Irving on Irving
I'm not sure what the heck this new restaurant's name is. I've seen it
called Irving Irving, Irving and Irving, but I'm sticking with what's
written on the menu. This confusing place peaked my curiosity when I heard
they did some new take on the Philly cheesesteak. That's a sandwich near and
dear to my heart. And since Irving on Irving happened to be right on the way
to where I was meeting acquaintances, it seemed like a good opportunity to
sniff it out.
Unfortunately, the cheesesteak is on the lunch menu so we had to opt for
dinner fare. There was absolutely nothing wrong with anything, but I
couldn't choose an entree for the life of me. Nothing jumped out at me. The
appetizers were appealing, the pizzas sounded good, but the entrees lacked a
pizzazz I craved. To start, I had sangria and a nice antipasti with a
generous selection of cured meats (do I ever love cured meat), olives and
cheese.
I ended up choosing the salmon with a vegetable ragout over something
that could've been beans or a thick round grain (I was tired and didn't
scrutinize before I ordered). It was perfectly edible, even good, but my
socks weren't knocked off. James's kielbasa with potatoes and red sauerkraut
in an extremely sweet sauce (honey? maple?) didn't seem like a bad choice
either.
The vibe is small, cozy, agreeable and possibly better suited to lunch.
It's a neighborhood type of place, and I'm often nearby so it's not
inconceivable that I'll be back.
Closed: It's Casa Mono now.
Irving on Irving * 52 Irving Pl., New York, NY
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