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By Brittany Ho, May 25, 2011 2:58 pm

http://porestaurant.com/

Proprietor/Chef: Steve Krane/Lee McGrath

Category: American

Neighborhood: West Village
31 Cornelia St, New York, NY 10014
(212) 645-2189

Mood: extremely casual, intimate setting looking for seasonal foods and classics renowned

Tastes Like: fresh, locally sourced… a real dine in treat.  really enjoyed the white bean bruschetta for our little starters.  The olive oil was very light, rustic tasting and devine. The hangar steak was cooked beautifully in a gorgonzola butter sauce, accompanied with potatoes and escarole.  I decided to go to with the sauteed sweetbreads…my first time ordering as a whole entree as opposed to just appetizers.  I think it was too much for me… usually when I order it in the form of an appetizer, I can’t get enough…. Ordering it as an entree was too much for me…though I still enjoyed it.  By the end, I just got sick of it.

Must Haves: n/a

Stay Away: n/a

Ambiance: Extremely tiny, very casual setting, a few seats at the bar… narrow strip with tables on both ends.  If you’re lucky like us, there are exactly two tables by the big open windows.  Score!

Service: Helpful, funny, kind hearted.

Rating: 3 stars

Caveat: Call to score a res or you can end up waiting up to an hour on the weekend.

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By Brittany Ho, May 24, 2011 5:23 pm

www.aifiorinyc.com

Proprietor/Chef: Michael White

Category: Italian, French Influenced

Neighborhood: Midtown East
400 5th ave, New York, NY 10018
(212) 613-8660

Mood: big appetite for pasta, meats & seafood… fine dining style.  pri-fixe is worth the price here to get a good sampling of everything.

Tastes Like: definitely accents of French flare, while retaining the essence of Italian food.  Everything was beautifully plated and since I’m a seafood lover, I heartily enjoyed all my dishes.  While I enjoyed the hefty and hearty bouillabaise,  (the thin buttery toast on the side was a major plus), I really fell in love with the uovo and gnochetti.  The Uovo is a slow poached egg with lobster knuckles, crispy veal sweetbreads & nuage layon… my highlight of the night.  Sweetbreads lightly fried, while retaining the soft-like textures I’ve learned to grow fond of.  I love squid ink pasta and they do it really well here…. but my favorite was the “gnochetti” saffron gnocchi with blue crab, sea urchin and tomatoes was a plus for me.  Saffron, blue crab and sea urchin combined made for a heavenly combination. Small tender bites that burst with flavors

Must Haves: “Uovo” and the “Gnochetti”… and any of the pasta dishes…all are stellar choices that you can’t go wrong.  (choose from seafood, beef to vegetarian options!)

Stay Away: was not impressed with any of the dessert options (tartaletta, coulant di ciocolatto, torta di olio).  Dessert = major fail

Ambiance: Ai Fiori is located at the Setai on the second floor.  The dizzying staircase is marvelous.  The restaurant itself is sleek, chic, super modern, expect nothing less

Service: Excellent.  All the meals were very prompt … so we never really had to wait long per dish.

Rating: 4 stars

Caveat: To score seats, better to call ahead and try to secure reservations.  Not a place you should walk into without it…but there’s always a first for everything!