Maybe it was the large party of 10 who arrived just after us or maybe it was the post holiday blues.... but whatever it was, my most recent dining experience at Pomodoro Rosso can only be summed up in one word.... disappointing.
Having ventured up...to the area of the Lincoln Center to see a wonderful small museum, The Museum of American Folk Art (see my review) I searched on Trip Advisor for a nearby restaurant to eat. I searched for Italian, French and seafood restaurants and Pomodoro Rosso showed up as one of the top places priced at between $$ and $$$ . Granted the restaurant was ranked at #845 of the 10,000+ restaurants in NYC , but that still placed it in the top 10% which I concluded was high enough to insure that I would have a decent meal..... but that was a bad assumption.
On the positive side the interior is very warm and inviting.... it can get a bit noisy given. the number of tables squeezed in but none the less it was fine. The same goes with the service ...it was pleasant and efficient.
Accept for the bread and service, the entree , the wine, the prices and the value were all disappointing...
Whenever I try out a restaurant for the first time, not knowing what they specialize in, I stick to the basics . If an Italian restaurant cant prepare good basic Italian dishes I'm surely not going to venture trying their specials of the day. Consequently, I ordered the veal parmesan and my friend ordered a pasta dish with salmon.
In less than 5 mins time from placing our order our dishes were served.... my guest and I looked at one another and my guest questioned how the food could have been carefully prepared so quickly ? hmmmm, I wonder <G> ....This clearly was not a good sign. The food arrived piping hot as if it had just been removed from the microwave ... although the presentation was fine, both dishes lacked any distinct flavor and the veal was just tough and tasteless and way too hot to enjoy without letting it cool down.... when they say something tastes like shoe leather this was the case with this veal.
Along with our entrees we ordered two glasses of average house wine that at $14/ glass was way over priced.
After finishing our wine and paying our $80 + bill for lunch , my guest and I quickly departed seeking another establishment to enjoy desert and coffee.
Its really quite sad that in a city known for great Italian culture and cuisine how hard it is to find a good Italian restaurant. Although there is a GREAT place in SoHo if you look for it in my list of reviews.More