Starbucks just renovated their SoHo location on Spring at Crosby. This is basically their NYC flagship location, or at least their lower Manhattan flagship, so it's a bit of a big deal given Starbucks' desire (need?) to innovate. More importantly it's the first and only NYC location to have a Clover machine. Starbucks bought Clover just about two years ago and has already rolled out the machines in Seattle, Boston, Miami, and San Francisco.

Caveat- I'm not a huge Starbucks fan. I don't have any problems with the franchise, it's just that there are a lot of great places to get coffee in NYC and I tend to opt for the variety of neighborhood locations over the consistency offered by Starbucks. I've had Clover coffees before, at Gimme, Grumpy, and others. I still regularly have it at Kaffe 1668, who is one of the few locations to still use them.

The Store The newly renovated Starbucks location looks great. The old one was your typical Starbucks--nice enough but with serious signs of wear from constant high traffic. The new setup is nicer than the old one ever was--there is a lot of reclaimed-looking rough-hewn hardwoods, iron furniture, leather stools, and even the stands (that hold stuff you can buy) look nice. There is a lot of seating--both tables and stools--and a much more efficient use of space. This store doesn't have the overstuffed (read: gross) furniture found in other stores. The bar is much better than in other locations. It's lower so you can see what is going on with your drink and the signage and layout are both improved. Everything looks much friendly, less corporate. We'll see how it handles traffic though, I was there are about 8:15a Saturday morning (not exactly prime time). The employees were insanely nice. I think these might have been a corporate training staff (or at least one of them was) because the person that rang me up was very excited that I ordered a Clover. She also knew the other Clover locations right off the top of her head. She was fast, friendly, and professional, leaving no doubt that she really wanted me to enjoy my $3.40 cup of coffee. The person that made my coffee seemed to operate the Clover well enough, still with some hesitancy, but with a good understanding of the process. The Coffee I think Starbucks' Clover-brewed is a pretty good cup of coffee. I got the Kona, which I don't drink much of, but I did enjoy it. After ordering I walked over to the Clover area and watched the barista weigh and then grind my coffee. He then started brewing it in the Clover, talking to me about the process. Maybe he wasn't as knowledge about it as someone at Cafe Kaffe 1668 but he clearly had been trained on operating the Clover well enough to make a coffee with very little wasted time. I'd say that Starbucks was able to have the coffee taste somewhat like a what we expect from the franchise but it's definitely a Clover. It had lots of flavor and great clarity. There were hints of sweetness and less bitterness than typical Starbucks. As is typical with the Clover you get that clarity but you lose body as well as some of the grit and oils of a french press. I'm not sure if Starbucks will be able to dial in their Clovers as often as a small coffee shop, but this one seemed right where they wanted it to be--delivering Starbucks tasting coffee while giving customers something different than Starbucks' normal drip offerings. The Spring and Crosby location is definitely the nicest Starbucks I've ever been to. I can't say that I'll be going to it often (not with Balthazar right there, as well as Gimme and newcomer Village Tart nearby) but I'd take it over any other Starbucks location in the city and I'll keep it in mind for when, if ever, I'm dying for a cup of Clover-brewed.

I really like FreshDirect. It, as you probably know, is a grocery delivery service in NYC. They have a nice web site, a huge selection, and very good food. I find that shopping through them saves me some money and, more importantly, a lot of time. For the most part the service is incredibly good at getting you want you ordered. Considering that a $100 grocery order could easily have over 30 items from a number of different departments, it's impressive that FreshDirect is as accurate as they are. In fact in my last 20 (or so) orders I can only recall two problems. Both of these were a single missing item. FD makes it very easy to go to their site and report the problem. On each occasion I got a response in well under and hour and was credited for the item that same day. The customer service, in my experience, is fantastic. Last week my order was missing a pomegranate. I ordered three and received two. Disappointing, but the site was running a two-for-$5 deal so I would expect that the vast majority of people were ordering two and my request for a third was easy to overlook. Anyway I reported the issue and it was resolved in hours. Or was it? I got back my purchase price of $2.50, seemingly fair compensation as that is what I paid for the piece of fruit. But upon further reflection, I'm not so sure. Here is a run-down of a reimbursement model that is more comprehensive than FreshDirect's 1:1 system. It assumes that I needed that item and now have to get one locally.

