The Little Owl

For my birthday...Okay, okay, I know that my birthday was um exactly a month ago and it's slightly untimely that I'm only now getting round to sharing... But hey, better late than never!

Anyhooo, where was I? Right...For my birthday, I made dinner reservations for my friends and I to dine at The Little Owl.

Nestled on a quiet corner in Greenwich Village, The Little Owl does a beautiful job of capturing the spirit of neighborhood dining in NYC- warm and welcoming. With wooden-paneled floors and a ceiling made from antique stamped tin, the restaurant's unassuming size (about 10 tables) could either be interpreted as cozy or suffocating, depending on what mood you're in.

Upon being seated in a cozy corner booth, we were served bubbly --compliments of the chef/owner Joey Campanaro (My boss knows Chef Campanaro and told him we were coming in). Because it was my birthday, I was in a joyous mood. But on the other hand, I was dealing with a wine-stuck-in-France-thank-you-very-much-Eyjafjallajokull situation, so I was very anxious. I guess you could say that the bubbly was much appreciated :)

For starters, I considered ordering The Little Owl's famed meatball sliders made from a variety of meats including pork, beef and veal. However, the guilt from the weekend of over-indulgence was overwhelming and I ended up with the lobster soup with lobster chunks and chives (how this is a healthier option I do not know). The lobster chunks were fresh and succulent, but the soup itself was a tad on the heavy side and almost overpowered the taste of the lobster chunks. I should know by now that I should always stick with my first instinct.

For my main course, I ordered the crispy chicken with asparagus home fries, lemon, sherry and dijon. Usually, I am not one to order chicken at a restaurant, but for some reason, fried chicken sounded amazingly comforting... and comfort was what I was seeking! My crispy chicken tasted like fine-dining's answer to fried chicken. The meat was juicy and flavorful, and the skin on top was perfectly salty and delectably crispy. Additionally, the accompanying asparagus and potatoes were well-cooked and seasoned. My one complaint about the dish is that it starts out strong but sort of peters out as you finish up -- I loved my first couple of bites but somehow wasn't wowed as I continued eating.

And for dessert, my friends and I split the chocolate tort cake with vanilla ice cream...

and the rhubarb crisp with mascarpone sorbet. The chocolate torte cake was more of a lava chocolate cake and I truly dislike false "advertising". Moreover, it was a little dry for my liking. As for the rhubard crisp, it was a great combination of hot and cold but in my opinion had too much sugar, which masked the sour taste of the rhubarb. I will say though that the mascarpone sorbet was delicious and added a lovely finishing touch to the plate.

Details:
The Little Owl
90 Bedford Street
New York, NY 10014
212-741-4695