[Testiculon]

Going for the first time on Saturday night.

What are your favorites? I understand the artichoke appy is a good bet...what else?

[booklaw]

My wife loves the bacalau casserole; I've often had a pasta dish with ragu that is fabulous.

[raw]

[veets]

I love this place. We ate there again last sunday,
If you eat meat the steak for two is a no brainer. Order it!! It served 4 people last sunday as a main . We ordered a pasta that was brought to table with it. As apps we had the mixed cheese and meat platter and the seafood tappas. That was really a big meal. The baby octopus is delicious but expect to see A BABY OCTOPUS on the plate and if that skeeves you out don't do it. The salad served with shaved cheese (might be parmesian. but don't remember) is lite and lovely. The sardines are great. there is an appy with asparagus that I love. Does it sound like I have been through this entire menu? Yes I have. If you can eat downstairs I would.. It is the wine cellar and just lovely. If you drink wine and there are more than 2 people don't order wine by the glass.. get the bottle.. because this is a leisurely meal and you will want at least another splash after the first glass. Desserts here are superfluous. If the meal doesn't satisfy you i would be suprised. You are making a better choice to pass on dessert or take a stroll to the chocolate place (forgot the name) on the next block and have a sweet.

[CHE]

Be careful if you're not eating meat. I ordered a ravioli dish, probably this one, a little more than a year ago, anyway, for about this price ($16), and was really disappointed to get only 5 or 6 little raviolis. They were tasty, but after a salad and this entree, I was done eating it as my lamb- and pork-ordering friends were just getting going. I had to buy a granola bar on the way home, I was so hungry.

Ravioli di mele verdi e cannella con ragu d’anatra 16
Green apple and cinnamon ravioli with duck ragu`

[veets]

Che makes a good point.. The ravioli and pasta dishes in general are small portions but the sauces are very rich. If you are hungry, even for 2 people you might want to order one entree, perhaps fish and one pasta and split it. The meat portions do tend to be larger.

[booklaw]

You're right about the bacalau... I don't see it either. The pasta I referred to is "Pappardelle di farro al sugo di fagiano con radicchio / Spelt pappardelle with wild pheasant ragu` and radicchio".

I also loved the "Spiedino di fegatini e pancetta all’aceto balsamico / Skewered organic chicken livers with pancetta, onions and a balsamic vinegar reduction".

We love the restaurant. Been there many times.

[Shinybeast]

Pretty much agree with everyone here. Love the wine cellar. Love the seafood tapas and, even though the green apple and cinnamon ravioli with duck ragu was a rather small portion, loved that, too. My only complaint about this place is that it's so far from where I live in south slope.

But, yes, order the seafood tapas for sure. All of the pastas are divine. The braised artichoke is lovely, too.

[alafairnadia]

if they have the rabbit stew main dish as a special, get it. not even my (very nicely cooked and delicious) rabbit dish at babbo didn't compare.
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like a smoked meat with an earthy youth overnote

[NYkittyNY]

I think I tried everything!

Of course, its a sesonal menu, so it may have changed by now.

But I LOVED: the green apple ravioli w/ duck ragu (yes the portion is small, its not meant to be an entree) - the seafood tapas starter - the rabbit - the lamb - the artichoke starter

Trust the sommelier - they know their stuff!

[Mamacita]

This thread is making me so damn hungry!

The chicken livers are to die for and you'll find yourself cleaning the balsamic reduction up with the bread. The ravioli w/ duck ragu is not a great portion but very good. I actually think the artichoke was boring, but if you like plain 'ol artichoke in butter then knock yur self out. The whole sea bass was good, but I wouldn't get it again, I like my fish grilled or fried so that the skin isn't all soggy. The croquettes are great, the wild boar was very very good too.... damn, yeah I don't think I disliked a single thing I tried there

Chicken livers.... mummmm so damn good......

[booklaw]

The croquettes... that's the bacalau... but I don't see it on the menu...

[Nepenthean]

The steak for two is excellent and worth the price. Take at least half home and have two or three more portions.

[Carnivore]

Another vote for the seafood tapas here.
After glowing recommendations from friends, Mrs. C and I got the steak for two and I was a little disappointed. The dish is a ton of food and it's well prepared, but it was pretty ordinary. I'd go for something a little more interesting next time.