• Item in question: $2.50
• Difference in price from at a local grocer: $0.50
• Transportation to and from local grocer, including shopping/checkout time: $3.00
• Time spend emailing Fresh Direct, looking through empty boxes again, etc.: $0.25
• Pain and suffering: n/a
• Total: $6.25

So while I very much appreciate FreshDirect's commitment to customer service and the shipment of accurate orders, I think there are different ways to look at their reimbursement system. What on the surface seems very fair gets complicated upon further inspection. That missing pomegranate doesn't just leave me without a piece of fruit. And that $2.50 completely fails to take into account the underlying value of FreshDirect's deliver system and their above-average quality produce. In fact it could be said that FreshDirect is implicitly putting themselves at the same level as any Manhattan grocery--that is to say at the sorry state of a D'Agostino's or Food Emporium. But is $6.25 a fair price for them to pay me for a pomegranate? After all, most people wouldn't consider buying one, even this king of fruit, at anything near that price. It might seem like it harshly penalizes FD for an innocent, infrequent, and inevitable error. That may not be completely untrue, but the fact remains that I have to spend a significant amount of time to right the situation and that $3.00 figure is a very conservative time given how much I value my time after work. Even if I was going to my local grocery for another reason (and why would I after ordering from Fresh Direct?) I would still have to bare the burden of the price discrepancy between Fresh Direct and Whole Foods (another purveyor of POM brand pomegranates). The other sums (time spent emailing and searching through boxes) might seem trifling, but the point is that a missing pomegranate is more than just a piece of fruit.

Here it is- a tour of NYC's finest coffee establishments. No it's not by me (I wish I had the patience to collect my thoughts on the matter) but I just stumbled on a great virtual tour collected over at Man Seeking Coffee. In this case, I'm just the curator. I'll be reading through most of his blog this week, and I thought some of the posts were too good not too link to. Additionally I've been meaning to put something together along these lines,  and these select posts do the jobs nicely. It's also interesting that these articles are from a non-New York's perspective so he doesn't have the issues that locals might encounter (favoring places within walking distance of your apartment/place of work, preferring certain baristas, skipping certain locations because you don't hang out in that area, etc). Finally, I agree with a lot of what he has to say, otherwise I would just make my own list without the links... MSC's reviews of my favorite spots:

• Abraço Espresso - Amazing place. My go-to place for espresso and pour-over drip coffee. Also has good food and cortados. As MSC points out, it's small and often very busy.
• Gimme Coffee - I'm a big fan of the Mott Street location. My favorite spot in Soho/NoLiTa.
• Ninth Street Espresso - Their cafe at 9th and C was the first coffee place in NYC that I really loved. They've expanded since then, but they still do a great job.
• Cafe Grumpy - I haven't been to the Brooklyn location yet, but the one in Chelsea is excellent. Definitely the best in the neighborhood.

MSC's reviews of Sal-approved spots (all are good-to-very good):

• La Colombe (Church Street) - A nice spot, though a bit out of the way. A good place to stop for a macchiato. They have a new Soho location though, so I probably won't make it down here too much any more.
• Kaffe 1668 - An up-and-coming spot that I've been to only a few times. Has potential to be one of NYC's best, despite the less-than-ideal location. They have WiFi, two Clovers, and two beautiful Synesso Cyncra espresso machines.
• Joe the Art of Coffee - I like the Waverly location, though it's insane on the weekends. Always has top-notch pastries.

