Regional Restaurant is the most recent tenant in a slew of failed restaurants to occupy the location of a once proud Famous Original Rays. In my estimation (and it is not a well researched one), Regional has lasted the longest of all the attempts save the original Rays Pizza. In its current form this restaurant offers a casual Italian experience with a touch of tapas style appetizers and a bunch of well designed pasta dishes. The menu is well thought out and designed to accommodate both the large portion of families in the Upper West Side who seek the traditional three course meal and the many students and young adults who venture south from Columbia University and other points, seeking more of a tapas experience. The atmosphere created in this Italian restaurant is similar to that of the previously reviewed restaurants on the Upper West Side, an neighborhood atmosphere. The staff is very friendly and the restaurant even boasts a communal table where groups of varying sizes can all share in a larger table while enjoying their dinner. In general the dinner is an enjoyable but not memorable experience. In fact what is memorable is that this is an Italian restaurant that doesn’t serve pizza. Perhaps to some that signifies a type of defiance that appears refreshing and new in the face of conformity. To me it reflects an undersized kitchen that is not well equiped for the needs of a true Italian restaurant. I’ve been to many parts of Italy and though the New York style of pizza is American, pizza (in its wonderful thin crust version) is definitively Italian.
Now this restaurant is more than just a dinner place however, they do a weekend brunch that in my observation draws a far larger crowd than the dinner does. Their brunch is nothing special and in fact comes with numerous frustrations due to cost cuts, but it has one saving grace that brings people (even me) back over and over again, unlimited mimosas! Once you order one ($6.00) mimosa, the staff will continually refill it as many times as you want. And I will be honest, you’d expect with a deal like that that the mimosas would be extremely watered down, and yet it is not the case with these at all. These mimosas are certainly well balanced. But on the other hand, many aspects of the brunch leave you unfulfilled. For example a table of two and a table of four both receive the same number (4) of mini-muffins when seated. I personally believe that when providing a sample a muffins there should be at least two of every flavor and at least two for each person. Worse than that, when my table ordered a second serving of muffins (to allow everyone to sample each flavor), we were charged ($6.00) and received the same number. Beyond these side notes, the food itself is not bad but is over priced for the quantity. In reality it is a breakfast/lunch masquerading as a brunch. The last problem with the brunch stems from the flexibility of the menu to accommodate different types of patrons. When the college kids come down to enjoy unlimited mimosas, they establish an environment that annoys and disrupts the families who are presumably there for the food. I have been a member of both types and over the past year have noticed a decrease in families there for brunch versus dinner.
Before getting into the ranking I will conclude by saying that despite my criticism I am a return visitor (I mean you can’t argue with unlimited mimosas) but I only go for dinner when the weather is too rough to make it the extra distance to Acqua on Amsterdam and 95th (to be reviewed, check back soon).
The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):
Food: 2 Straws (nothing special for dinner and its brunch items are disappointing).
Price: $$$traws, Expensive (minimum $30-$35 for a two course dinner and a drink).
Atmosphere: Casual and welcoming (but very noisy during brunch).
Overall: 2 Straws (the food is good and the brunch has its moments but overall there are better places to go).
The Details:
Website: http://www.regionalnyc.com/
Location: 2607 Broadway, between 99th & 98th street, Manhattan, New York.
Phone: (212) 666-1915
Reservation: No need. Open Table
Dress: Casual.
Hours:
Monday- Wednesday: 5:00pm- 11:00pm
Thursday & Friday: 5:00pm- 11:30pm
Saturday: 11:00am- 4:00pm Brunch, 5:00pm- 11:30pm Dinner
Sunday: 11:00am- 4:00pm Brunch, 5:00pm- 10:30pm Dinner
huysmans
washdcgirl
10 responses so far ↓
Jody Arenella // June 11, 2008 at 1:20 pm |
Wow, that was some comment. I host Regional’s brunch. That was a very intersting write up you wrote. First off, many NYC Italilan Restaurants don’t have pizza. I am sorry that the food is not so great, please come to me next time you come and you can give me your suggestions on how the food can be better or if something could be added to the menu. You are right when you say we don’t water down the mimosas, however, you couldn’t be more wrong in that we never, ever have charged for more muffins. If you can bring me your receipt I will refund you the $6.00, it must have been a mistake.
Regards,
Jody
huysmans // June 11, 2008 at 2:59 pm |
Jody,
Thank you very much for your comment. Coffee Straws is a new site and we greatly appreciate the visit and the comments. I will try and address the questions you raised but please let me know if I have missed something.
