04.15.09
Review of Islero, Saturday March 2009
247 E.50th St. & 3rd/2nd Aves., 212-752-1414
Great for: sharing, live music, fun inexpensive dinner, dates
This was a very busy day for me. I was out the night before, and slept about an hour before taking off at 6am to snowboard. Around noon I caught an edge and flipped several times before landing on my shoulder and (fortunately helmeted) head. We had to go back to Manhattan so I could see a doctor without paying a fortune. Turned out my clavicle was broken in three totally displaced pieces. The doctor actually said as he showed me the x ray, “So this is pretty bad…”
- I think he was understating it, actually.
But I’d had enough hydrocodone, Percocet and Vicodin that I wasn’t crying any more and I made it to my dear friend Dominique’s birthday dinner in acceptable time.
We started with a bunch of small plates. The trio of croquettas was great. I couldn’t decide which was my favorite among the pork, crab and cauliflower. They were all interesting combinations, though tiny. The empanadas with veal, roasted red pepper, currant and salsa verde were all right, not special. I liked the crisp thin outsides – unfortunately the insides didn’t quite measure up. Everyone except me loved the sweet and salty plantains with sea salt caramel, cilantro and crème fraîche. But then I hate plantains. I found them a little sweet though nice otherwise. The roasted fingerling potatoes with chipotle aioli were more my speed. We liked the tiny beef and pork meatballs, though they were a tad dry. Also, the tamarind-chipotle barbecue sauce was too sweet and abundant.
I think the best thing we ate was the crisp, small and tender calamari in five spice corn flour. The chipotle mayo sauce was great, the squid so well-executed it could have been fish! We definitely wanted more despite the generous size of the dish. Though the grilled shrimp and asparagus over rice with chorizo and creamy shallot vinaigrette was smaller than we thought it’d be, it was also very good, especially the sour note of the sauce contrasting with the cream.
P, our lone vegetarian, found the ensalada tropical with fruits, nuts and cheese sweet but refreshing. His special vegetarian plate was ok, but they pretty much brought the exact things we asked them not to. The flight of three ceviches is a good bet. The mango snapper was tiny and all right; I liked the decent amount of tuna better, and the salmon, though a bit sour, the best.
We loved the rich Grand Marnier chocolate cake with vanilla anglaise and raspberry sauce. They even put a candle in it for Dominique, and the two members of the Gipsy Kings performing in the front sang her happy birthday! Apparently they have live music here often. We enjoyed the El Besito cocktail with cava, strawberry and rose syrup so much we mainly just ordered that. The espumosos are good too.
Our waitress wasn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier but she tried at least. The restaurant is quite big with two long rooms. I liked the lovely granite tabletops, minimalist décor and nice candlelit ambience. It would be great for a date and it was certainly fun for Dominique’s party.
Rating: 8 / 10
Our cost: $350 for 6 people (5 small plates, 3 apps, ceviche flight, veg plate, 11 cocktails)
Noise level: the live music was loud but it rocked
Chance of walking in: not too bad.