MSC's reviews of solid NYC spots not my picks though (OK-to-good places that I like, but won't go out of my way to stop at):

• Think Coffee - A good spot, but it tends to be overrated. The Mercer street location is deep in the heart of NYU.
• Everyman Espresso - An awkward space, but the espresso is pretty good.
• Mudd Coffee - Good stuff, but not my favorite. The truck can be very convenient if you are in the area.

Notable, and could be very good, but I need to research more:

• Grey Dog
• Jack's Stir Brew
• OST Cafe
• Blue Spoon - New and not open on Sundays. I'm thinking it will be good, but no Kaffe 1668.
• National Cafe and Espresso Bar - just opened on Rivington next to Freeman's Alley. I went once and had a great time. Barista is super cool and the espressos were solid.
• El Beit
• Simon Sips - I've only been once, but I had a good experience. I got a deal on some Counter Culture coffee beans too.

Ones MSC skipped that come to mind (I am sure that I'm leaving some out). Not particularly notable:

• Aroma Coffee -  on Houston St.
• Porto Rico Roasters in Essex Street Market
• Oren's
• Bean's - in the East Village

I was at Whole Foods yesterday doing some tea shopping (really... I ran out) and noticed a few kinds from Ineeka. This is not a company I had tried before (I generally drink Ito En) but the packaging was so cool I could not resist. I ended up with the Darjeeling, but there were a few other options available. While the tea is good, I have to admit I was more impressed with the product design. The tea is not loose, rather it comes in 14 single-serving packages. Nothing too unique, until you check out the bags...

The bags have paper arms on the sides that fold out in order to make them into a single-use filter. In essence it is not that different from the function of a normal tea bag but now the tea inside is effective loose because before placing the tea in your cup you tear off the top and the let the leaves float around in the open bag while it steeps. By opening the top you are also able to pour the hot water directly onto the leaves without them scattering, which helps to make a fine beverage.

At $9.99 for 14 bags the tea is rather expensive, but if you appreciate fine packaging and brilliant product design, it is worth checking out Ineeka.

So recently I checked out New York's hottest new Asian restaurant, Momofuku Ssam Bar. This hip East Village establishment is the sister restaurant to the permanently-packed Momofuku Noodle Bar. Over the past three weeks I stopped by three times (twice for dinner and once for lunch) and have gotten a pretty good feel for the restaurant. I am pretty picky about where I eat out on the weekends so going back to the restaurant twice after my original visit is pretty much the highest compliment I can give it. Ssam Bar combines great food, a cool atmosphere, and relatively reasonable prices for a very nice dining experience. The restaurant is a small, long space, just like the original but slightly roomier. Most people sit along a bar though if you are lucky you will get one of the few tables along the side. While I have sat at both and the tables are a nice treat, the bar should be fine for anyone. It would be nice if the seat had backs and there is always the question of how a winter coat and bag can fit on that tiny hook between your knees, but it's all part of the experience. Once your find the host chances are you will have to wait a bit because the restaurant does not take reservations. My waiting times (party of two):

1. Saturday night; expected wait: 45 min; actual: 30 min
2. Friday night; expected wait: 45 min; actual 20 min
3. Sunday late lunch; walked right in and ordered (no servers)