I agree about NYC restaurants and can think of many myself that don’t serve pizza. I brought it up here because Regional informed me that they were going for an authentic experience. That is not an answer as pizza is part of an authentic experience. Secondly I appreciate what you are saying about the muffins but I’ve been to the brunch at least five times and every time (with different servers) I have never gotten a refill and the one time we requested it, we were charged for the side of muffins which was the same as the complimentary basket brought at the beginning. How can a side that you pay for be equal in quantity to what is free?
The food in my opinion is only average because it tries too hard. Most of the pasta dishes are over loaded with items, I am a huge fan of simplicity. Vico (http://www.vico-restaurant.com/index.html) is a restaurant that delivers a more authentic experience.
But perhaps Regional is going for a neighborhood experience. If that was the case then I would have strongly considered having pizza on the menu, to a long time Upper West Sider like myself (21 years) to have an Italian restaurant go into the location of the great Rays Pizza and not serve pizza itself is adding insult to injury. I in no way blame Regional for it but Regional will always be the replacement to someone like me.
Again Jody thank you for your comments. And please don’t worry about the $6.00. You have inspired me to try both their dinner and brunch once more but this time I’d love recommendations from you. What are the signature dishes that I should try in order to have the “Regional” experience?
Sincerely,
Huysmans, The Coffee Straws Team
Jody Arenella // June 11, 2008 at 3:14 pm |
Thanks for responding to me so quickly. First off, I don’t think the owners had any idea that there ever was a pizza place previously in this spot. The restaurant before Regional was a Peruvian restaurant, do you think we should be serving Cerviche?
The intention of the muffins is to give a little something while you are waiting for your meal. We do not normally give refills. When someone does ask for refills we definitely oblige. Most people don’t even eat them. We end up throwing alot away. We are not in the habit of wasting food.
I would recommend the Fried Egg Sandwich, Pandoratto (french toast sandwich with ricotta cheese in the middle served with honey), French toast (very thick), goat chse om., salm. om., pasta with vodka sauce are the favorites.
I hope this helps.
huysmans // June 11, 2008 at 4:19 pm |
I have had the Pandoratto and did enjoy it. But it seems to be a one time thing for me as it is a little intense. I am disappointed to hear that about the muffins, after all this talk of my desire for refills on them I assume it is obvious that I greatly enjoy them.
But the first comment I must disagree with. Even though that Peruvian restaurant was the first time in my life that I tried heart, it didn’t last nearly long enough to become a neighborhood spot. The Rays Pizza was an established place and had been there for longer than I had at the time. I have fond memories of afternoons wasted away at Rays and the endless pizzas served. No similar experience was ever established with the Peruvian place whose name I can’t even remember.
I agree that Regional has some good dishes but overall its brunch experience (a very American tradition) does not live up to what I look for in a brunch. Take the French toast for example, yes it is thick but it is all you get, two cubes of toast. A brunch is about the intersection between breakfast and lunch and should include a diversity of tastes ranging from breakfast items to lunch items. Therefore when one chooses to go breakfast, it must come complete with a side of fruit or something, especially at the prices Regional charges. I will admit this though, my friend ordered one of the omelettes once and I noticed it did come with diversity of tastes on the place unlike the French toast.
Again I appreciate the ongoing dialogue and like I said originally I will be back for the weekend brunch as a student (as my family has become discouraged by the atmosphere of the mimosa drinking collegians) many many times and hopefully next time when I order more muffins we won’t get charged for it.
Jody Arenella // June 11, 2008 at 6:29 pm |
I refuse to fight with you on these issues that are both important to me and you but on totally different spectrums. However, I ask of you one thing and that is if you continue to write this blog that you do it responsibly and remember you have the capacity to reach many people and that most restaurant owners are not big corporations and that we are not in the business to give away everything. You want mimosas and now muffins for free? THIS IS A BUSINESS. You are dealing with people who have families and work extremely hard. So, I ask that you remember that. So please, come to Regional and enjoy it. Please try not to dissect every little thing. Enjoy it for what it is, a neighborhood restaurant where people come to enjoy and relax. If you give it a chance you will meet the regulars that hang out at the bar who keep coming back and enjoy it.
