We were hungry and making our way up first Avenue yesterday after a pleasant and relaxing weekend and wanted a bite to eat. The bright and sterile looking facade of Green Kitchen immediately drew... More

We were hungry and making our way up first Avenue yesterday after a pleasant and relaxing weekend and wanted a bite to eat. The bright and sterile looking facade of Green Kitchen immediately drew our attention and brought us in after a quick glance at the menu to check that there'd be something to eat. We were surprised by how clean and tidy everything was and the service was fantastic. It was around 8 pm on a Sunday night - and the restaurant was very empty - so we received lots of water and people checking up on us. The waitstaff was nice and helpful and the food was very good. The prices were reasonable. We especially enjoyed the goat cheese and arugula salad. Yum!
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The new and (should I say?) improved Green Kitchen recently re-opened after being shuttered for 6 months for renovations, and I'm already wishing they hadn't. While the new decor is very sleek and... More

The new and (should I say?) improved Green Kitchen recently re-opened after being shuttered for 6 months for renovations, and I'm already wishing they hadn't. While the new decor is very sleek and the staff has been rejuvenated to younger models, the service simply was horrible. If a restaurant isn't ready to open, they simply shouldn't open, rather than inflicting their lack of expertise on poor, unsuspecting diners. Upon arriving, we were seated immediately and then waited ten minutes to place our orders from the abbreviated photo-copied menu. They had recently opened so we understood the menu hadn't been printed yet, but we could see that given the reduced menu, it shouldn't have taken 45 minutes for our food to arrive. That was also how long it took for our drinks and bread basket to arrive as well. Not that there was a shortage, because everyone else around us were happily munching away on focaccia and quelling their thirst, even those who arrived after us. When I finally got my shrimp and scallops dinner, not only did it look like a kids' meal, but they got my sides wrong. As for my husband, his pork chop was so tough, in addition to the lack of a steak knife to cut through it. He practically had to rip it apart with his bare hands, considering the knife he had was so useless. Delirious from starvation, I sent my dish back, paid for my juice and left to the sound of other diners complaining about their wait time to order. I'll give the manager that he apologized at the end, but you know when it's too little, too late? That was befitting to the situation here. I never thought I would say this, but I miss the dingy decor and Eastern Bloc waitresses with attitude from the old Green Kitchen. At least then, they made no pretenses about what they were. Never again.
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Currently closed for renovations, but I used to frequent the restaurant quite often. The food varied from delicious to inedible, depending on which chef was on duty. Standard diner fare, some... More

Currently closed for renovations, but I used to frequent the restaurant quite often. The food varied from delicious to inedible, depending on which chef was on duty. Standard diner fare, some decent pasta dishes, and OK fish dishes (though I was not too happy when one of my dining companions ordered the Brook Trout Almadine and it was served with the fish's head still attached). A small variety of soups but usually quite good. The regular waitstaff was friendly and competent though some of them were a little too friendly, fawning over certain tables and virtually ignoring others. All in all, a typical -- by no means extraordinary -- diner experience. I will NOT be returning to this restaurant after it reopens though, as soon after it closed I was walking down the street where the restaurant is located and saw that they had disposed of hundreds of credit card receipts, all intact and containing people's entire credit card numbers, by throwing piles of the receipts into the street. Needless to say, I checked my accounts for unusual activity and encouraged my friends who ate there to do so as well. Such carelessness with such incredibly delicate information is a deal-breaker in my opinion. If you're going to go to the Green Kitchen, I strongly suggest you pay cash.
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