Your next Girls Night should be in the West Village...
One fish, Two fish, Old fish, New fish
Here’s something I really hate: the fact that I’ve ever waited in line at The Spaniard.
Another thing I’m not fond of, walking through a painfully fluorescent Five Guys in your click-clackiest boots because someone decided a tiny room full of bad first dates and overpriced cocktails should exist on top of the most pungent French fry operation on Earth.
To top it all off, I can’t say enough bad things about the W 4th subway station.
With that said, I hope it’s clear that something in the West Village has to be really reliable or incredibly promising to get me over there. The Via Carota’s and I Sodi’s and L’Artusi’s have certainly made the West Village a destination for Italian food-lovers (me) and tourists, but even that isn’t really enough to entice me to cross 6th Ave.
I will, however, go to great lengths for a girls night. Nothing gives me greater joy than a long, leisurely dinner with my friends in lieu of a crowded bar. Give me white tablecloths and dim candle-lit corners for drinking, gabbing, and ordering more desserts than there are seats at the table.
For such an evening, there are three requirements: good lighting, punchy cocktails, and bitching desserts. I want many courses, a solid buzz, and somewhere to wear my favorite shoes. Unfortunately, the West Village has spots that fit that bill.
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Crevette
The much-anticipated opening from Ed Szymanski and Patricia Howard, the duo behind Dame, one of my all-time favorite restaurants, had big shoes to fill. I’ve been a fan of Dame and Lord’s since they opened nearly five years ago, always struck by how effortlessly they’ve created a space that feels both elevated and deeply comfortable. Somehow, a $200+ bill comes from a spot that feels like a chic living room, only with better dishware, impeccable service, and the most beautifully plated dishes. Naturally, my expectations for Crevette were high, and I was so excited for my opening-night reservation.
The former Holiday Bar is a very large space that has been transformed, with custom murals, tapered candles, white tablecloths, and fresh pink flowers that give a little of Ed and Patricia’s signature charm. But for someone obsessed with their teeny-tiny restaurants, the scale was surprising. The ceilings soared, big windows stretched across the walls, and there was a second set of bathrooms downstairs—unheard of.
I think Crevette needs some time to grow into itself, to fill up the space the way I know it can, and to nail down a menu that offers guests so much. Perhaps give it another month or two to get its footing, but make sure it is on your hit list. It is a perfect evening, and a great table for gossiping, drinking a strong martini, and ordering more than you need.
The highlights …raw littleneck clams dressed with a citrusy green pepper relish, chilled mussels with a creamy salsa brava sauce, grilled squid with a beautifully fragrant pistou sauce and soft butter beans topped with crunchy breadcrumbs, an insane crunchy fennel salad with fresh mint, shaved pecorino, and big sweet dates (which our waiter told us was his favorite thing on the menu), and the huge plate of french fries with fried rosemary and garlic aioli that came with the grilled golden chicken (also fabulous, but not as memorable IMO). I was so full by the end that I couldn’t properly enjoy dessert, but I have heard rave reviews. Our pears poached in cassis with whipped mascarpone were nothing to write home about. Next time I want the sundaes and rum cake.
The Commerce Inn
Several of my visits here have been on off-hours, a refuge at the end of Commerce street where you can sneak away from West 4th. On a Saturday night, The Commerce Inn is full, the few seats by the bar are surrounded by standing couples and groups of friends slinging milk punch or waiting patiently for a seat to eat a patty melt.
The crowd is… a mix, but cheery and loud nonetheless. Reservations are not hard to come by, but you will be okay walking in at an early hour for a seat. We showed up reservationless, had a drink standing by the very crowded bar, and were guided to a table 20 minutes later in the very back corner of the restaurant next to the bar’s end. No one could see us, but we were surrounded by the restaurant’s buzz. I loved this table. Cozy and great for people watching.
The cocktails here are memorable—I had a milk punch almost a year ago that I still think about often. I was having a hard time deciding between a stirred gin and sage cocktail, a martini, or one of the other 20 exciting drinks on the menu. The lovely waiter helping us out said he had an idea, and he returned a few minutes later with the best Corpse Reviver no.2 I have ever had, served in a delicately etched Nick and Nora glass. Freezing cold, citrusy, touch of absinthe—nothing better.
This is a menu, like that of The Commerce Inn’s siblings, Via Carota and I Sodi, that makes you widen your eyes. A section for Offal, a $200 porterhouse steak, and over a dozen vegetable offerings. I was adamant that the Oysters Rockefeller on the specials menu were a must—they came piping hot and covered in herby breadcrumbs. A generous squeeze of lemon was essential. The poached lobster on toast, topped with lemon aioli, arugula, and serrano peppers felt like a lobster roll’s sexy city cousin. The artichokes, however, were meh (too much cumin, not much else happening). We loved the shaved Brussels sprout salad with crunchy almonds, feta, and bright slices of orange and apple, and I’m always a fan of the chicories with walnuts and raisins here.
The star of the show were the hot rolls—served without butter because it literally doesn’t need it. A salty and buttery crust tops the softest bread pillow you’ve ever felt. You could come here just for the bread and leave happy. We had marrow with garlic mushrooms, which was a nice warm wintry dish, but the fluke—perfectly salted, cooked in butter, lemon, and capers—blew me away. A plain ass piece of fish served with a wedge of lemon and a tiny thyme garnish. Who knew. We finished with the raspberry mess, meringue, whipped cream, and punchy raspberries served in a crystal coupe, and the divineee date toffee pudding. Served on a bed of rum caramel, the cake was rich and moist and not overly sweet, one of the best in the city.
A perfect corner for pulling up a chair, drinking a lot, and having really simple dishes done very, very well.
A few others…
The Odeon
Not the West Village but as fun as everyone says for a night out. Oysters, french fries, and a few martinis is definitely dinner. End with some Fernet and little donuts.
Malaparte
A tiny dark room with really good pesto rigatoni, cheap bottles of wine, and tiramisu to gossip over. Here’s how they give you grated parm:
Via Carota
It really does feel special to be sitting in this dining room, a bit like an accomplishment, and a bit like you have what everyone around you is pining after. As expected, the cacio e pepe and tiramisu are divine. I personally love the Acciughe e burro the most, a piece of toast with slabs of slated butter, whole anchovies, and a couple capers. So indulgent and salty. Green salad is delicious, carrots are delicious, risotto is definitely a skip. I unfortunately haven’t been enough times to give a more holistic perspective on the menu, but I am determined to work on that. I will keep you posted.
I will be back to WV because I still haven’t been to I Sodi, I regret cancelling my Zimmi’s reservation when they first opened, and I need to eat Via Carota for lunch all summer.
See you next week! Birthday!!
Great list. Commerce Inn still feels like an insider's secret - hard to understand when you think about how perpetually mobbed ALL their other spots are. I think they have some of the best cocktails in the city - the 50/50 martini is another one I think about often. Perhaps the best of that style I've had. And the room, which borders on theatrical but resists pastiche (probably becauase they have such great taste) is so fucking cozy.
lolled at your take down of The Garret — I hope to never grace their doorstep again