So what it seems to come down to is there there is only room for about 15 or so people to comfortably wait inside the restaurant so a lot of people were putting their names down and showing up when called. Hence the quoted waits were long than the actual ones, at least in my experience. After sitting down (both dinners were at the bar) I found that I had enough elbow room to be comfortable and did not mind talking to my girlfriend who sat next to me. A party of three or more might have been awkward, but this was not an issue. After sitting down for just a few seconds I had water and shortly after that a server looking to bring me a drink. Being right at the bar and feet from the kitchen certainly lends itself to fast service. The drink menu is not long, but has four beers and a few types of wine and sake. Two of the beers were cheaper ($5 and $6) while everyone around me seemed to be drinking of the more expensive ones ($9). The high end beers were Hitachino Nest Beer (from Kiuchi brewery) and came in either a white ale or red rice beer. I tried both and preferred the white, though I almost always like white ales The $5 beer was pretty okay, but was not as good and did not seem to match the meal as well. As for the food... it's pretty impressive. Personally I am a fan of David Chang so I was very happy with the menu and how almost all the pieces turned out. At dinner there are the choices of small dishes, hams, seasonal/local, fish, offal, and ssam (wrapped items) and while not everything was amazing, everything was good. Each time we started off with the pickled vegetables, which I always order when available and another light dish, first a hamachi (with tea leaves?) and the second time an apple salad with lychee and bacon. While both were interesting, the hamachi was the clear winner- very light and clean- while the apple salad ending up just being a lot of apple with a few interesting things thrown in. As for larger dishes I was the happiest with the grilled rice cakes. These ended up being very much like a twist on a gnocchi in a meat sauce, oddly enough. Definitely a great choice... as was the hangar steak ssam which was a nicely cooked piece of steak with bibb lettuce and both a green and kimchi sauce. I did find the pieces of steak to be too big to be bite-sized so it got a bit messy, but things are casual enough that this is okay. Also, as with the Noodle Bar, the steam buns are a real crowd pleaser and they are filled with Momofuku's signature pork belly. What makes this restaurant really special though are the ssams. These are essentially burritos (assuming you have it wrapped in the flour pancake, as most people do) filled with the type of ingredients you commonly see in the restaurant. They are delivered wrapped in tin foil and are stuffed with a protein (pork, beef brisket, braised tofu, or chicken), a healthy amount of rice, and extras (generally beans and sauces). These items are cheap and very filling. During dinner there is the choice of two or three while at lunch you can choose between customizing your own or ordering a pre-designed one. The lunch menu also offers a rice bowl and and a bowl of glasses noodles if you are not in the mood for ssam. As for the price, dinner for two generally ended up being about $80-90 with a good tip. This was with about two nice beers and four dishes, so not terrible, but not cheap. If you order the burrito dinner (or lunch) can be considerable cheaper because these are essentially a meal. Lunch should run you about $12 between the ssam and a drink. All told, I have to admit I am a fan. Yes it's packed, it's not cheap, you can't make reservations, and you have to sit on a stool, but if you want hip food at a hot (and small) restaurant in New York those qualities are not uncommon. My biggest complaint with the restaurant is that the service is too rushed and they just deliver the food as it is made, but little regards for how much of your appetizer is left or how many dishes are jumbled up in front of you. The same goes for when you are leaving- it is clear someone wants your seat and if you are done (and not getting more drinks) you best be on your way. The servers were nice and knowledgeable, but interesting in moving things along. The place is having some growing pains (when I ordered lunch they were out of pork for the ssam) but they generally have their act together. 207 2nd Ave at 13th, 212-254-3500 http://www.momofuku.com/

From Eater:

1. Subterranean dining room = bad. 2. Gothamist was invited to taste it. 3. Pizzeria De Santo, which opened after Cronkite, is both newer and better. 4. PR Firm of record, Bullfrog & Baum is not cheap; expected cash flow problems will force parting of ways with PR when venue needs buzz most. 5. Shameless Valentine's Day stunt. 6. Supporting testimony from LES resident: "God. I forgot it was there."

This is a restaurant that I visited when it was first opened and was not particularly impressed with. I posted about it and there were a surprising number of comments that were strongly in favor of the restaurant and left anonymously. I take no joy in Cronkite's possible failure, in fact it is too bad to see an okay LES food option close down, but Pizzeria Di Santo is apparently doing well (I have not been there yet, so I have no comments on it) and that is pretty close by. I guess we'll see what happens, pizza seems like a sure-fire hit, but there is very tough competition in NYC...

You probably saw this already, it made a pretty big internet splash, but it's great reading. I honestly can't stand Anthony Bourdain's writing, but these posts are becoming legendary.

