Gramercy
Get directions | 2 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10010
Hours | Sunday 10am-10:30pm, Monday 7:30am-10:30pm, Tuesday 7:30am-10:30pm, Wednesday 7:30am-10:30pm, Thursday 7:30am-10:30pm, Friday 7:30am-11pm, Saturday 10am-11pm
Not long after it first opened, we wrote up a less-than-glowing review of Danny Meyer’s Roman trattoria, Maialino. We had high expectations due to Meyer’s flawless record, but flaws were found, and the verdict was levied accordingly. Steinthal actually compared the place to every great band’s worst album. Ouch.
But what I’ve come to realize, after a bunch of recent visits, is that maybe this is a perfect example of when the ‘critics’ (we refuse to actually call ourselves that) were wrong. Maybe Maialino is really Paul’s Boutique or Weezer’s Pinkerton. Those now legendary albums were both panned early on, but lived on to become respected as works of greatness, regardless of early opinion. The only problem with that theory is that we were pretty much the only ones that didn’t like Maialino from the start. Ignore everything I just said. Maybe we’re just that fat record store clerk that hates everything.
There are a few specific things that changed our mind on Maialino and led to this re-review. First of all, we know way too many people that count this place among their favorite restaurants in the city to ignore that. Second, we had an incredible brunch here last year and felt the need to come back in for dinner. A handful of visits later, and we were ready to atone for our sins – but that’s not to say that there aren’t still some flaws. It’s almost impossible to get a reservation at a decent hour here, and we find their wine pours to be annoyingly shallow. The crowd is also typically a strange mix of one Olsen twin and a bunch of old guys that wear stonewashed jeans and suede driving shoes. But the pastas at Maialino are some of the best we’ve had, and brunch is almost a religious experience. We’ll get into it in the Food Rundown, but let’s call this one what it is – us getting it right the second time around.
212-777-2410
info@maialinonyc.com
http://instagram.com/maialino_nyc
Tiramisu
$84
Signature Sauce Sampler – 3 Pack
Signature Sauce Sampler – 3 Pack
$99
Olive Oil Cake
Olive Oil Cake
$79
Bolognese Sauce – 3 Pack
Bolognese Sauce – 3 Pack
$99
SERVES
6-8
Maialino al Forno for 6-8
Maialino al Forno for 6-8
$149
Cacio e Pepe Sauce – 3 Pack
Cacio e Pepe Sauce – 3 Pack
$99
Amatriciana Sauce – 3 Pack
Amatriciana Sauce – 3 Pack
$99
