Jadis

42 Rivington St

If you are looking for a quaint and homey restaurant - in which to graze - then Jadis should be your choice.  In the front of the restaurant is a lovely long wine bar; in the back, large leather sofas where big groups can spread out or couples can get cozy.  

If Jadis is in one way inadequate, it seems to be short on service.  We were seated promptly but then waited for quite a while to order.  The maitre d' doubled as one of only two waiters in the restaurant and he was certainly crazed.  When we did finally get his attention, he spent alot of time with us and tried to be helpful in choosing a wine.  We ended up ordering the Reboreda Blanco, a white Spanish wine I had never had.  He described it as "minerally with pear aromas and a nice development in the mouth".  His description was decent, but the wine was somewhat unmemorable.  Still the wine list is long and judging from the beautiful display of wine bottles lining the walls of the restaurant, I'm positive they have some great bottles.

The food is grazer-worthy.  My friend ordered the baby spinach salad with beets, pears and goat cheese.  It was a nice portion and she enjoyed it.  I ordered the Quiche Savoyarde with tomatoes, onions and Tomme de Savoie cheese.  I was pleased when I received  a small personal quiche with a nice side salad.  The quiche had a light and thin crust, overflowing with freshly sauteed vegetables and topped with a thin layer of cheese.  Tomme de Savoie is a delicious French cheese made from the skim milk left over after the cream is used to make richer cheeses, giving this variety (dieters rejoice!) a low-fat content.

Overall, we felt at home at Jadis.  The restaurant had that quaint neighborhood feel without a pinch of pretension.

- The Grazer