It was a cold and wet winter night and we had a reservation. We were seated immediately at a small table top with steel stools. The stools at the bar seemed more comfortable with their wooden and slightly wider seats. The tables are so small it was hard to fit drinks and food together. It appears that they are trying to maximize space at the expense of comfort for their patrons. There are hooks on the walls to hang your coat, but with the tables are so tightly spaced you are crowding other customers. In short the food is fine, tastes good. Expensive and tiny portions. Poor value. The appetizer was a welcome surprise- stuffed zucchini flowers. One of our favorites. Two nice sized flowers stuffed with cheese over some rough greens- not worth $25.00; that breaks down to a little over $4.00 per bit. I was amazed by the quality of the food coming out of such a small kitchen. Two chefs working in a 6' x 10" space, please ignore the two microwave ovens. The kitchen is open and I enjoyed seeing the workers and energy they put into preparing the food. Our table was very close to the kitchen and the staff was slinging silverware from one tray that had just been washed, wiping it down and throwing it into another tray. The loud clanking of the silverware and regular crashing of the used plates did not add to the dining experience. Our waiter Ermir H. was excellent--attentive and knowledgeable. The staff in general needed to be slight and slender or they would be bumping into tables and guests, that is how tight it really is in the front dining space. They have one bathroom, which I could see caused frustration for many of the customers. The Flauto di Pollo Farcito ~ chicken rollatini filled with turkey ham ( cheaper than the traditional prosciutto or pancetta for this dish), fontina cheese, breaded & seared, served over mixed salad, not really worth $26.00. The Bucatini alla Norma ~ fried eggplant, fresh tomatoes, basil & baked salted ricotta. The pasta was al dente and tasted fresh. Small dish. I'm not sure how often they have updated their website, but prices listed seemed to be a dollar or two less then what you are going to be charged. I find this special note also a bit frustrating- "Due to rising costs, an Operating Fee of 3.35% is applied on all orders. This is unrelated to any form of payment. Get a 3.25% discount on your order when you pay with Cash". As another reviewer noted "since when is paying by credit card a punishment for the customer?" I am finding this more and more throughout the country. Pre-covid everyone wanted to eliminate cash now "Cash is King". With so many great Italian restaurants at better price points in NYC I would have to say I will not be back to Giardino 54.
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