Locande Verde

Some days, the only way to make it through the work day is to stare at my calendar and schedule things that I can look forward to.  Usually, that means I make dinner reservations and schedule my friends so that I'm not the only one getting plump.

Locande Verde is one of those spots where it usually works in your benefit to make a reservation as early as possible.  And so, one of those days at work, I counted 30 days in advance and made my reservation!

Usually a full house every night, Locande Verde was no different on the Friday evening my friend and I went for dinner. 

Its a gorgeous space with lots of seating available and a decent bar space for drinks while waiting for your table.  In the back, you can look right into the kitchen.  Oh how open kitchens seduce me!

While the bar space is big, there is a row of tables that's right next to the bar.  And if you are not so lucky (*ahem* me and eating compadre) then you are seated at one of these tables and you get the extra bonus of people staring over your shoulder and staring while you eat your meal. Sigh...can only hope not to get seated in this area again. 

Upon being seated, our table was adorned with a dirty wine glass.  Lovely...must have been passed over by one of the hoverers over at the bar perhaps?

Red tinged used wine glass anyone?

Alright, so 15 minutes into my meal and I'm already grumpy with everyone gawking and the dirty wine glass.  Which means....cocktail time!

Cocktail menu

Nothing like an original cocktail to help ease you into an enjoyable dinner experience.  A second benefit?  After placing our order, we were served their complimentary cheese focaccia bread.  Still warm, it was fluffy and soft on the inside yet slighty crispy on the outside.  Delicious, fragrant, and super savory!! 

Wonderous cheese focaccia bread

After devouring the focaccia bread, I was hankering for more when they brought out our starters: Sheep's Milk Ricotta and the Blue Crab Crostini.  The Blue Crab Crostini was served with lump meat on buttered toast and topped with jalapeno.  Petite in size, it was tasty and light.  While enjoyable, I thought it had nothing on the ABC Kitchen's crab toast but still its definitely worth a go here as well! 

The Sheep's Milk Ricotta is a MUST GET.  Soooooo creamy and complemented perfectly by the herbs and touch of olive oil (or was it butter?  man I dunno but it went down super smooth!), I could not get enough of this dish! 

Crab Crostini and Sheep's Milk Ricotta

Close up of the Sheep's Milk Ricotta

Next up, our entrees!  Eating compadre and I shared the fish special of the night and the Orecchiette. Both dishes were prepared well and delightful.  The fish was nice and crispy on top but still tender and flaky.  The Orecchiette was served with a good amount of sausage and escarole which added great flavor to the pasta. 

We also ordered a side of the Roasted Brussels Sprouts, but for some reason it was not brought out until we were more than halfway through our entrees (even after we asked a couple times...).  These were average at best - I was hoping for crispy but they were kind of soft/soggy.  If I were you, I'd put my vote towards a different side.

Non-flash worthy Brussels Sprouts

And how can we end a meal without some dessert?!  Of COURSE we went with the salted-caramel ice cream sundae special of the night.  Delicious and topped with pretzels, this was quickly devoured by me and my eating compadre. 

At this point, our dinner had dragged on longer than the usual 15 minutes (I'm a monster I know...) so we were itching to get out.  The table next to us, who sat a good half hour after us, was already putting their coats on and getting ready to leave!  For some reason, it took us forever to get the check (after asking twice!) and then it also took them a while to get our cards back to us.  Hmm...

While we had some bumps throughout the dinner including a disappointing table bordering the bar, a dirty wine glass, and slow service I'd like to attribute all these items as a one-off/singular occurence.  Plus, none of my other buddies seemed to come across these issues.  So, given the fun ambiance and good quality of the food (the Ricotta!!!!!!!!!!), I'm looking forward to giving Locande Verde in Tribeca another go!

Piggys says Yes!

Thanks for reading - Piggy KK