It's the economy, not the restaurant

Ristorante IL Cortile
125 Mulberry Street
(212) 226-6060

In a galaxy far away, a long, long time ago, you made reservations at IL Cortile and often you would drop someone’s name and then maybe, maybe you would get a table. Boy has times changed! The other day I was in little Italy, now a ghost town, I walked into IL Cortile and was seated immediately. The huge restaurant was so empty that some preschoolers were playing tag in a closed section that was bigger than most other restaurants.
Il Cortile is over the top, there is a man sized floral display and some of the brick s have been imported from Italy The menu was presented as a folded parchment, cute, but confusing. However, the waiter was truly professional. I ordered the Scaloppine "Panettone", veal and mushrooms baked in bread. Very quickly the waiter came back and said. The panettone was not at its best and suggested something else.
The Antipasto Caldo "Cortile", hot antipasti was small and some of the items burnt. not a good start. The Spaghettini Puttanesca Speciali, literally whore’s pasta, was only luke warm, but the pasta was al dente and the ingredients very fresh. It could have used a little more spice.
The Mussels Marinara was very good, the sauce restaurant made and just so. My Veal dish had lots of Puccini mushrooms and the veal melted in my mouth.
An old trick to determine the quality of the restaurant is to ask for a glass of the house wine, a good restaurant will not give you a bad wine. I did and got a Chianti Reserva that east very smooth and a beautiful bouquet.
Dessert was Espresso and a chocolate mouse cake with crushed nuts that was worth the wait.
IL Cortile still has it and I guess the emptiness can be blamed more on the economy than the restaurant.
Dinner for two $ 120
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A real malt shoppe--Bollingers--A restaurant review

Bollinger’s Family Restaurant
282 Main Street
Farmingdale, NY
(516) 501-4990

Approx hrs 8:00a.m. -10:00p.m.

There is a mythical place in American culture called “the malt shoppe”. It is where teenagers come after school to safely meet, giggle and gossip. It is where old men come to have their morning coffee and announce their continued existence to their long time friends and neighbors.
Unfortunately, there is no such place in NYC. We are all to hurried, or to scared of perverts to allow our urban children to participate in this rite of passage. Also real estate is too valuable to allow a malt shoppe parking and the space it needs.
By accident, I stumbled across a malt shoppe; it is Bollinger’s in Farmingdale, NY. It is clean and perky and some of the waitresses actually have pigtails and smile. Bollinger’s serves burgers, ice cream, malts, egg creams and finger food. The only concession to the modern world is wraps and selection of packaged herb teas.
The food is simple, but fresh. You can actually see them cutting up your salad instead of scooping it out of a plastic bag. The servings are large and the décor is brand new 1950’s!
Bollinger’s is not for sophisticated dining, but it is a “blast from the past” and it will bring a smile to your face without giving you heartburn
Lunch for two is $35 including tip.
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A Vegetarian at a meat restaurant-A Restaurant Review

Tanoreen
7704 Third Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11209
718 748 5600

There are a lot of small ethnic restaurants in Brooklyn, some are better than others, but occasionally one stands out. Tanoreen is a Middle Eastern Jewel in Bay Ridge. A storefront, with rather indistinguishable decor you could easily miss Tanoreen.
However, there is something special going on inside – the Food. More particularly the appetizers, yes, you can get kabobs at Tanoreen, while tasty, they are commonplace.
What I am proposing, is a dinner made of their hot and cold appetizers, sort of a Middle Eastern Smorgasbord. With a spread of Baba Ghanoujh, Cauliflower Salad,Tabbouleh, Vegetarian Grape Leaves for starters with wedges of Pita bread, you can satisfy your palate without damaging your wallet or arteries.
But I am not finished; your second course should be the hot appetizers, i.e., Sambosek- a Middle Eastern Samosa, and Falafel.
If your still hungry, and I doubt it. The Eggplant Napoleon is delight to the eye and the taste buds. Slices of crispy eggplant layered with Baba Ghanoujh and topped with tomato basil salad.
Perhaps, the most surprising thing about this feast is that no item exceeds $9!!!
Warning on weekend nights Tanoreen is packed, sometimes reservations work, not always and parking, well parking is ….. After all this is Bay Ridge
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Casa Calamari- a restaurant review

Casa Calamari
8602 Third Avenue
718-921-1900

I hate warming trays!
When I walk into a restaurant for the first time and I see warming tray, my first reaction is to walk out. Foods left sitting in warming trays loose all texture and remind me a very bad junior high school cafeteria.
Casa Calamari has warming trays as you come in and all I wanted to do was walk out! But, my friends persisted and my health insurance is still in effect so I said o.k.
The décor is simple and clean, sort of an office workers lunch place. The service was friendly and actually knowledgeable. There is some confusion in that there are at least three Casa Calamari’s in Brooklyn. I do not know if they are related.
What surprised me was the food! If you are careful to order the daily specials, not on the warming trays, the food is actually good.
The Lasagna was fresh and plentiful. It needed a little more seasoning, maybe some oregano.
You can tell if Lasagna has been sitting, the edges dry up and the sauce de-emulsifies (there is a reddish water on the plate). My bet was that the sauce was made fresh and maybe even with real tomatoes (I found real tomatoes seeds in the sauce).
The calamari and linguini was also good although I like mine to have some more heat and again the portions were large and inexpensive.
Main courses are about $ 12; there is a three course dinner menu with a glass of wine for $25.
If you can find a parking space in Bay Ridge, Casa Calamari will do nicely.

Who Knew?!? San Remo Pizzeria, a Restaurant Review

Who Knew?!? San Remo Pizzeria, a Restaurant Review

1408 Cortelyou Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11226

In Italy, practically every pizzeria has a sit down restaurant in the back room. They all serve pasta and they almost all are great places for dinner. The food is carefully cooked, the portions large and the prices much lower than the Restorante’s or the Trattoria’s.
San Remo has been a fixture on Cortelyou road for decades and they always made good pizza, but no one would take a date or a spouse there. It was certainly not a place for making a good first impression or quiet conversation with the kids screaming for their slices and sodas.
But things have changed!!!
Cortelyou is now a hot spot with several good restaurants and this marvelous evolution has now spread to San Remo. San Remo has opened up its mysterious back room and is serving beer and wine. While the restaurant room is not elegant, it is clean and homey.
The first three rules about restaurants are The FOOD, The VALUE and The PORTIONS and San Remo wins on all three.
Real standouts are Caveletti with sausage, broccoli rabe, white beans and garlic and the Lassagna, real plate fillers and done with care. The service is friendly and prompt. There are many wines under $30 and a dinner for two, appetizer, pasta, dessert and tip is easily under $40.

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