Reviews
Brad W.’s YELP Review
Today is Sunday, June 26th, and I’m a hungry.
I’m no stranger to New York, but I’m definitely no expert. Any time I’ve been here, it’s usually been in midtown. When I checked into SoHo for the first time, naturally I looked up Yelp to find a place to eat. Everything about SoHo was either about how cool it was, or about how lame it was that everyone was trying to be cool, give or take.
How the complaining about prices of jeans, sport jackets, and art while slamming easy-target hipsters concerns restaurant quality is beyond me, but the Yelpsters have spoken. The reviews hang heavy but at this point I could eat my arm. Grab the camera and hit the streets, screw the reviews. NY is about pavement and people, so I’ll judge for myself.
I pass the token Thai restaurant on Grand st. and head to where I see action in Little Italy, but on the way, I look left and see Onieal’s on the corner. I know right away that’s where I’m eating: outdoor seating with open foyers right inside in case you want cover, with a tv and a bar full of lighted bottles beyond for the traditional restaurant feel. It’s not crowded, but I know right away that it’s not because of quality, it’s because people follow people (for better and worse), and all the action is down one block. Suckers. Find your own path.
I take a few snaps down that one block in Little Italy with no intention of joining the throngs of tourists that fill the streets. If this is a token destination, it only makes sense to go off the beaten path and head back.
The hostess greets me with a smile like I’ve been coming there every Sunday of my life.
I saddle up to the bar and hang out with one very cool bartender named Nora. She reads off the specials and I stop her at the chicken piccata over penne pasta with a white wine sauce, plum tomatoes and a seasoning that had me SHOVELING EVERY BITE INTO MY MOUTH with little to no stopping other than to take a sip of the Bulleit and gingerale that’s my latest poison.
I know I was hungry, but I’d be lying if I said that this wasn’t a screaming meal. Martin, the Aussie native in town for business took my lead and ordered the same thing, only to stare at his plate slack jawed between bites while muttering, “F-ing brilliant, mate…..it’s just f-ing brilliant…..”
Nora possesses star-quality bartending. The perfect amount of keeping her eye on our drink levels, the other patrons drink levels, juggling multiple conversations, chiming in with jokes, and running drink orders for the servers and kitchen. Sit at her bar during a Sunday, and you won’t think about Monday.
If this is a skewed review–just one meal and many drinks, so be it. I’ll return for more to order something else. For all NY has to offer, there’s something to be said for the local side of it all. To find what works and stick with it. In a world class city of millions, it’s always been my practice to find a place where you can find a good meal, meet some strangers, and have a good conversation, in short: where you can build a relationship.
If that’s not New York, I don’t know what is. Onieal’s has it.
Cheers.
-bw
– Brad W., YELP review
Rob D.’s YELP Review
6/20/2011
Onieal’s hosted my book launch party this past weekend, and they completely and thoroughly delivered. The manager, George, was very clear about pricing, space, music, decor, etc. Very comprehensive. A small group of us had dinner before and the food was spectacular (I highly recommend the chicken tortilla soup). After about 10 PM or the music went up and the party started. Affordable drinks, simple yet very appealing space and a very friendly wait staff (they even played music with the name of my book, ‘Crazy,’ in the title). Large group or small, food or drinking, Onieal’s is a great spot, check it out…
– Rob D., YELP review
Winner of a Wine Spectator Award
(two years in a row)
Time Out New York – The TONY 100 Restaurants
This roomy hideaway is among Little Italy’s better-kept secrets. The décor skews corporate – striped-fabric banquettes and mirrored splash backs – but the place has soul; the wooden ceiling has been restored from the restaurant’s speakeasy days. The American menu dabbles in other cuisines with dishes like a thick cut sesame-crusted tuna with wasabi vinaigrette and Asian vegetables; the desert menu plays it straight with an ever-popular molten chocolate cake.
– Caroline V., YELP review
“A handsome hip tavern in a landmark building.”
– Zagat’s
“Year two of throwing a party, and they pulled it off yet again. Great space but that is hardly what makes this place great. Management makes sure everything is taken care of from front to end. From someone who harps on the details and is less than laid back, they were accommodating at every step of the way. Great crowd, great music, great drinks…all in all, careful – we may be back next year.”
– Caroline V., YELP review
“It’s so beautiful, I keep coming back.”
– New York Times
“Onieals is one of the first bars I ever went to in NYC when I tagged along to a friend’s friend’s party. Didn’t return for ages until recently – a decade later, well post-college, and I felt swanky enough to fit in with their sophisticated digs. An old friend and his betrothed hosted a private cocktail hour there before their wedding dinner banquet. I could see why my old friend had such a successful first date there. The place is classic old school romance, smart and serious, yet very sexy. I’d forgotten just how cozy their booths were, how plush their cushions, how glorious the wood paneled ceiling…and, of course, how intoxicating the drinks.”
– Andrea L., YELP review
“I held a dinner reception for 45 people. Food was excellent, staff was attentive and the set up was perfect! I highly recommend.”
– LM, YELP review
“Onieals has one of the best locations possible, where Little Italy, Soho, and Chinatown converge.”
– Where Magazine
“Onieals is a direct route to nirvana.”
– Paper Magazine