Al Di La - jeeez!

livetotravel

Ate there this evening - I just knew that after the Times review in Jan that really uneven food and service would result!

The spaghetti alle vongole with red chile peppers burned your taste buds off - way too over -seasoned - and it had bits of broken clam shells mixed in :x

The wait staff was disinterested as soon as we ordered "only" a 1/2 carafe of house wine.

And I've grown tired of those no-reservation hour waits.

In the land of 10,000 Italian restaurants, I'll stay loyal to Sette.

anonymous

I have always thought the Vongole was mediocre at best. And never loved many of the pasta dishes. I also think their hostess can be snotty--who needs that crap!? But that braised short rib special is really great as is the paparadelle with bolognese sauce.

elliott larkfield

Subject: tie their genitals together!

Imperialist pigs! Perhaps the wait staff at Al Di La needs to be put in a forced labor camp and "re-educated" about the workers' tastes in wine (NEVER the Chateauneuf du pape, ALWAYS the humble house red)

Or maybe we should simply shoot them without trial as the glorious Che would have done. Viva la revolucion!

anonymous

In defense of ADL, while they can underperform from time to time, overall they are usually at the top of their game. They've been famous, even prompting Manhattanites to travel across the river, for a very long time (in restaurant years). If they were positively reviewed in the NYT it would change little.

Would agree, however, that the wait just ain't no fun. The trick is to get your name on the list, and then go have drinks somewhere, calling to check in on timing. Also, hate the communal seating!

I restrict my ADL intake to about once every 3-4 months.

livetotravel

Subject: Re: tie their genitals together!

Elliott Larkfield wrote: Imperialist pigs! Perhaps the wait staff at Al Di La needs to be put in a forced labor camp and "re-educated" about the workers' tastes in wine (NEVER the Chateauneuf du pape, ALWAYS the humble house red)

Or maybe we should simply shoot them without trial as the glorious Che would have done. Viva la revolucion!

I fully support the "re-education" of wait staff so that they become less pompous and tip-conscious about wine selection and more appreciative of their patron's humble tastes.

But summary executions are not yet called for - posting reviews on the the webs sites of the proletariat will do for now. Guerrilla warfare 21st Century style.

La lucha continua.

pitu

you must have hit a really off night, which is pretty unusual for al di la.
what a drag! the vongole is usually stellar
once in the dozens of times we've eaten there it was out of wack -- harsh even. Someone went nuts with the thyme and the garlic was not mellowed out. I had to ask what was wrong, because I know *exactly* what it usually tastes like.

So I hope you said something about your bad food, if not the whole wine reeducation thing...
:shock:
The curly-haired blonde man in the front of the house is the owner, with his wife the chef. In my experience they're tremendously gracious when something goes wrong, which is a pretty good test of a restaurant for me.

I think they've dealt with years of fame-a-tude pretty well -- staying small, closing for vaco, etc We go really early or really late.

Vongole is what I go there for...and the malfatti, which are off the hook as a shared app if you like sage butter and vegetal mysteries. The weirdly addictive hidden treasure is the grilled chard stems. Don't ask, just try.

I think their pork ribs are sort of grossly sweet, but we're usually surrounded by people lapping them up in bliss. In the winter the beef cheek special is a swoon...the tripe is also supposed to be fantastic, if you eat that kind of thing...god, I love that place!
Even when ordering a carafe of the house red...

drano

Subject: Re: tie their genitals together!

Elliott Larkfield wrote: Imperialist pigs! Perhaps the wait staff at Al Di La needs to be put in a forced labor camp and "re-educated" about the workers' tastes in wine (NEVER the Chateauneuf du pape, ALWAYS the humble house red)

Or maybe we should simply shoot them without trial as the glorious Che would have done. Viva la revolucion!

Beat me to it. Damn.

anonymous

Even though I am not a fan of the vongole (I actually make it better) or a few of the pasta dishes, I do still think it is an outstanding restaurant. I just don't go on a Saturday night--you have the local crowd, the Manhattan crowd and the Jersey/Long Island Crowd. they are open on Mondays which is a better more humane time to go (but then you have the Kensington crowd)! In fact, eating out almost anywhere in New York on Saturday is not as relaxing as an off-night. The waitstaff really depend on Fridays and Saturdays as the big money making night so I always feel a little guilty and order more than I might want.

anonymous

that was the first place I ate after I moved to PS a week ago. I always order the Vongole in any italian place as a barometer and it really wasn't that great.

The mussells were mediocre and the waiter didn't give a shit.

anonymous

Subject: Re: Al Di La - jeeez!

Livetotravel wrote: Ate there this evening - I just knew that after the Times review in Jan that really uneven food and service would result!

The spaghetti alle vongole with red chile peppers burned your taste buds off - way too over -seasoned - and it had bits of broken clam shells mixed in :x

The wait staff was disinterested as soon as we ordered "only" a 1/2 carafe of house wine.

And I've grown tired of those no-reservation hour waits.

In the land of 10,000 Italian restaurants, I'll stay loyal to Sette.

I've been there three times, and every time was fantastic. The key is to get there early so you don't have to wait that long.

I guess you can't please everyone, but this places really rates with me.

meandººd

I never heard of this place, where's it at, 4th avenue or something?

anonymous

MeanDººD wrote: I never heard of this place, where's it at, 4th avenue or something?

It's at 248 5th Avenue. The corner of 5th Ave & Carroll st.