I actually WATCH Food Network now and again, more often than not drawn in by the progressive horrors on screen. I find myself riveted by its awfulness, like watching a multi-car accident in slow motion. Mesmerized at the ascent of the Ready-Made bobblehead personalities, and the not-so-subtle shunting aside of the Old School chefs, I find myself de-constructing the not-terrible shows, imagining behind the scenes struggles and frustrations, and obsessing unhealthily on the Truly Awful ones.

There is no question about it, New Yorkers love their burgers. It's an odd thing that a city with such refined and diverse tastes has such a huge demand for hamburgers, but the number of establishments based around the burger as well as the amount of attention paid to it is incredible. The demand for hamburgers, at least in the city, seems to be somewhat cyclical. New places open and close every few years, but when they come, they come fast and in groups. After all, opening a solid burger joint does not require a celebrity chef, years of culinary school, a fancy location, or some many of the other things that make operating a restaurant in the city so difficult- all you need is good food, quick service, and, hopefully, some way to differentiate yourself from the competition. This is easier said than done, especially considering how many well established options there are, but it's far from impossible. Right now NYC is in the middle, or maybe even nearing the end, of another burger surger. A number of high profile restaurants recently opened as well as a few smaller ones and foodies all over the city and online are constantly bickering over whose is the best. The top newcomers are Stand and brgr.  Both got a lot of press before opening and have excellent pedigrees, but Stand has emerged as the victor, at least between the two. Stand's convenient 12th Street location, nestled right between NYU and Union Square, as well as its sit down service, solid burgers, and impressive shakes (and bar which should be opening soon) got it very good street cred right after opening. This was solidified with Frank Bruni's recent two part examination. New is great, and always worth a try, but New York City already had a number of highly respected options. The king of these is Madison Square Park's Shack Shake, which is outdoors and open seasonly,  but is the definitive crowd favorite. The line is rarely less than 30 minutes during meal times and its not opened in the winter, but the burgers are great and there is a lot of room to eat in the park. Other highlights include the Better Burgers all over town, Zip Burger, and BLT Burger. An untested new comer that does not seem to have much draw is Burgers and Cupcakes, but it's still too early for me to weigh in on it. Personally I really like Shake Shack but can't deal with the lines,  so have grown to really like Zip Burger despite somewhat high prices and a less then ideal location. Right now New York finds itself in a post-Atkins, yet exercise-crazed time where the burger is just the right mix of responsible eating and just not caring, comfort and class, and as well as of luxury and speed. There are a lot of hungry people with very diverse tastes so the burger wars are one of attritrion more than anything else. The best will rise to the top and stay there as the burger craze dies down and the rest will fade into other types of eateries, maybe Thai or pizza or a coffee shop, whatever New Yorkers are looking for next.

Anthony Bourdain has a guest post on Michael Ruhlman's blog in which discusses the season 2 Top Chef contestants. Even if you are not a Bourdain fan (I don't blame you) it is an interesting post with some interesting insights from a professional chef on how the contestans did and how they will do in the future. From the article, about Marcel:

Any cook who spends that much time on their hair is going to have a hard row to hoe. And any chef will sporting a Wolverine-Do will be the object of behind their back derision and mockery. Marcel has a LOT of growing up to do. A chef needs respect. A chef must be able to delegate. A chef needs to run a kitchen that actually turns a profit. I can't see Marcel doing any of those things.

There are a lot of comments on the posts which shows us just how popular the show is despite the ridiculous situations it creates and the rag-tag bunch of misfits they brought together.  I would have liked him to comment more about Top Chef itself- how the challenges are setup and how to improve it- but he restricted his comments to the contestants. If you can get through the classical Bourdain style of the post, it is a good read.