[veets]

[Carnivore]

[CHE]

[Testiculon]

Thanks guys,

I' m going to print this out and bring it tonight! I am excited because the food sounds a little out of the oridinary and is well reviewed by you all.

I'll check in tomorrow to tell what we ordered.

[Testiculon]

Well, here's the update in case anyone cares....we had a HORRIBLE customer service moment at Convivium - so much so that we did not stay for dinner. However, since they have promised to make amends by treating us to dinner, I will withold judgement until we actuially go....keep you posted...

[Flexichick]

[Rose]

[Nepenthean]

Had the steak last Thursday and it sucked big time. The first time it was so good. $74 and 60% pure fat. What was the chef thinking? The lights are low, they'll never notice?? What a disappointment.

[veets]

[veets]

[Testiculon]

Well, it is finally time for me to fill everyone in on my total Convivium experience. It has taken this long because our original visit in March was marred by piss poor customer service (as mentioned above) so much so that we did not dine there that evening. We spoke to the owners a few days later and they promised to make it up to us, so I did not post any negativity to give them chance to make things right. Well that's over now. Here's the deal:

March 15 was my wife's birthday. We wanted to go somewhere local and had always heard Convivium was an excellent choice. We were very excited (as you can tell by my original post in this thread).

I called the restaurant to make the reservation a few weeks ahead of time. I said specifically it was a special occasion and that I wanted a romantic table - we don't go out to eat very often and we try and make each time as memorable as possible. We weren't too picky on the exact time...I said 8, 8:30 or 9 - whatever was best for them. They set the reservation at 9pm on that Saturday night.

We arranged for a car to pick us up at our apartment (South Slope) at 8:50pm. As most car services are wont to do, they showed up a little late - we probably got into the car at 8:55 or so. I wasn't concerned - we would only be a couple of minutes late, and we had a reservation after all.

We arrived at the restaurant at what was probably about 9:05. First of all, may I say that they are not set up to have any customers wait for tables. The front door to the place plops you literally into a dining room where you are surrounded by people eating. There is no bar (well, there literally IS a bar, but it seats about 4 people with no allowance for overflow) so if there are more than a few people waiting you are put in the very uncomfortable position of standing over people while they eat, and having to constantly move out of the servers way as they delivered food and cleared tables.

There was no clear host presence at all to welcome us. After some confused milling around we found a harried server behind the bar who was not much help. We told her our name, she looked at a book, looked confused, and said the host would be right back. Fair enough.

Within a minute or two, the host did indeed show up. We gave our name and explained we had a reservation at 9:00pm. His response: "You will have to work with me. I gave your table away since you were late."

At this point I looked at my watch. It was 9:10. Now I myself have worked in many a restaurant in my day, and there is usually some kind of unofficial courtesy reservation policy that holds a reservation for a brief period if the guest is running late. I have asked some friends and most believe there should be about a 15 minute hold before the table is given away.

Since we were having this conversation at 9:10 and he had just come back from seating someone, I can only assume he decided to give our table away at around 9:05.

My response was predictable: "We had a reservation, We are not that late. I want the table that I went to the trouble of making a reservation for."

Him: "Sir, you need to work with me. We are very busy. It's a Saturday night."

I was obviously getting nowhere with him and started to lose my temper to a degree - "I don't care what F%$#ing night it is and I don't want to work with you. I want my table".

His response: "Sir, if want to use that kind of language, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." I said, "With pleasure" and off we went, fuming and stranded on 5th Avenue on a Saturday night with no birthday dinner and no reservation anywhere. We ended up at Moutarde, where we treated very nicely, although the food was mediocre at best. Kinda like a French restaurant at Epcot.

More to come.......

[Testiculon]

On Monday we called Convivium and were lucky enough to get one of the owners on the phone (Michele). She said she had heard about our issue from the staff and was extremely apologetic. "That's not the kind of restaurant we are." "We never do that." She was very sweet and we felt mollified. Michele even went so far as to offer us a meal on the house at our next convenience so that they could make it up to us. "We will take very good care of you and show you what Convivium is really like".

All this sounded great. We would get to experience Convivium finally and would get a little special treatment to make up for our original experience. I decided to hold off on any internet rants since they seemed genuinely apologetic.

