2008 replies to this topic

[restaurantgirl]

I'd love everyone to check out my website: www.restaurantgirl.com. I'm just a hungry city girl searching for the perfect dish in town. Alas, aren't we all? I just reviewed Buddakan, A Voce and I'm posting dona tonight (formerly known as Bellini). It's Donatella Arpaia of (davidburke & donatella) new restaurant and it was too die for. Truly and I don't take food lightly... You can subscribe to the right of my website via feedblitz. I'd love it!
RestaurantGirl

[mitchells]

Do you have another name on another food website?

[rancho_gordo]

Ma-ma-ma-momma? 'Zat you, Momma?

[Rail Paul]

Ma-ma-ma-momma? 'Zat you, Momma?

you'll have to go to the site to find out...

[Orik]

Welcome, restaurantgirl. Thanks for the new sig line.

[Lex]

Do you have another name on another food website?

[cabrales]

Time Out says that Arpaia is collaborating at the restaurant called Dona with chef Michael Psilakis from Onera. That bodes well, although I haven't yet visited. The article describes a "paella soup" (basically paella with saffron broth) and a veal cannelloni with "a hearty stuffing with porcini, fontina cheese and a fragrant black truffle vinaigrette".

Has anybody else visited?

[Wilfrid1]

Funny. No link to Mouthfuls at restaurantgirl.com.

[Lippy]

Funny. No link to Mouthfuls at restaurantgirl.com.

Even though there are links to eGullet and Chowhound.

[GG Mora]

But she loves walking on the beach.

[Chambolle]

Has anybody else visited?

I went there once almost a month ago and was underwhelmed, even disappointed.

It is worth mentioning that I have eaten at Onera more than a dozen times, I enjoy the food there (obviously) and I think that Psilakis is a talented, passionate, dedicated young chef. More than a dozen times at Onera? Yes, I live nearby and after working out at the gym during the week, coming home late, considering the appalling choices the neighborhood offers for delivery, popping into Onera is a pretty good option and relatively frequent choice.

I had known for quite a while from the folks at Onera that the Dona project was underway. I was expecting that Dona would be a half-step to a full-step up in the food experience department and that it would attract a very different crowd based up Arpaia's involvement.

I didn't get the sense that the food is much, if any, better at Dona. It's more expensive at Dona. My service that night was seriously inferior to Onera. The original team at Onera was a young, food-oriented, knowledgable, slightly bohemian, but well-groomed and correctly-dressed group that gave the place a good vibe, especially for the UWS. The three Dona staff that I most interacted with gave me the impression that none of them would ever eat this type of food themselves, didn't understand it and couldn't answer any questions about it other than delivering the "pre-recorded messages" that they were trained to repeat. After 10 minutes there, it was clear that the service staff would offer zero help. I wasn't in the mood to address this problem. It actually amused me as the dinner progressed.

The food was okay to good. I started with a crudo, followed by a pasta, followed by a veal dish. Exact details escape me at this point. I never take notes. I recall thinking that the food is trying to be just a slight bit fussier at Dona, as in trying to be a bit prettier on the plate, whereas Onera's food is very tasty but leaning more towards homey/rustic than refined/haute.

My overall impression was that the food was no better than Onera at higher prices with worse service and an atmosphere that is less to my preference. Big generalization, but Dona seems like a low-end see-and-be-seen type of place, almost a DB&D-lite environment.

Giving the benefit of the doubt, Dona is relatively new and a work in progress and I would expect Psilakis to get the food right. Addressing service seems less assured.

For me, net net, I will not be traveling to Dona when Onera is a hop, skip and a jump away.

[Wilfrid1]

Thanks, Chambolle, and welcome.

[The Scream]

Welcome restaurantgirl! I look forward to reading your posts here.

[Lex]

Funny. No link to Mouthfuls at restaurantgirl.com.

And no more Restaurantgirl at Mouthfuls either. A skyrocket in the night ...

[SethG]

Never mind.