Elettaria

33 W8th St

Elettaria, on the suddenly burgeoning Eighth street between 5th Avenue and Avenue of the Americas, is quickly becoming the place to see and be seen - though not heard. While the large room is stunning, it makes for poor acoustics. My dining partners and I were literally screaming across the table at one another. If losing your voice over dinner is not your thing, you can lose yourself gazing into the open kitchen instead. This is not a small window into the kitchen sort of design, rather the kitchen is a part of the same space as the dining room. From any part of the dining room, you can watch Chef Akhtar Nawab plating your dish (or having words with an assistant).

The food itself is eclectic and inspired by Nawab's Indian upbringing, but the menu presents few choices for a grazer. I, of course, ordered the Greens and was pleasantly surprised: the lettuces were of the fresh local market variety and were lightly dressed in a unique citrus and shallot vinaigrette.

While my dining partners were excited about the entrees (they tried duck, steak, and chicken), I scanned the menu for something lighter, and chose the Crab Meat Resala appetizer, which had received accolades from other reviewers. I was less impressed. The crab meat itself was fresh, but the dish overall lacked flavor. There should have been more sauce or at least more spice. The accompanying gnocchi tasted less like gnocchi and more like fried breadcrumbs: also dry and lacking flavor.

As we left the restaurant, I noticed the beauty and elegance of the bar, where the bartender was serving light green, dusty pink, and pale yellow cocktails. I decided that sometime I'll go back, but I'll sit at the bar with a friend and enjoy a cocktail and the salad.

- The Grazer