Lilia

Reviews 3

EL

Ellie Rauch

Came here last night with a group of 6, which gave me the opportunity to sample a large part of the menu. To begin with, I was late. Very late. I went to Union Street instead of Union Avenue. The staff was incredibly patient, allowed the rest of my party to sit at the table (instead of making them wait until everyone was there, like many other places do) and greeted me with a smile when I finally got there, 30 minutes after my reservation time. Our server was just as kind, quite knowledgeable and incredibly helpful, so absolutely zero complaints about the service. So, now, on to the food (which we had quite a lot of). We began with the cacio e pepe fritelle and the housemade mozzarella on toasted garlic bread with lemon and bottarga from the "snacks" section of the menu. Both were good, but if you were to only choose one, I would say the thick flavorful slabs of mozzarella win out over the crispy fried balls of cheese. The antipasti course was next. Here we shared the bagna cauda (which I loved, but I could only get half the table to share my views on this wonderful warm anchovy and garlic dip - this is definitely a love it or hate it dish) and the cauliflower with spicy soppressata and Sicilian pesto and marjoram, which was liked by the entire table. Unfortunately, the entire table disliked the roasted trumpet mushrooms (lacked in both taste and presentation) and the grilled clams with Calabrian chili and breadcrumbs (clams were actually gritty, very small and tasted more like the breadcrumbs than anything else). As for the cured sardines, as the waiter mentioned, although they were one of his favorite dishes, they are definitely an acquired taste - and we agree. For me, the taste was fien, but I had difficulty with the thick, mushy texture of the fish, while 4 out of 5 others at the table completely disliked the taste, and one sole diner loved everything about it and ate the entire dish herself. The waiter coursed out our antipasti/small fish plates so that the following three items came next, grilled scallops with walnuts and yoghurt; grilled blowfish tails, with cracked coriander; and charred escarole with anchovies and ricotta salata. All three of these dishes were wonderful (although not everyone was a fan of the bones in the blowfish tails, but no one had a single complaint about the flavor), but the escarole was really the star of that course and everyone wanted more! Up next were the pastas - who were the highlight of the night. The Mafaldini was wonderfully cheesy, creamy, and peppery with its ample tossing in a sauce of pink peppercorns and Parmigiano Reggiano. The sheeps milk Cheese filled Agnolotti were delicate pillows of deliciousness that were finished off with saffron, dried tomato and honey - but - my absolute favorite dish of the evening, was the Corzetti that were smothered in chanterelles and a savory, aged goat cheese - absolutely perfect. The two less spectacular pastas we tried were the ricotta gnocchi with broccoli pesto and the fettuccine with spicy lamb sausage. Both were good, with the pasta cooked perfectly, but the sauces were just average and did not have the same "wow" factor as the others we tried. Finally, we finished off our meal with the special of the day, which was a perfectly slow roasted, fall off the bone, tender and juicy, short rib dish that should be ordered for no less than two people (it was as enormous as it was good). All in all, a very good meal with excellent service in beautiful surroundings. Perhaps not worth the hype (because really, not much is ever worth the hype), but definitely a very good restaurant that is worth taking a trip to, perhaps even more than once.

JO

Jon Gorman

TL:DR; The food and drinks are exceptional, but unfortunately overshadowed by the standoffish, pretentious and severely lacking service. And a large chunk of ceramic in one of our dishes. My wife and I stopped in on a Friday night without a reservation, taking a seat in the small cafe section in rear to wait for a table to open up. While waiting, we ordered two of the traditional Italian cocktails that were both excellent – one being possibly the best example of a classic Negroni Ive had. The bartender also provided some light and tasty bar snacks made in house. Two seats opened at the bar. Our seat were by the door, subject to some cold drafts as people came in and out. In a pleasantly thoughtful gesture, we were offered blankets if needed, though declined. The evening then deteriorated. Our waiter was surly and indifferent from the outset, apparently very put upon while having to describe the evenings specials after knocking over a candle and spilling wax on our menus. Laughing it off, we ordered one of the specials, two of the Piccoli Pesci items, two pastas and a glass of wine. Starting with the cured sardines and grilled scallops – both were excellent, though the sardines may not be to everyones tastes as the curing process is very vinegar-heavy. This was followed by the special, ember grilled potatoes with a generous portion of shaved black truffles, also delicious. At this point my wine was yet to be seen. Our waiter appeared to remember and brought over a bottle to pour a taste... and promptly disappears for the next 10 minutes, while Im left to ponder if Im meant to serve myself as much as I desire from the bottle left behind. She finally reappears to fill my glass and then ask me if it was fine.I think that usually goes the other way around? On receiving our pasta dishes (Mafaldini with Pink Peppercorns and Parmigiano Reggianoand, Fettuccine with Spicy Lamb Sausage, Tomato Passato andFennel Seed) and enjoying a few mouthfuls, I bit into a penny-sized shard of ceramic in the Fettuccine. It appeared to be a large chipped piece from another bowl, matching the ones our pasta was served in. We brought this to our waiters attention where her reaction was to mumble sorry and place another order. The second dish was brought out quickly, though by this point we asked to have it packed to go and requested the check. Once arrived, not only were we still charged for the Fettuccine con ceramica, we also had an order of radishes and two additional glasses of wine added to the bill. Again, we brought this to the waiters attention and were curtly presented with a corrected bill. Sadly, I cant recommend a visit to Lilia. The space, drink and food is wonderful for the most part, but soured by the rude and lacklustre service.

PA

Paul Fitzpatrick

The food was fantastic, if a little heavy on pepper and chile, and the music was good. The design of the restaurant was nice. But the service was an issue. We had no reservation and were told it would be an hour and a half wait, unless we wanted to eat out on the patio. We opted to wait in the cafe area until a table inside was available. In the cafe, they gave us a water and we also ordered coffees, and an ice cream, specifically saying we did not want the ice cream until we finished the coffee. But the ice cream was served with the coffee. And yes, they were busy in the cafe area, but they completely ignored us after that. Sitting around waiting, youd think they would ask if you wanted something else, maybe even another glass of water. Whatever. The wait ended up being only 60 minutes or so, so that was good. They called us to the front and asked us again if we wanted the patio. We had to keep waiting for a few minutes for a table. Then when we were ordering food, the waiter insisted on taking a full order up front, not just apps. It felt like we were being strong-armed into ordering, and inflating the bill. And we should share all plates. Meh. It was a very good thing the food was so delicious. Loved the prosciutto with balsamic mustard and parmigiano butter, and the mozzarella toast. Loved my angnolotti. The strawberry crostata Was delicious as well. But this is the thing: Italian food isnt overly spicy. The menu was heavy on descriptions of chile or fresh pepper or peppercorns being in almost every dish. A lot of Italians I know will remove garlic from the pan before finishing a pasta sauce. Italian food is a lot more delicate than what was on the menu - Italians would add herbs like rosemary, mint, basil or sage to a dish before chile. I dont know. Maybe management isnt going for authenticity. Other than that, Italian food isnt supposed to be shared like tapas. Were they trying to encourage we eat "family style?" I dunno, that seems a little strange. Like I said, what we ordered was absolutely delicious, but that took a careful look at the menu. The bathroom needed more attention. There were no hand towels when I went in, and the (small) trash can was full. I went a second time, and the trash can was overflowing. Then, my dining partner needed to ask for TP. Details like that count when you go out. The restaurant is situated at the crossroads of some of the most hideous new apartment buildings Ive ever seen. Felt like we were in White Plains, not Brooklyn. Awful and depressing. They initially wanted us to eat outdoors on their patio, but that was no going to happen.