'inoteca part deux

So last night I finally made my way over to 'inoteca (the Murray Hill location, sadly) for drinks and a few bites to eat. And I must say, upon arrival, I was shocked (and dare I say nearly appalled) by the look of the place. After visiting the LES location as well as 'ino, I expected this 'inoteca to follow suit with the whole rustic, not the least bit overdone kind of thing. But that was not the case at this location. A whole mish-mash of styles that just really didn't sit well with me which is unfortunate because I wonder if the bad reaction I had to the look of the place had an adverse affect on my dining experience.

Apparently Kiira was in an overly critical mood yesterday. Sorry, 'inoteca.

Anyways, as soon as I sat down, I pulled the “I’ll have a glass of what they’re having,” because I’m not going to even pretend I can navigate myself through an all Italian wine list. While my palette has certainly been expanded over the past few months, Italian wines (for whatever reason) are something I continue to overlook. But that is now going to come to a screeching hault. Because the wine we had last night was absolutely delicious. A 2006 Rosso di Fogliano, Bisci from Marche. With a nose rich with chocolate and cherries, the taste of savory dark berries followed. It was the perfect accompaniment to the plate of assorted bruschetta: cauliflower (the real winner), marscarpone and fig, fennel, and caponata. All served atop perfectly toasted yet soft pieces of bread, we nearly attacked the spread. I could’ve contently stopped there. But of course, well, that didn’t happen.

Next the table split the beet salad with orange, mint, hazelnuts, and pecorino. A classic salad that just fell totally short for me. Not nearly enough orange or mint and the beets lacked seasoning. A total pass. We all decided to go with panini’s to wrap the whole thing up. I went with a prosciutto, mozzarella, and arugula pesto which was absolutely fine. Mind blowing? Not in the least. But with a generous glass of that Bisci wine and great company, we smiled our way through the meal.

I’m not giving up on ‘inoteca just yet. Not sure why the seemingly harsh criticism, just had high expectations, I suppose. But apparently it ain’t over until I try the orange zest meatballs. Which quite frankly, just by the sound of, will have me back in no time. But for the time being, my wine bar recommendation remains, loyally, to Terroir. Their smoked chickpea and calamari salad quite honestly owns me. Taunts me. Seduced me way too well.

Until the next time.

'inoteca

323 third ave. (at 24th st.)

'inoteca

Would you believe me if I told you that I have readers reach out and ask me to post about specific things? Would you believe that said readers approach me while out at an undisclosed bar in midtown Manhattan sipping on tall boy Natty Lights and "watching" football games on a Sunday?

I just outsed myself. Eek. Don't judge. I'm already judging myself.

Anyways, apparently there's a demand for more restaurant tips. And what my adorable readers want, my adorable readers get.

While roaming lower Manhattan (and heck, Brooklyn too) on Saturday, looking for a place to sit down for a quick drink and/or bite to eat, we came to the intersection of Rivington and Ludlow. Straight ahead was 'inoteca. To the right was Spitzer's. Upon seeing 'inoteca, I immediately voted, and somehow won without opposition, for 'inoteca. The restaurant has been on my "to dine" list for well over a year. Yikes. I know. But as soon as we were seated at one of their rustic wooden tables, facing a wall of wine bottles, my companions deemed it a no go. Wine could not be consumed at this hour of the afternoon, apparently. And so we left, and walked across the street to Spitzer's instead. Their long list of artisan brews was far more enticing to my friends. Oh well. Ten minutes later, you didn't hear a complaint out of me. I was busy enjoying this:

But here's the thing: 'inoteca is my restaurant recommendation for the week. And no, I haven't eaten there yet but I have had the pleasure of sitting in there for a good 45 seconds. The somewhat small space is open yet intimate. With dark, driftwood-like tables and chairs, a Parisian-looking mirrored wine bar area and large windows that open up onto the street. The menu is simple, rustic Italian small bites; predominately paninis with antipasti offerings, bruschetta, and cheeses as well. A seemingly fantastic first date spot (casual food, casual conversation) or a place to catch up with friends with a glass of great wine and a soppressata, goat cheese and tapenade panini to boot. And at night time, when the candles are lit, the lighting is low, and the vibe starts to get going, I can imagine it will feel like a pretty darn close to perfect evening.

I'd gladly be third wheel.

'inoteca

98 rivington st., nr. ludlow st.