‘inoteca Liquori

It’s not easy to get friends to go out to dinner these days. Even if everyone were feeling flush, the tricks that restaurants have pulled over the past seven or so years – for instance, racking up tabs with numerous $3 dishes of olives or $4 bread – have scared off many of us. On the other hand, small plates are good for commitment-phobes, and if there’s anything people are unwilling to commit to now, it’s spending money. So a group of us ended up at the bar at ‘inoteca Liquori the other night, the revamped uptown outpost of the LES ‘inoteca. Like Kefi and many other inexpensive-but-still-gourmet-feeling places, ‘inoteca is currently undergoing a surge of popularity.

Though the majority of the space is given over to dining, the “liquori” aspect of this new ‘inoteca shouldn’t be overlooked: the bar is turning out excellent cocktails. The extensive drinks menu features six pages of cocktails, many of them seasonal, and over two dozen wines by the glass. The signature 323 drink, named after the restaurant’s address at 323 Third Avenue, is a  refreshing combination of rosemary-infused gin, balsamic vinegar, basil, and lemon juice. Even given these specific ingredients on the menu, it would be difficult to recreate this one at home.

Also excellent was the Southside, part of ‘inoteca Liquori’s extensive “old but not forgotten” list that revives classics like Blood & Sand and the Hemingway Daiquiri. ‘inoteca’s Southside was a simple but winning combination of gin, lime juice, mint, sugar, and seltzer – which probably tasted even better since it’s the first Southside I’ve had in years that wasn’t made from a mix.

The Corpse Reviver #2 got its name for a reason. If this drink doesn’t bring you out of the grave, it might put you in it: it’s just that strong. Recommended  for the recently laid off. Most of ‘inoteca’s cocktails, though, fall on the side of refreshing, not overly alcoholic. Many of them are gin-based and fizzy – these and the bar’s retractable windows should make it an key spot to beat the heat this summer.

We forged ahead with a small number of small plates. (Experience has shown that watching the number of plates you order is key.) The olives were quite good, though I’m not sure they were worth $7. For my money, Otto has some of the best olives in town, marinated in a garlicky rosemary olive oil, and theirs are just $4.

Pretty much any time a grilled octopus or calamari salad is on the menu, I order it, so naturally we went for the insalata di calamari grigliata ($12), generously loaded with squid grilled al dente, fresh chickpeas, olives and greens tossed in a bright lemony dressing. This was definitely one of the highlights of the meal.

‘inoteca isn’t known for its pastas, but they do have a couple on the menu. I was afraid the ramps in the spaghettini with ramps and pomodoro ($15) would overwhelm the sauce with an oniony taste, but they just added a nice, crisp spring edge to the delicate tomato and subtle perfume of garlic. Again, $15 seemed like a lot, especially when you know the price of the ingredients. Everything on the menu at ‘inoteca Liquori is less than $20. Noble effort or publicity grab? The end effect is still appreciated.

The prosciutto, mozzarella, and arugula pesto panino, on the other hand, seemed like quite an indulgence for $11. Think of ‘inoteca’s panini as luxury grilled cheese sandwiches made with fabulous ingredients like mortadella, fontina, and bresaola. The prosciutto sandwich was beautifully balanced, the creamy melted mozzarella contrasting with the peppery garlic of arugula pesto, and of course, you can’t go wrong with prosciutto.

For dessert we had this very rich, decadent-yet-not-overwhelming budino di cioccolata ($6).

The catch-22 here is the location: Murray Hill. It’s convenient, but a neighborhood with about four times as many nail salons as bookstores attracts a certain type of person. And with CSFB right around the corner, at times the crowd seemed like a yuppie throwback to Dow-14,000 days of yore. Shown below is a particularly impressive outfit – a guy who carried his umbrella in a backpack contraption:

If you can get past that – or better yet, if you can go on the later side, when the after-work crowd has dispersed – you’ll find a lot to like about ‘inoteca Liquori.

‘inoteca Liquori
323 Third Avenue, at 24th Street
New York, NY 10010
212-683-3035