I Have a Restaurant Recommendation

[foggymountain]

Chef Donatella Arpaia, an Iron Chef, has a restaurant on 8th Ave between 19th and 20th st in Manhattan. I discovered it a few weeks ago and like it so much it has become my favorite go to place when I am too lazy to cook. Wonderful European American food, a comfortable bar and friendly employees make this a great spot. Donatella is unusually personable and friendly. She makes you feel right at home. Prices are not high at all for New York, and she is a beautiful woman. Gets 5 of 5 stars on the Foggymountain restaurant rating scale (Foggy was in restaurant corporate management and worked for years as a chef garde manger and ice carver). Message me if you have any questions.

 

[chopsie]

Whats the name of the place?

 

[allan]

Foggy

I wouldn't mind trying it
Name?

 

[foggymountain]

You can tell I am getting old & forgetful. It is called DONATELLA.

 

[ssjones]

Hey thanks, I'll look it up the next time I'm in Manhattan, perhaps you can join me.

 

[numbersix]

Thanks Foggy. Definitely one of the benefits of living in Manhatten is great restaurants. If we ever get to go again, will remember to drop by.

 

[foggymountain]

Al: You are on. It is a block from where I met you last year.

 

[ssjones]

Perfect, an easy subway ride from Penn Station. I'll give you a shout when I'm up that way again.

 

[foggymountain]

My wife and I went to Donatellas's tonight. Not a seat open, but the the hard working manager and staff took good care of us. I can recommend the cold cucumber soup and the veal meatballs. And they have an amazing garlic bread which is like a soft garlic pizza with no tomato sauce. Best garlic bread I have ever had. Avoid the gelato which is too sweet, a rare error for them. The guys at the next table had pizza made there, and they were raving about it. Way above regular pizza, it looked like the pizza we used to Get in Nice France 40-45 years ago. BTW I was a restaurant manager, chef, district supervisor and training director for many years (80 hours a week for 20 years = 40 years) and used to run the private gentleman's club that had the best food in NJ, the DownTown Club (1913 to 1982). Donatella's kitchen is almost as good, though the restaurant is far more noisy and crowded on weekends. Fish is not as good as it was years ago. Now it is mostly farmed and very fatty. Don't get it. Go Mon to Thurs. It has become my regular hangout.

 

[foggymountain]

I was supposed to meet a painter friend at Donatella's today, my regular hangout around the corner. She was closed. Most likely it was a slow day for them in previous years and she didn't want to pay holiday overtime. Can't blame her for ditching a money losing day, but if you are building a business continuity, availability and consideration for the customers is important. I was in the restaurant business for a long time. I would have been open with a reduced staff, maybe one bartender, one waiter, one person in the kitchen and an abbreviated menu. It is also time to point out that although this is the best restaurant in Chelsea by far, Donatella is rarely there. I never heard of a restaurant owner taking off on a Friday night, when every seat is full. We used to have a saying, "you can't run a profitable restaurant from the golf course." I know she has a husband and baby, but that business is what it is. Just ask Al. Work comes first. Then again, maybe things have changed, and that might be a good idea. It is still a great bar and eatery. Happy 4th, chef!

 

[ovidsmuse]

Another chef 0n that show also has an awesome place outside of Santa Rosa CA called Zazu, highly recommend it.

 

[foggymountain]

Ovid: What is the show? Where and when may it be seen?

 

[foggymountain]

I met Radio at Donatella's tonight. We both really enjoyed it. They were good to us.

 

[radio807]

Good food, good company and good conversation combined to make a great evening. I look forward to the next time.

 

[foggymountain]

I keep going to Donatella's. Almost everything is good there, but sometimes just a bit overcooked because Donatella, the head chef and owner is not there that often. I met the pastry chef the other day, a woman named Andrey. And had a taste of my date's dessert, something with fresh grated coconut. Was that good. The manager Stephan is a pro who is to be commended for his extraordinary efforts. As is the regular bartender, Sal. It is still my favorite hangout, replacing the deteriorating Peter McManus Cafe, which has been open since the end of prohibition, and is falling apart quickly. By the way I am a former restaurant and bar manager and district supervisor, and I was a known ballbuster in the business. At one of my restaurants they used to say, behind my back, "watch out, the Undertaker is here." I found this out years later by dating a waitress who had worked there towards the end of my tenure. This was long before the wrestling Undertaker.

 

[foggymountain]

Donatella's is still my favorite restaurant, but the cracks are showing. Last night I ordered chicken Parmesan with tomato sauce. It was really shameful. First of all how can you maintain integrity and use mozzarella instead of Parmesan while calling it Parmesan? That should be against the law. Then, sin of all sins, the tomato sauce was made out of canned products! It tasted like paste and puree. I expect that from the pizzeria on the corner, not a celebrity chef. I told the manager that one day I would teach Donatella how to make tomato sauce. He was shocked, but managed to say "constructive criticism is always welcome." A good tomato sauce is made with fresh, very ripe tomatoes only, not paste, puree or canned tomatoes. You ripen them in the kitchen window. They did offer to take the charge off the bill, but being hungry I ate it, and insisted on paying for it.

Now the dessert was another matter. They have a pastry chef named Andrey. Her work is so extraordinary that I summoned her up from the basement to thank her. I told her it was my failing not to have flowers to throw on her head as she ascended. Still a very good restaurant, but no longer to be considered great, or 4 star. But the prices are not 4 star either. And the staff, incredibly hospitable and friendly, makes up for the rare failure of the kitchen.

 

[radio807]

Your description of how tomato sauce should be prepared matches my mother's method from back in the day. Every Sunday morning she would go through the ritual and get the sauce on the stove just before we went off to Mass (some Italians refer to it as "gravy," while I come from the "sauce" denomination). My grandfather would tend to it while we were out. I grew up in a house where almost nothing came from a can. Good days, good food.
As for Donatella's, I guess your disappointment is due in part to the fact that you know the restaurant business and you know how food should be prepared. In other words, you know too much and therefore hold restaurateurs and chefs to a much higher standard than most of the rest of us; no different from any other profession when you take on the role of customer instead of provider.

 

[ssjones]

I'm a little less discerning in my food critiques, but food service sanitation is my Achilles heel when dining out. Sometimes you just don't really want to know....

 

[tanless1]

Do they have truck parking, or a capable valet?

 

[foggymountain]

No they don't. Parking is very difficult in Chelsea.