Going To Giando

I can pretty much guarantee you this isn't a place you are just going to happen to walk by, decide it looks inviting and drop in for lunch.

Giando


In the first place, it doesn't really look all that inviting. In the second place, the odds of you just walking by it are about zero. It is on Kent Avenue between Broadway and South 8th Street, within spitting distance of the Williamsburg bridge. You might drive by the place, but walk by, unlikely.

However, if you like to have a view while you dine, you might want to check it out. The views are quite spectacular.

The View Of The Williamsburg Bridge


The Mysterious Chinese Woman decided to have a glass of wine before our lunch and you can see the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges behind her. You have nice views all the way around.

Bridges A Bit Too Far


I had my usual Bombay Martini, up with a twist and you can see from the background that our little corner was kind of cozy and cute.

Cheers!!!


Looking the other way though you can kind of see that this is both a restaurant and a catering hall. It definitely has that look about it.

Nice Place For A Party


Nothing really off-putting though. If I ever, somehow, miraculously, found myself in the neighborhood again I might consider having a drink at the bar and watch the passing traffic.

River Traffic, That Is


We started out with Gamberi Alla Giando (Shrimp with Lemon, Garlic and Oil Sauce) and it was very good.

Gamberi Alla Giando


Sadly, it was far and away the best thing we had. Everything else was quite ordinary, and nothing tasted like it was made with fresh ingredients. Maybe that explained why it was relatively empty at prime lunch time. And at least a couple of tables were occupied by tourists. No telling how they found out about the place. They probably asked a cabbie.

The Mysterious Chinese Woman ordered the Linguine Alla Giando (Clams, Scallops, Shrimp) and the pasta was way over-done, like it had been soaking in hot water after being cooked. The clams, scallops and shrimp all had that flavorless pre-cooked taste as well. In fact it all tasted like it came out of cans. After the nice big shrimp we got in the appetizer it was disheartening to see the little shrimp in this dish. Given that this was their signature pasta dish, well, it was sad.

Linguine Alla Giando


And, I might add, that isn't even linquini.

I didn't fare any better with my Scaloppina di Vitello Piccata (Veal with Lemon Sauce). The veal was, well, pale and overdone and pretty much without flavor. The vegetables were overcooked and limp. The lemon sauce was way too thick and starting to congeal.

Scaloppina di Vitello Piccata


Maybe the food at night is better. It is pretty obvious that most of the money made here is from the catering hall side. The views are dynamite and there is a very nice outdoor area one floor down with an outside bar (not open) and great views. Anyway, I came here with high expectations and they were largely met all the way through the appetizer. My drink was well built and the service was friendly if not overly fast. The meal itself was the big let-down.



We didn't want to take a chance on having a bad desert so we headed back to the bus stop and, as luck would have it (not really, I knew it was there) passed by Peter Luger.

The Justifiably Famous Peter Luger


The views aren't as good from here, but the steaks are great. Next time I am in the neighborhood this is where I eat. Today I just popped in for a post-lunch beer at the bar. I see they have bar stools now. Maybe they just take them out at night because the last time I was here you had to stand up to drink.

My Desert


I really like Peter Luger's so I decided it would be fun to include a copy of a post I made way back in 2005 when I made it bar number 966 on my march towards 1000 bars in a single year.

966) Peter Luger’s



Later in the evening I met a bunch of friends at Peter Luger’s in Brooklyn, right across the Williamsburg Bridge. It is located at 178 Broadway, just a few blocks from the F Train subway stop. It is kind of fun to go there by subway too because the train goes across the Williamsburg Bridge and you get a nice view. A lot of people already know about Peter Luger’s reputation because it is possibly the best steakhouse in the world. At least many people think so and I can say that I have never been to a better one. There is also a pretty decent old bar in a separate room but it is standing only and no foot rest or rail. You have to be tough to drink in here. I don’t think it is really a neighborhood bar, more of a holding area for the people who are going to eat here. And, if you are going to eat here for anything but lunch you will need to make your reservations well in advance.

There is a T shaped beer station on the bar with five spigots and it is surrounded by little bottles of Pellegrino. Three are old wooden shelves, cabinets, and sagging wine racks behind the bar with tiered shelves of liquor sitting on top and glass shelves holding glasses. Behind these are three large mirrors festooned with fir tree boughs and wreaths with red bows and gold pine cones. Hanging over the bar are old fashioned chandeliers that look like they could have once held candles but now hold candle-like light bulbs.

The wall opposite the bar has dark wainscoting going up about halfway and vanilla colored painted patterned tin above. The wall is plastered with Zagat’s Survey awards rating Peter Luger’s Top Steakhouse and various other articles proclaiming its virtues. Apparently the late Johnny Carson once said “The best meal of my entire life was at Peter Luger’s.” Well, as I said earlier, they have the best steak I have ever had in a restaurant and I am about to have part of one tonight (they serve huge porterhouse steaks big enough for several people) once I finish my beer and the rest of my group arrives.

Eat your heart out, this is me and my friends tucking in to our meal. In addition to the steak, which was great we also had shrimp and bacon appetizers and creamed spinach and fried potatoes with the meal. It was finished off with a great slice of pecan pie.

Bar Man And Friends Tucking In (posing, actually)


My friend Ben was pouting because a tuft of my hair covered up his nose in the group photo. Sheesh, the things I have to put up with.

Ben And His Nose Pouting


At least Ben didn't send me back a retouched picture that toned down a shiny forehead like the Mysterious Black Woman did.

I had a draft Brooklyn Lager at the bar and a couple of Maker's Mark Manhattans with the meal along with a wee bit of red wine.



After my beer at the bar today (back to real-time) we hopped a bus for a fun ride home.

Should Have Been The Short Bus


I would like to tell you that we went right home after this, but of course that would have been much too easy. Next post, the quick last stop.