'Ino

21 Bedford St

I decided to skip the dinner crowds and try lunch at 'Ino. A wise move - we didn't wait for a minute. The menu reads very grazer-esque: with sixteen different bruschetta options, a few salads and a long list of tramezzini and panini. Unfortunately, it's also a bit arcane; my friend, for whom English is a second language, needed me to "translate" the menu.  

We both chose the special salad: arugula, shaved jerusalem artichoke, pine nuts and parmesan vinaigrette and we ordered a plate of four bruschetta to share (butternut squash and walnuts, spaghetti squash and pine nuts, asparagus and parmesan, and white bean).

I liked the salad a lot. Light, fresh, and very green.  The dressing was really tasty and obviously homemade.  But I was disappointed in the bruschetta - for which I thought 'Ino was known.  All four of them were too dry; just a splash of olive oil would have done the trick.

The waitress recommended the spaghetti squash and it was my least favorite because it had the least flavor.  

I didn't like the white bean bruschetta either because it had lots of hard-boiled egg!  The menu didn't say anything about egg and it made for a bizarre flavor combination.  The butternut squash was probably the best because it was complemented with a sharp asiago cheese.  The asparagus was also okay, a very rustic flavor but definitely too dry.  

The fact that 'Ino is one of the original rustic Italian small plates cafes earns it points.  The space is very pretty and the long wine list seems good.  I'd say stop in for a glass of wine but don't expect too much from the kitchen.  And don't ask the waiters for an opinion.

- The Grazer

Esperanto Cafe

114 MacDougal St

Esperanto Cafe is a great spot for NYU students in need of a place to sit and study. If you're not an NYU student, I don't know why you'd go...I went because, well, I'm on a "student budget" and Esperanto is really cheap.

The place is crawling with students sipping on big mugs of cappuccino and reading Nietzsche. I think they must like it here because the waitresses pretty much ignore you, leaving you to sit for as long as you like.

I ordered the tuna salad and it was small and simple. Some mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, a hard-boiled egg and a scoop of tuna salad. I'd call it too small and too simple if not for the amazing price: $6.50! The menu is made up of other cheap cafe hallmarks - eggs & omelets, chicken salad, turkey or roast beef sandwich; they even make pizzas. I wasn't wildly impressed, but I wasn't disappointed either. For a good student hang-out at student prices, I'd say Esperanto is on the mark.

- The Grazer

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