One Wednesday in October […many years ago when this restaurant was open]
So there’s two Italian girls, see, and they’re strolling down the street. And they’re hungry, so they look at every window-menu they pass.
Four Seasons? Too fancy. BLT Steak? Too filling. Opia at the Renaissance? Too trendy.
What’s this? Mirrors reflecting soft lighting, a row of beribboned (but not too fussy) pendant lights along the bar. Candles, flowers, white tablecloths. Cozy and tasteful, a classic Italian menu in the window. Are they in Italy?
No, they have discovered Teodora, at 141 E. 57th Street.
Full disclosure: I am one of the Italian girls; the other is my sister, and we weren’t born in Italy, but we were hungry.
There was a lot to like about Teodora, like the decor and atmosphere, the friendly and just-attentive-enough service, and the company–a very friendly pair of regulars helped us make menu selections and kept the conversation lively. I also liked the food, but sadly, not all of it.
The seafood salad was the best either of us had ever had, and we’ve had a lot of excellent seafood salad (my mother’s, and my late aunt’s, and my sister-in-law’s, and even my daughter’s and mine). The fish was fresh and incredibly tender, lightly dressed in olive oil and vinegar. I was surprised at how delicate the dressing was–usually I prefer lemon juice, but the vinegar did not overpower the fish at all. Besides thin slices of red onion–expected, and good–there were a few slices of plump ripe tomato–unexpected, and delicious.
The raw artichoke salad had the makings of a good dish–fresh veggie, lemon, olive oil and parmesan, but the artichokes were tough. Not babies? Not sliced thinly enough? Either way, it didn’t cut it.
We opted for the lasagne–voted the best in NYC, 2009. Piping hot layers of thin homemade noodles, bits of meat and just the right amount of cheese were served with a mellow tomato meat sauce. The taste was perfect–just the right proportion of meat/pasta/sauce/cheese, perfectly seasoned. But the texture was gummy; the noodles seemed overcooked. A bit disappointing.
I wish we were hungrier and could have tried the Osso Bucco, also highly recommended, or any of the specials. This restaurant should be great, and I want to think those dishes would have been closer to perfect.
With two appetizers, one main, a glass of wine and two drinks (a mean Hendricks Gibson), dinner was about $80–not cheap, but we were on 57th Street! What do you expect?
I will go back– for the atmosphere and the seafood salad, to listen to the waiter’s adorable Italian accent, and to try the osso boco. . . but I’ll skip the lasagne.
