Danny Meyer strikes again. Vini E Fritti is located near his other great restaurant Marta but has a very different vibe. It feels like an upscale bar but it's actually very friendly and casual. It's a bit small so be prepared to wait for a table but it's a nice intimate space to grab drinks and catch up with friends. As expected it's an Italian inspired bar menu and most of the food is actually fried small plates. I wouldn't come here for a full meal but it's a nice after dinner snack or after work place. I should also note they have some tasty cocktails too.
Despite being full from dinner at Dante, we walked the 1+ mile to Vini E Fritti was we felt like we could treat ourselves to more food. As I mentioned, it's small plates style which I usually hate but these were priced appropriate as small plates (tip is already included since it's part of Union Square Hospitality). We got the potato pancakes and horseradish cream ($7), the mixed seafood ($11) and the marinated vegetables ($7). I would have loved to have gotten the beef tartare but since Dan doesn't eat beef it would have been a bit of a stretch for me to eat the whole thing (although I totally would). But if you love fried food, you'll be in heaven here since they have about 10 things that are deep fried.
Luckily the level of fried-ness isn't super greasy or oily. The mixed seafood was a nice cone filled with shrimp (with the head on) and calamari (in ring formation and tentacles). It was lightly battered and fried and the right level of salty. I'm actually really glad everything is in small plate formation there because it would be really bad for your heart and health if these dishes came in bigger sizes. The marinated vegetables were fine - they're usually not my jam anyways and it was half of olives which I'm not a fan of but the marinated mushrooms were a nice compliment to cut all the fried saltiness of the mixed seafood. But the absolute best dish was the potato pancake. Yum! It was perfectly executed and the horseradish cream made it all the better. I could definitely see myself eating this entire plate myself.
Overall, it's a lovely space and as with any Danny Meyer restaurant, the service is great. Due to its limited menu, I wouldn't necessarily say its a place to come for a full meal and the location isn't in my favorite part of NYC, but if you happen to be near here or just have a craving for lots of fried food, I'd definitely give this place a visit. Total bill: $34/pp with tax, tip and drinks
Photo Credit: Yelp
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