I just read a great post over at Eater about one unfortune person's experience at the Waverly Inn. The post was done by a "NYC restaurant professional" who seems very fair, and even liked the food, but clearly felt compelled to write something after experiencing the restaurant's service. After reading the post, I don't blame him. Though I am curious who it is... From the article (bold by the author):

As the food really was great and we were having fun catching up and planning our summer vacations, all of this would have been forgivable I suppose if it were not for the final few bitchslaps: our waiter dropped the check without our having asked for it (unforgivable in my mind at any restaurant, even a Denny's) and then, after having picked up our signed cc slip while we were still at the table (strike 2) he actually, and I almost can't believe I am writing this, told us to get up because he needed the table for another, larger party. We had hadn't been seated for an hour and a half... when I build reservation books I allow 2:30 for 4-tops. My friend and his wife were exhausted (new baby and all) and so shot right up, (actually apologizing to the waiter)! and my girlfriend followed suit, as she was long sick of the rough treatment, and I then too arose, perhaps too stunned at what had happened to even react.

NY Mag just dropped Where to Eat 2007 which is pretty exciting for all you foodies out there. This is Adam Platt's guide to fine dining in Manhattan, so it's not for people trying to scrimp and save or people who are just looking for a quick bite. Not all the restaurants are jacket-required make-a-reservation-two-months-ahead type place, but they are definitely skewed towards the high end. The article goes over a lot of restaurants in a few short pages, and while nothing critical is said it gives a good breakdown of what's hot. I really like how he was able to break down the restaurants into different categories like "Neighborhood Chic" or The Great Lunch" rather than more conventional distinctions or by area. I am surprised that Platt resisted the urge to make burger joints a topic, since they are experiencing a strong resurgence right now, but who really needs more burger (or pizza for that matter) coverage anyway? Definitely a good read for NYC eaters... So what do I think? Well, there is too much for me to cover without breaking out some notes but here is what I am looking forward to the most: New Place I Want to Try:

• A Voce
• Dona
• The Little Owl
• Sfoglia
• Del Posto

My Favorite Cheap Eats:

• Krunch Pizza
• Zip Burger
• Momofuko
• Kelly and Ping's

NYC Staples I Need to Visit:

• Per Se
• Gramercy Tavern
• Union Square Cafe
• a great steakhouse
• Blue Smoke

Some suggestions: Most impressive breakfast: Clinton Street Bakery Coolest Place to Hang with Your Friends (if you can get in): The Spotted Pig

NY Mag just dropped Where to Eat 2007 which is pretty exciting for all you foodies out there. This is Adam Platt's guide to fine dining in Manhattan, so it's not for people trying to scrimp and save or people who are just looking for a quick bite. Not all the restaurants are jacket-required make-a-reservation-two-months-ahead type place, but they are definitely skewed towards the high end. The article goes over a lot of restaurants in a few short pages, and while nothing critical is said it gives a good breakdown of what's hot. I really like how he was able to break down the restaurants into different categories like "Neighborhood Chic" or The Great Lunch" rather than more conventional distinctions or by area. I am surprised that Platt resisted the urge to make burger joints a topic, since they are experiencing a strong resurgence right now, but who really needs more burger (or pizza for that matter) coverage anyway? Definitely a good read for NYC eaters... So what do I think? Well, there is too much for me to cover without breaking out some notes but here is what I am looking forward to the most: New Place I Want to Try:

• A Voce
• Dona
• The Little Owl
• Sfoglia
• Del Posto

My Favorite Cheap Eats:

• Krunch Pizza
• Zip Burger
• Momofuko
• Kelly and Ping's

NYC Staples I Need to Visit:

• Per Se
• Gramercy Tavern
• Union Square Cafe
• a great steakhouse
• Blue Smoke

Some suggestions: Most impressive breakfast: Clinton Street Bakery Coolest Place to Hang with Your Friends (if you can get in): The Spotted Pig

