Certainly Not My Last Supper

OK, OK, I have fallen a little behind in posting on here...I'm sorry. Again. This summer proved to be one of my best, and also one of my busiest. I spent so much time out of town, going out to dinner, and out for drinks...leaving little time to work on Miss Menu. On a positive note, this has resulted in dozens of restaurants for me to review, so take my word for it...many postings to come. Now that Fall is upon us, it's time to get down to business!

It was my friend BS's birthday a few weeks ago, and his brother JS and girlfriend JW organized a surprise dinner for him. Big group dinners are always a blast, but this one was one of the best NYC dining experiences I've had in a while. When we arrived at Supper, we were lead through the restaurant, then through the wine cellar, entering into this small private dining room. The best way I can describe the atmosphere of this room (and the whole restaurant really) is Old World elegance meets rustic Italian charm. The antique wallpapered walls are scattered with shelves of empty wine bottles. Old Venetian glass chandeliers give the room a warm glow. The whole room feels like you've walked right into a Tuscan villa. It was a fantastic ambiance and made Miss Menu very excited for this supper to begin!
On top of such a great room, we were also waited on hand and foot by a very knowledgeable waiter. He was constantly refilling our wine glasses, asking if we needed anything, and explaining various dishes on the menu. In addition to the regular menu, Supper has an entire special menu that changes daily, as well as dishes that are available on different days of the week. After much deliberation (what else is new!), we all decided to order a bunch of appetizers and salads, and then each order our own entree.

We started with orders of crostini, mozzarella di bufala, grilled asparagus, roasted beets, and an avocado salad. The crostini was served with a garlicky white bean dip drenched in olive oil. It was pretty potent, but very tasty. The mozzarella was unlike any I have ever seen or tasted...so fresh. Once the skin was pierced, it fell apart onto the tomato and basil on the plate. It may sound crazy, but I don't eat tomatoes. But don't get me wrong, I still thoroughly enjoyed dipping the crostini in the mozzarella! The grilled asparagus were cooked to perfection...still had a nice crunch to them and had a great pecorino cheese was sprinkled on top. The avocado salad was served with romaine, roasted corn, and olive oil. The avocado was very ripe, but the salad itself needed a little boost...so we added some lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.

At this point, I was definitely pretty satisfied with the meal and could have easily called it quits. Unfortunately (or maybe forunately!), the entrees were on their way! A few people like MF ordered steak or chicken dishes and really enjoyed them. But, most of us ordered pasta. I went with The Timely Priest Stranglers...very strange name, but nothing strange about this dish. The freshly homemade penne-like pasta was served with "Dad's Sunday Marinara sauce" and soft Ricotta di Pecora. The pasta had the perfect consistency and the sauce had such a fantastic, yet simple, flavor. Topping it with the fresh cheese made it that much better.

To round out a great meal, we ordered a whole slew of desserts. The birthday boy got Tiramisu and really enjoyed it. MB ordered the hazelnut panna cotta, which came with fresh fruit and then was drenched it chocolate sauce. She isn't the biggest chocolate fan, so when the server's hand got a little heavy on the pouring, I happily volunteered to help take some of the chocolate off her plate!
I can't stop raving about Supper. I am definitely eager to go back and try even more of its regular menu items as well as its constantly-changing daily specials. It happens all too often that big group dinners don't go so smoothly, whether orders get messed up or service is lacking. But, I can safely say that Supper gets it right: a fantastic atmosphere, a delicious meal, and a very attentive wait staff.

Supper
156 East 2nd Street
b/t Aveues A & B
website
Menupages listing