David Thomas // June 12, 2008 at 3:53 pm |
A little perspective here may be helpful. First, please appreciate Ms. Arenella that it is only with the advent of the blogosphere that you as the service provider are able to comment on the review of the crtic. For most of my adult life the makers of movies, the musicians in orchestras, the actors on stage, the chefs in kitchens, and the writers of books have had no forum in which to respond to their critics. Instead of admonishing the critic to be responsible you might try being grateful for the right to post. As to the particulars of the spat, you might also remember that the diner, the hungry patron, in short, your customer cares not a whit about you as a business, nor the lives of your employees, because if you fail another will quickly take the space. No, what the diner quests is satisfaction and value and as a SERVICE business you must always remember that the customer comes first. I appluad your efforts to reduce food waste, but you might also consider closing all of your doors on 90 degree days to conserve energy just as you do on a cold wintry night. As a business owner myself I am driven both by reducing costs while maintaining quality and by always exceeding the demands of my customers.
Leslie Hanson // June 13, 2008 at 8:10 am |
I too have dined at Regional, and found this review interesting in many ways–most of which I agree with. The portions are satisfying and the mimosas are well made, but I was dissatisfied with the size of the plate of complimentary muffins and too was surprised when an order of muffins ($6.00, as stated in the review) was the exact same plate. Though very whimsical and unique in their presentation, huysmans makes a good point: more people, more muffins. Having worked in food service I understand that the plates may already be made or designated on an assembly line of sorts, which makes sense, but as the host of the restaurant I would not be discouraged by the blogger’s comments, as they are made to not only help hopeful customers but also to help you. Most of huysman’s key criticisms are easily amendable: A quantity of complimentary muffins rational to the number of guests per table, a ‘traditional’ (this is debatable) addition to the menu or two; of which pizza was mentioned, which subsequently would bridge the gap between brunch and dinner, as a universal menu item, and an altering of the portions of some of the menu items. My most recent meals at Regional were the Penne with Salmon in Vodka sauce and the Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil Omelette, both of which were very satisfying in size and quality of taste. The final criticism, which involves the audience, is an unfortunate culprit of the size of the restaurant–perhaps a different seating arrangement may help? I am unsure what to advise on this one.
That said, I have enjoyed every meal at Regional and am a repeat customer, as is huysmans. I would not take offense to this review but rather see it as a critique that will only make the restaurant stronger. Regional is doing a lot right with its brunch strategy, and that brand of ingenuity will only strengthen the restaurant once applied to the other meals.
Jody Arenella // June 13, 2008 at 2:20 pm |
We absolutely value what each one of you have to say! It is extremely helpful. I think this muffin situation has gotten out of hand. We definitely try to give more when there are more people. I apologize if you have not gotten adequate amounts. It is sometimes hard to have people follow instructions, but we do try! It is a given that a table of 4 definitely get more muffins than a table of 2. And most of the time when people ask for more muffins with out any question new muffins are given.
I have to tell you honestly that I have asked each of my waiters if anyone is charging $6.00 for a muffin plate and they are all telling me they are not. So, I have to go here with “the customer is always right” and remind them once again they we do not charge for extra muffins.
Thanks so much and enjoy!
izzy // June 13, 2008 at 8:53 pm |
Having dined at Regional myself, I feel compelled to join the discussion. First, I must admit that I didn’t take note of the muffin issue, so I can’t comment on the amount of muffins (or lack-there-of) that is given to each table, depending on the amount of people. However, a point was raised about authenticity in the food at Regional. This, I can speak to. I, like huysmans, have been to Italy and enjoyed basically every meal I’ve had. Now let me explain a bit about myself. I am a picky eater. I like simplicity in my food. Oddly enough, Italy has some of the simplest dishes around! There was always the option of pasta in a meat sauce (one of my all-time favorite dishes) at most any restaurant in Italy. So when I went to Regional, I thought that the menu would resemble that of an actual Italian restaurant. After examining the menu, I found something that seemed to be similar to a meat sauce dish, so I ordered it. While the food was good by most standards, it wasn’t what I had experienced in Italy. It was much more, well, complicated. I was disappointed. I can honestly say that I have never been excited to go back to Regional.
My advice: Stop trying so hard. Italian food can be simple. It doesn’t always need more.
Acqua: Real Italian pizza in the middle of the city that invented American pizza « COFFEE STRAWS // August 10, 2008 at 5:01 pm |
[...] Acqua will be the subject of this review. I first introduced Acqua when reviewing Regional as a destination I would choose over Regional unless the weather would not permit the extra travel. [...]