Just got back from a short weekend in the city but before I started relaxing I wanted to make a quick post about dinner last night. We went to Cronkite Pizzeria and Wine Bar on 133 Norfolk Street on the Lower East Side. The place has very good credentials, a somewhat well known owner, and the sure-fire idea of wine and pizza, but I can't say I was too impressed. The restaurant is below ground, very close to Schillers (a popular LES restaurant), and the space is pretty nice- dark enough to seem cool, though the lack of windows does not help things. The prices are reasonable for high-end pizza 10" pies starting at about $9 and 16" pies starting at $12. The wine list looked OK, but there were only about 5 choices available by the glass, the rest of the list was by the bottle only. For for the pizza, it was good, but nothing extraordinary. It is a nice New York-style pizza with a crunchy crust and a thin slice. I was not wild about the choice of toppings, but there were some interesting ones, in addition to the standard fare. We had a Romana which was mozzarella, olives, tomato sauce, capers, and anchovies. Anyway, the overall experience was good, but uninspired. For some place trying to bring that classic Brooklyn pizza taste to a hip, LES atmosphere I would have hopped for something more original than a upscale pizza joint with a wine list. It is only their first week so I am sure a lot of things will improve, like the servers' familiarity with the menu and more wine by the glass, thought I am not sure I will be giving it a second chance with so many other great pizza places just a subway ride away.

Just got back from a short weekend in the city but before I started relaxing I wanted to make a quick post about dinner last night. We went to Cronkite Pizzeria and Wine Bar on 133 Norfolk Street on the Lower East Side. The place has very good credentials, a somewhat well known owner, and the sure-fire idea of wine and pizza, but I can't say I was too impressed. The restaurant is below ground, very close to Schillers (a popular LES restaurant), and the space is pretty nice- dark enough to seem cool, though the lack of windows does not help things. The prices are reasonable for high-end pizza 10" pies starting at about $9 and 16" pies starting at $12. The wine list looked OK, but there were only about 5 choices available by the glass, the rest of the list was by the bottle only. For for the pizza, it was good, but nothing extraordinary. It is a nice New York-style pizza with a crunchy crust and a thin slice. I was not wild about the choice of toppings, but there were some interesting ones, in addition to the standard fare. We had a Romana which was mozzarella, olives, tomato sauce, capers, and anchovies. Anyway, the overall experience was good, but uninspired. For some place trying to bring that classic Brooklyn pizza taste to a hip, LES atmosphere I would have hopped for something more original than a upscale pizza joint with a wine list. It is only their first week so I am sure a lot of things will improve, like the servers' familiarity with the menu and more wine by the glass, thought I am not sure I will be giving it a second chance with so many other great pizza places just a subway ride away.

Just got back from a short weekend in the city but before I started relaxing I wanted to make a quick post about dinner last night. We went to Cronkite Pizzeria and Wine Bar on 133 Norfolk Street on the Lower East Side. The place has very good credentials, a somewhat well known owner, and the sure-fire idea of wine and pizza, but I can't say I was too impressed. The restaurant is below ground, very close to Schillers (a popular LES restaurant), and the space is pretty nice- dark enough to seem cool, though the lack of windows does not help things. The prices are reasonable for high-end pizza 10" pies starting at about $9 and 16" pies starting at $12. The wine list looked OK, but there were only about 5 choices available by the glass, the rest of the list was by the bottle only. For for the pizza, it was good, but nothing extraordinary. It is a nice New York-style pizza with a crunchy crust and a thin slice. I was not wild about the choice of toppings, but there were some interesting ones, in addition to the standard fare. We had a Romana which was mozzarella, olives, tomato sauce, capers, and anchovies. Anyway, the overall experience was good, but uninspired. For some place trying to bring that classic Brooklyn pizza taste to a hip, LES atmosphere I would have hopped for something more original than a upscale pizza joint with a wine list. It is only their first week so I am sure a lot of things will improve, like the servers' familiarity with the menu and more wine by the glass, thought I am not sure I will be giving it a second chance with so many other great pizza places just a subway ride away.