Lively, hip eaterie in an oh-so-hip neighborhood; used to have great food, now only good/fair
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Just went to Paladar last night; had not been there in ages. The restaurant is located on a lively, 'hipster' street in the Lower East Side, one of the hippest spots in Manhattan (and not very accessible by bus/train; the nearest train is the 2nd avenue stop on the F line and then about a 10 minute walk to the restaurant).
As you near Paladar, you hear the loud music and the lively crowds (the doors/windows are open onto the street and on a lovely summer evening, a light breeze feels wonderful.
The bar is located in front to the right with diners sitting at low tables to the left and in the dining room in the back (caution: the front door is not wheelchair friendly as there are two to three narrow steps that lead into the restaurant).
The house drink is the mojito (rum, sugar cane, mint) but the other drinks are equally refreshing. I tried a champagne from Patagonia (for $6 it was decent but not real champagne because technically it can only be called champagne if it's from France). But the margaritas are good.
They don't accept reservations unless you're a party of six or larger and they will automatically add 18% tip to your total, whether or not you like the service/food.
I have to say the food is slipping and I'm disappointed by this because previously the food was outstanding.
I'd still recommend the arugula salad with cheese and walnuts (but how can anyone really screw this dish?), the sopes (which are corn tarts (four of them) filled with black beans, guacamole (yum) and cheese. These are very filling so if you do order these, then you may want to try something light as an entree or as another appetizer.
One of the best 'freebies' here are the chips (blue and yellow) that are served free with their corn and black bean dips. The corn dip is heavenly almost like a hummus, very creamy and tasty.
The ceviche (shrimp and scallops) was not very good. It was bland, not very citrusy (as promised) and lost in a pool of muddled citrus broth (kind of gross to look at and taste).
The market fish of the day was mahi mahi and it was okay; the grilled vegetables served with it tasted a lot better than the fish.
I'd say the very best part about my dinner at Paladar was the unexpected celebrity sighting - Dustin Hoffmann. He was there with his wife and one of his kids surrounded by his kid's friends (a table of 20 something hipsters). I'd say saying hello to Dustin (ultra friendly and yes, he is short) was the highlight of my dinner at Paladar.
My advice? Go during happy hour (5 to 7pm weekdays) and enjoy drink specials and indulge in the free chips and dips. And if need be, get the sopes; order anything else and you might be disappointed.