Hey- Julia calls it likes she sees it:
| I can only really love Halloween if someone figures out my costume so in reality not my favorite Holiday, and really is a Holiday? Anyway, I and my boyfriend, Al, decided we wanted to have dinner with friends we knew would not be Halloween fans... and I pegged it right.... Kerry and Allen were game and game to even come into NY from CT. I wanted to dine on the UWS as I did not want to deal with parade traffic. There are so many great choices on the UWS but after living on the UWS for 5 years I have dined at most. Therefore, I decided it was time for something new. I have always been a fan of the restaurant group of Rain, Calle Ocho and Union Pacific so I made reservation at Bar Bao. Yes, it has only been open a week but I trust them. Same layout as Rain but much different and much improved. The money they spent on the designer was well-worth it. Better structural layout and the colors & materials are trendy but simple & elegant. Of course I grilled the first person that I thought would be helpful and I was right Eric was great....I will go back for the District 4 cocktail . It was not all that crowded but we were dining early & again Halloween but the hostess gave us a good table vs sticking us at the station that was next! I and my group are fans of sharing so the menu was perfect! The four of us order the 4 appetizers to start. Shrimp and Fennel salad - great combination and something I will return for. Crab Rolls - yes fried, but delicately done and could taste the flavors. Short Rib on Lemon grass skewers were amazing. And please know I don't normally order beef or even meat but the meat was so tender it was truly amazing ( I almost ordered more). We ordered the hangar steak and Chicken Clay pot I was so in love with the appetizers I am not sure I would have been impressed with any entree. With that said, we finished both but we thought the chicken was a tad dry, almost felt it was missing extra sauce. I first learned about sticky rice at Rain so I thought sticky rice was only appropriate. So we had two orders of the sticky rice. Still love the idea of it and of course eating it with my hands but I know many do not like sticky rice. Last but least the service was perfect. They were very knowledge especially for such a new restaurant. They were friendly yet professional. Since it was Halloween I cannot make a fair comment on the vibe or crowd but when I return I will let you know. Lastly we are all currently being prudent but I think you will find their price point to be reasonable. I am hopefully this new restaurant is a success. Check it out! 212.507.0776 100 West 82nd street Julia |
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