Po Restaurant

Tucked away on Cornelia Street is an adorable restaurant called Po, a place where every table is in plain sight.  When I arrived, I was greeted by coat check, who was simply a man sitting in a chair who gave me a ticket and whisked my coat away to a far away land.  I was also greeted by the the waiter, bartender, busboy, and presumably the manager, which is the entire front of the house staff, all you need for a restaurant that seats 40 diners.  This staff is always visible and always attentive.   

While waiting for my date to arrive, I was seated and presented with a lovely bread basket and a plate of flavorful crostinis.  

As you know, I like to blog about deals.  And this place has a lovely deal:  If you dine between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., you get a complimentary glass of wine.  There are seven glasses of wine to choose from, that are normally between $9 and $12.  I assumed that there would be a house white and a house red as the complimentary glass.  But much to my surprise, you can choose ANY glass of wine for your complimentary drink.  AND they let you taste the wine before you commit to it.  Amazing!

The reason why I LOVE this deal is because at a restaurant where entrees are over $15, and I plan on getting a nice entree and an appetizer, I usually have to cut out the booze in order to afford the evening.  But here, I can go out for a nice dinner, and have a lovely glass of wine for free.  It is definitely a huge incentive for me!  

On to appetizers.  Price range is $9-$13, and there are several salads and hot dishes.  My boyfriend went for steamed clams and mussels.  I got the portobello mushroom salad.  The mussels and clams were really delicious.  They are really flavorful and hot.  The salad was very nice.  The mushroom was nicely cooked, and the salad was delightfully simple. 

I agonized over what to order for dinner.  The pasta dishes range from $15-$17, which is totally reasonable.  And the entrees were $19-$23.  Finding restaurants with dishes in this price range is my new goal.  I always seem to go to places where entrees are under $15, which is great, or over $24, which is for a special occasion.  But the places that offer entrees in the $16-$22 is perfect for that not-just-a-Friday-night-but-not-Valentine's-Day type of dinner.  My boyfriend thought that this place would be perfect for one of those first few dates you have with someone because the restaurant is not overly expensive, yet the quality of the food and the environment match that of an expensive restaurant. 

The boyfriend went for the Orecchiette with sweet sausage and broccoli rabe.  I had to decide between braised short ribs and the grilled guinea hen.  I could not decide, and my boyfriend encouraged me to ask the waiter.  The waiter said that the short ribs were really good, and that the hen was the favorite dish of several customers.  HEN IT IS!  

Alex really liked his pasta and the portion was huge.  For $17, you cannot go wrong!  You could probably even take some home with you.  As for me, this hen was the best chicken dish I have had in this city.  There was some sauce on top that almost seemed like the sauce they would put on the short ribs.  Usually I give Alex a bite but he had about 4 bites because he loved it too.  And the dish is only $20!  

I love that feeling after dinner where you feel pleasantly full, but not stuffed - aka ROOM FOR DESSERT.  All the desserts are $7, and as Alex said "you can't say no to a sundae." And we were glad we did not say no to the fresh mint gelato sundae.  That chocolate sauce really sealed the deal.  And nuts and cinnamon?  Yes please.

Summary: Po restaurant is fantastic.  Po offers seasonal menus and worked with all local vendors too!  The Village is filled with so many cute places, that the best way to pick one is to ask someone for a recommendation.  And I recommend Po!  Complimentary wine, fancy but not pretentiously expensive, great service, DELICIOUS food, and GREAT portions.

http://porestaurant.com/

Have a delicious day!
NYC Menu Girl