One of the many things I love about New York City

Last night, we began our evening uptown on 84th and Broadway at a cocktail party.  The party was to welcome new parents to LREI,  our kids school.  We aren't new but I am a trustee so it is a nice annual event where new parents get to meet the trustees and the administration and each other.  Then we went down town to Apizz which couldn't be farther from where we were.  Corner of Eldridge between Stanton and Rivington.  But, what a great place.  Afterward we went to see the Veils at the Bowery Ballroom which is my favorite venue in NYC.

Apizz (pronounced Ah-beets) is a gem.  Walking down Eldridge which is basically a concrete jungle and stepping into Apizz makes you immediately take on a whole new perspective.  The room is warm, the lighting is low, the brick oven burning creates a glow throughout the space.  Service is friendly and the sound level is low.  But just in case you weren't sure about the atmosphere, which I really loved, the food is really good.  A definite return.

A basket of bread kicks off the meal that comes with crumbled ricotta in one bowl and a tomato Italian sauce in another.  Think salsa the Italian way.  The bread is soft and tasty.  A nice beginning.  For our first course, we all had a salad.  The salads are large and piled high.  I went with the baby arugula with cherry tomatoes and 2 Parmesan crisps.  Light, simple and refreshing.   Another person had the spinach salad which looked similar to mine, big and light.  Someone else had chopped romaine hearts with thin wedges of a delicious goat cheese.  Fred went with the octopus salad.  Cut up pieces of roasted octopus mixed in with thinly sliced red onions, sauteed pieces of celery and olives.  Quite tasty.

For dinner, someone had the pizza which is a little bigger than a book.  Square, very thin crust, and simple.  Right out of the fire burning oven.  Two people went with the lasagna which was really good.  Layers of pasta mixed using a wild boar ragu for the base.  Reminded me of Tuscany.  Flavorful and rich.  I had went with the meatballs.  Awesome.  Two large meals made of a mixture of ground pork, beef and veal stuffed with ricotta which oozes out of the top served over a flavorful tomato sauce.  Finishing the meatballs was a mistake, I was so full but they were so good I couldn't help myself. 

Dessert was skipped.  Enjoyed a nice bottle of red wine.  Nice evening, nice place, good food.  Can't beat it.  Sorry it took me so long to get there.

The Veils.  Unfortunately for me, they came on at 1030.  Fortunately for me, we saw 3 songs and called it a night.  They are really good live.  You can't beat the venue.  Small and intimate.  You feel like you are on stage with the band.  Perhaps a little hard for my taste but I had fun.

Three events back to back in one night, my kind of night.