As a newly established Upper East Sider I am always searching for good neighborhood eats. For the most part, Upper East Side spots aren't at the forefront of the review books so doing some individual research to have on my repertoire becomes quite handy.
A couple of weeks ago I passed by Uva one Sunday afternoon only to notice how unbelievably packed it was. The Upper East side is not like Soho, where EVERYTHING is packed during Brunch hours. So if there is a place that is packed, in my mind, it must be worth the visit...
I also MUST thank my cousin from Beyond My Recipes for scoping it out with me the first time and then revisiting Uva another two times to confirm our recommendation.
Food
Italian/Pasta
Ugh, yes, its Italian. And I must apologize for the Italian posting overload. I promise it will subside after this one!
Of course, the Upper East couldn't get enough of its Italian restaurants. Sorry, I just have to acknowledge the Upper East Side stereotypes.
Of course, the Upper East couldn't get enough of its Italian restaurants. Sorry, I just have to acknowledge the Upper East Side stereotypes.
To start, there were LOTS of options for a vegetarian, as their usually are at Italian places. The arugula salad with shaved Parmesan was quite tasty and the salmon entree was pretty good but a bit on the chewy side. I wouldn't come back for the fish. It's more of a pasta and pizza spot. The return-worthy draw was the focaccia appetizer. It comes as a mini pizza with artichokes as the base layer, topped with mozzarella and marinara sauce. The combination may sound like it shouldn't really be a combination at all but it was molded perfectly together onto the rounded foccacia and each bite was smooth and flavorful. Extremely unexpected, and yet, totally worth going back and ordering that very item as an entree instead of as a shared appetizer.
The olives weren't anything too special, they were green and black olives with pits. They were salty and for some reason had that canned black olive taste. I wasn't so into that.
Overall, nothing at Uva was too heavy and the portions are just the right size.
The olives weren't anything too special, they were green and black olives with pits. They were salty and for some reason had that canned black olive taste. I wasn't so into that.
Overall, nothing at Uva was too heavy and the portions are just the right size.
Overall the food was pretty good Italian and worth the return visit if one is lacking in a reliable spot on the Upper East. Just an FYI, I will NEVER say something is "pretty good Italian" unless it really is. If I wouldn't send my father, the French food snob, then I wouldn't use the latter phrase and send you there either.
Uva is an easy crowd pleaser. Anyone, picky or not, will be satisfied here.
It's no Il Buco but its great for the Upper East.
Ambiance
Rustic wooden tables, homey, warm and dark lighting (see below).
Its noisy, mixed scene where any age would blend in easily.
Resos & Wait Time
I came in on a rainy Monday evening around 8pm with no reservation and was seated immediately. It was pretty busy with almost no open tables. I would say it would have probably been a bit more difficult if it hadn't been a Monday and hadn't been raining. I'd make a reservation on a Thurs, Fri or Sat night. It it gets PACKED.
(FYI, busy is always good. It means high turnover. High turnover = fresh ingredients).
Good For: Dinner, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner with Friends/Parents/Boyfriend/Girlfriends, Low Key Date Spot
Location
1486 2nd Ave
(between 77th St & 78th St)
(212) 472-4552
http://www.uvanyc.com
No comments:
Post a Comment