Address: | 167 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10013, USA |
Phone: | +1 212-431-9493 |
Site: | lamelarestaurant.com |
Rating: | 4 |
Working: | 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2AM 11:30AM–2AM |
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Ryan Fisk
At first glimpse, La Mela comes off looking a bit casual...drop tile ceilings, Katzs Delicatessen-style bright florescent lighting, walls lined with random photos, and an odd penile-shaped sausage that lights up when you jerk its string...yup. Upon closer inspection though, youll see one mouthwatering plate coming out after another, and another glimpse at those pictures on the walls reveals all the celebrities that dined at La Mela prior. Our party of nine was seated promptly at our 8pm reservation on a Friday night. Our server was beyond amazing...he gave us a quick run-through of the menu, which basically consists of either three, four, or five course family style dinners (priced at $22, $26, or $30pp, respectively), and the a-la-carte entree offerings, most ranging from $10-$18 per dish. A strolling minstrel meandered with his guitar through the seating area, singing and playing soft songs table-side...a welcome addition to the whole experience. All but one in our group opted for the four-course shared family style dinner, but we all left stuffed to the brim after three hours of marathon eating. We started off with thick slabs of fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, and basil, then moved on to a hot antipasto plate consisting of fried mozzarella, stuffed mushrooms, grilled asparagus, and sautéed red peppers. There was plenty of everything to go around, and our ever-so-patient server checked up on us, asking when wed like to proceed with our feast. Next came a clean set of plates followed by the pastas - succulent gnocchi doused with cheese, soft cheese tortellini in a cream/Alfredo sauce, and perfectly-cooked rigatoni in a traditional chunky marinara sauce. My favorite part of this plate was getting three different pastas AND three different sauces, so you really get a good taste of everything they have to offer at La Mela. Finally, after another set of clean plates came the fourth course - remember, its a measly $4 more than the three-course family style, and a no-brainer move in my book. We were treated to an assortment of proteins - juicy veal cutlets pounded paper thin and served francese style, plump shrimp in a medium-spice marinara sauce, and (the popular favorite), and some crispy rotisserie chicken pieces served "straight up." If I didnt make it clear enough, let me say that every damn bite was AMAZING! Its no wonder La Mela gets a tremendous amount of business, but despite all that, our experience felt extremely "comfortable" - never rushed or the slightest bit pretentious. Our waiter constantly checked up on us every step of the way, always asking us when we were ready to move on to the next course. After all the food and everything, our split of the check came to under $50 per person, with tax and a generous gratuity appropriately included. As if that werent enough, two of us left with at least a meals worth each of leftovers....
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Nadya Roberts
The service was absolutely horrendous! My family and I went to eat dinner tonight and our waiter was the worst waiter Ive ever had anywhere. When we first walked in, theres about 5 of us, he was really nice and asked if my aunts and mother wanted to order some wine. This is where most restaurants make a lot of money, especially during the San Gennaro Festival, when we said no he was a little less kind. Then he tried to get us to order in a family style but that wasnt how we preferred to order and by this time he wasnt interested in serving us. So he takes our order and leaves, not to be seen for about a half an hour and that was only to see his friends who walked in. Our food takes a really long time to arrive and people who were seated way after us have already gotten their food. When my moms salad is ready he doesnt tell us what it is he just tosses it onto the table and were left thinking its an appetizer. Finally our food comes out, my aunts food is cold and my moms pasta wasnt that good. We try to get the waiters attention for the check and he blatenly ignores us, then after a half an hour of that he brings the check. The check sits on our table for an hour! Other people are starting to complain and our waiter is nowhere to be seen. Another waiter comes over to help us so we can finally leave. We didnt get change back from the tip, we only had big bills, and we watch one waiter walk straight to the back and stick the $20 in our original waiters pocket. Absolutely ridiculous experience and it was honestly outraging.
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Teka Fierceness
My friends and I have been dining at La Mela for over five years now. Many years ago the food and overall experience was amazing, however the now "manager" Benny, whom was once a waiter is horrible. We ordered Red Snapper Marechiara with pasta and also an extra pasta with the same sauce only to have our waiter screw up our order. When they finally brought our extra pasta and sauce that we originally ordered, the taste was complete opposite and we sent it back to the kitchen. This is when ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE! The waiter denied screwing up our order and would not show us the original slip which he wrote our order on and Benny (the "manager") became extremely hostile and had the nerve to say "if they dont like it next time, still charge them". Benny was extremely unprofessional, RUDE, not one bit helpful and honestly an EMBARRASSMENT to the establishment. He leaned into our table with both hands pressed down and began yelling like a MANIAC! If the owners of this establishment know whats best they will fire him and hire a quality manager. It is truly sad to have a manager act like a child. All the other guest looked at him in outrage. We will NEVER dine here again and we will make sure to contact several reputable sources to put the word out there as well. Please save your money and dine at a quality restaurant that appreciates their customers!
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Daniel Pineau
Few restaurants exhibit the exquisite table service that one experiences at this exceptional restaurant. Understated waiter, invisible yet omnipresent busboy/runner. No "howzeverthingtasting?" nonsense found in many servers bag o tricks. Dropped utensil replaced within nanoseconds. Crumbs brushed. Plates placed & cleared appropriately. Drinks replenished when needed. We arrived at midnight - having left Yankee Stadium after an Oakland Athletics defeat - and we came to a relatively empty dining room (there was one couple up front). By the time we left (0110), all but the large center table were seated. I.e., La Mela is a known destination for the night set - and theyre likely kept busy until closing (I didnt check, but suspect theyre serving until 3. Dont quote me though...). I ordered the linguine frutti di mare - and it was superb. Seriously. The shrimp was expertly grilled - to within milliseconds. The clams/mussels were steamed just right. The squid was perfect. Officially the best rendition of this classic dish Ive ever ordered. Oh... If only it could be replicated whenever its brethren appear on menus across the land. This restaurant is a real treat. I had come here on a business trip back in the late 90s and its just as I remembered. With luck, Ill return in 2030 to enjoy a similar experience!
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OKP DEP
I have visited this great family-run neighborhood place nearly every visit I have made to Manhattan since a local took me there 15 years ago. First of all, this is New York City (NYC), and La Mela is a quintessential NYC place--if you dont get this place you dont understand NYC and you should have stayed home where they probably have plenty of much quieter restaurants. Yes, it is loud and raucous, waiters and even many of the customers talk very loudly and tend to speak very openly and directly to one another, which may be confused by those from outside the Five Boroughs who dont know any better as "yelling." Do NOT--order off the menu. Dont even ASK for a menu or you will rightly be branded as a putz or, worse, a tourist. Just sit down, and "mangia" (eat) what they bring you, the set course of the day which will be the best and freshest food in the place and what nearly everyone else around you will also be eating. Ask for a carafe of house wine. Pace yourself on both food and drink because the quantities are huge and included in the price which rest assured will be very reasonable, especially by New York standards. If you visit in December, on the way in and out remember to (loudly) tell the staff "Buon Natale!" - not "Happy Holidays!" Capisce?