When the bartender asked me what I wanted to drink I noticed that Cicily was drinking a rose and she mentioned that the bartender actually encouraged her to get a rose even though it wasn't the summer because "you should be able to drink whatever you want, whenever you want." I love that mentality and appreciated that the bartender didn't look down at us or shame us for our drink choice. She was also very enthusiastic about the menu and told us that everything was great. So we ordered the braised short rib polenta ($19) and I got the pappardelle with oxtail ragu ($18) and Cicily got the cavatelli with chili and pork sausage ($17). Now I am not sure if they give everyone a salad on the house but within 10 minutes of ordering we were presented with a fancy salad compliments of the house and I just thought that it was a really nice touch. The salad was a mix of fricassee, mixed greens and pistachios with a vinaigrette dressing. It was a dish to wet the palate, although it have been a touch salty but overall it was a great starter salad. Next came the polenta and for anyone who has read my blog for a while knows how much I love polenta so I was super super excited for this dish. The polenta here was served on a board (it almost looked like a cheese board) and it's spread out across the board and served with amazingly tender short rib and sauce on top of it. The combination of creamy polenta and mouthwatering meat is one of the best combinations ever and this one did not disappoint. I could have made an entire meal out of trying all the other polentas on the menu (they had mushroom, meatball and shrimp varieties too). As for the pasta dishes, I really loved the pappardelle. It tasted homemade and fresh and it almost looked like it was one giant beautiful flat noodle. The oxtail was plentiful and also super tender and cooked perfectly. Cicily also mentioned that her pasta was delicious as well. I was super tempted to order dessert but after 2 glasses of wine, polenta and pasta I was pleasantly happy and full. While the food was definitely very satisfying, the fact that our bartender/waitress was so nice, we got a wonderful salad on the house and that the bar was so comfortable to eat at really made the entire experience so positive. Other restaurants should take note her that it's not just the food that make people happy but the entire eating out experience that diners appreciate. If I lived at the Avalon complex upstairs, I would totally eat here for dinner on a very frequent basis. Total bill: $63/pp with tax and tip.
Photo Credit: NY 1
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