very homey, casual, unpretentious atmosphere. i really liked the layout, bar in the front with the maitre d’ station farther back. then, the dining room, divided by a tree that’s been split in half with a fountain trickling down from the front of the room to the back. very nature-y without feeling like you’re in a lodge. from the tree sprung massive bouquets of white flowers and sticks. made for a great division of the room, keeping the feel intimate even though the place was packed.
the bread basket, i think, is a good indicator of the creativity of a restaurant. it’s standard. every place has it, it’s all about what you do with it. what kind of bread? is it warm? how is the butter served? at five points, the bread is, well, standard. there was one piece that had a crispy, charred crust, but the other two slices i didn’t even try. i did, however, really appreciate the butter. it was served in pad form and at room temperature, thank you. there’s nothing more frustrating than wrestling with a cold, round hunk of butter. also paired with the bread and butter was a pickled slaw of sorts. i didn’t try it on the bread, but tried it on its own. i like pickled food, but didn’t quite see the connection to the bread.
to start, the highly-recommended wood oven pizzetta with fontina cheese, yukon gold potatoes and truffle oil. i read another blog that claimed otto should take lessons from five points’ pizza…completely disagree. yes the pizza was tasty with the cheese and potatoes (unlikely, but great topping), but the crust was a bit thicker than i’d like, and it lacked the char and smoke factor you get at otto. still good, just not as stellar as expected.
entrees…i went with the sucking pig (young pig only fed its mother’s milk, traditionally roasted). to me, this was a glorified pork chop, without the chop. the meat was darker and little moister, but wasn’t as adventurous as i’d imagined. there was no crispy skin and parts of the pig were a bit chewy. furthermore, the plating wasn’t there. i guess they were going for the comfort food feel, but it felt a bit messy. beneath the pig was a concoction of cauliflower and other veggies, which i found kind of mushy. the broth, or sauce, was delicious. i put the bread to good use here.
caitlin went with the black cod. i love black cod, never really had one that i didn’t like. the fish is extremely moist and the combination here with sauteed spinach and slices of crispy potatoes was a nice bed to sop up all the juices from the cod. really liked this.
and now the good stuff, dessert. the special that night was profiteroles with espresso gelato and a chocolate sauce. the actual profiterole was not as crispy and flaky as it could have been. the gelato was insanely rich. it was like having an espresso and eating an incredibly smooth, creamy gelato all at the same time. now otto has some competition. i am a choco-holic and this could be a point not shared by all, but the chocolate sauce was a little on the skimpy side.
atmosphere: 9 / 10
service: 8 / 10
value: 8 / 10
food: 14 / 20
overall: 39 / 50
31 great jones st. @ lafayette (noho)
212.253.5700
$$$ / $$$$$
american nouveau
plate expectations 
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