ALTA

Hi to my loyal blog fans (dad)! Sorry I have been MIA - it's really a shame considering I have tried SO MANY great restaurants since I wrote my last entry. But as a new year's resolution, I am really going to try to update my blog as much as possible, with pictures included. AND, I am going to try to make the entries more "short and sweet" - less blabbing, more precision. So, let's get started.

I've heard so many great things about ALTA, so I was so excited to get a reservation for Friday night. The restaurant is tucked away in Greenwich village (65 W 10th btwn 5th and 6th), but once you go down the few steps to enter, you are exposed to a long, sophisticated bar that leads you to a 2 story dimly lit, romantically warm space accompanied with a fireplace in the back of the first floor. Upstairs tables are arranged on a balcony surrounding the first floor, allowing a birds eye view of everyone's food choices down below.

Mike and I ordered (after 20 minutes of narrowing down)
1. Coca small plate - catalonian flatbread with ricotta cheese and mushrooms
2. Warm vegetable salad - artichokes and haricot verts with a creme fraiche truffled vinaigrette
3. Pulled pork empanadas
4. Grilled Quail in mustard marinade
5. Grilled chorizo wrapped gulf shrimp
6. Parmesan ricotta gnocchi with tomato, pepper sauce, pesto, and pancetta
7. Avocado Relleno with crab and shrimp
8. Warm chocolate cake with coconut gelato

Yes, we ordered a ton. But the chef suggests about 3 plates per person, and they had accidentally brought out the empanadas. Overall, the food was extremely disappointing. LOVE the concept, LOVE the vibe of the place, LOVE small plates, and LOVE the variety, but it just wasn't executed well. The portions were all paltry and the taste was lacking. The flatbread was tough and greesy, though flavorful. The warm vegetable salad was tasty, but again, slightly oily and not arousing. The pork empanadas were completely unexciting - tiny as hell and tasted like a microwaved frozen appetizer. The grilled quail had about 1oz of flavorless meat. The thick cut smoky chorizo overpowered the wimpy somewhat chewy shrimp - a tad thinner would have made the dish acceptable. The gnocchi was disgusting - the sweet jam like sauce completely detracted from the flavor and texture of the actual dumpling. The plate that I would actually applaud was the avocado relleno - thin layers of avocado wrapping a light mixture of shrimp and crabmeat with a tasty vinaigrette. Very light and delicous. The chocolate cake was...eh...chocolate cake. Nothing special, and needed ice cream, not sorbet. Sorbet is to be eaten alone or with berries, not cake!

So, after all the hype of this place I was very surprised at the mediocre taste of the dishes that seemed so promising from the menu descriptions. I would still recommend this place for a group of people looking for a fun time (good sangria) and a variety of light food (in terms of portions) before a night out. The vibe is fun, the service is great - just don't expecting award winning food.

Address: 64 West 10th between 5th and 6th
Website: www.altarestaurant.com