It took a few weeks to arrange for another babysitter, but last week we were finally ready. I called Michelle, reminded her who I was, and made a reservation for last Saturday night. As we were signing off from the call, she said, "Oh and your $85 gift certificate will handed to you when you walk in". I said....um....what? She said, "Well $85 is the average amount a couple spends on food and wine when they eat here." I was so flummoxed by this, I mumbled acknowledgment and said goodbye. By the way, in this conversation, Michele's manner was somewhat cold and nowhere near as gracious and apologetic as the first time.

The more I thought about this, the angrier I became. My wife and I discussed, and she decided to give Michele another call to clarify. After all, we had gone from having a reservation for a romantic table, to unceremoniously being turned away, to dinner on the house, to here's 85 bucks.

I mean, seriously, when was the last time you had dinner and wine for $42.50? If you get the cheap food and have 1 glass of wine maybe you stay under $45. Was not what we were thinking at all.

Anyway, to put an end to this lengthy (and undoubtedy boring) post, my wife called, Michele stuck to her guns, and we cancelled our reservations. We will never go back and will tell everyone we know to never go. I'm on to Citysearch next to continue share our story. I'll edit it down over there.....thanks for having the patience to read.

Doesn't seem like any way to run a restaurant.

[queencallipygos]

[veets]

Testi I hesitate to comment because this Convivium story is your story and of course you are gonna stick by it. But... really $85 towards the meal seems like a reasonable cut. It would cover 75% of the bill for sure.

[doldrums]

with Testi's attitude, I bet convivium are relieved. Maybe you can get another restaurant to give you a free dinner providing you curse.

[Bergenites]

Something about your attitude makes me feel that Convivium isn't too sorry that they're not in your good graces. $85 is perfectly acceptable for a meal there. I can well understand their not wanting you to go crazy ordering a several-hundred dollar bottle of wine on top of 2 orders of the steak (which is already for 2!) and basically cheating them out of a lot of money.

Face it, you were late, they were busy and had customers who were there and wanted to eat. They tried to accomodate you and you cursed at them. Frankly, if I were Convivium I wouldn't have given you anything.

In my experience, a little patience and kindness goes a long way. I have also never had a bad experience at Convivium. The one time I had to wait when I had made a reservation (I wasn't late, but the party ahead of us lingered) they sat us at the bar and gave us free champagne, and were very apologetic. Perhaps if you hadn't started yelling at them immediately you would have received similar treatment.

[NYkittyNY]

Dude, you were LATE for a reservation. Why didn't you call from the car and say you were running late? I don't think they were under any obligation to give you your original table, particularly after you cursed out the wait staff. They were going to seat you...for all you know you could have waited 5 - 10 minutes and they would have found you something nice. Instead of being patient, you acted like the kind of wacko that restaurant staffs snicker about. What was the point of cursing at them? Your original table was already gone. And then they graciously offer you $85 towards your meal (absolutely enough to enjoy a meal and dessert). Still that does not appease you? REALLY? What were you planning to do? Order a $150 bottle of wine?

[veets]

OK I realize I was trying to be toooo kind and diplomatic. I ditto the last few comments that say more directly what I hinted at. I am thinking that wouldn't want this OP in my restaurant or my house.

[raw]

[shishkab]

i think my opinion falls somewhere in the middle from the other responses here.

i would offer, if i am reading your story correctly, that you were indeed too aggressive and angry with the staff, and you didn't really give them the opportunity to make things right on the night of your reservation. if you truly were only ten minutes late, i think it's silly they gave up the table that quickly. coupled with the fact that you had gone thru the trouble to arrange what was supposed to be a lovely birthday dinner for your wife, i can def. see how frustrating it must have been. however, the old married hag in me (15 years hitched and counting -- i'm not shy to say it!) must tell you i think it's a shame that in your anger towards the manager for giving away the table, you left your honey in the lurch after you "stormed" outside (she may have come with you, but it was still "her" night that both you and Convivium ruined that evening. once again, that's really easy for me to say, but still...). perhaps if you had waited a few minutes before boiling over (or at least counted to ten before the cursing), the evening could have been salvaged at the establishment you wanted, no Epcot needed. but of course, we'll never know.

now, as for the $85 gift certificate, i think you are in the right. i patronize Convivium a few times a year and on an average visit there, that sum more than covers the meal. however, i spent a few minutes after reading your story thinking about what it would cost for a "special" dinner for my husband and me at Convivium. two apps, two entrees, a mid-priced bottle of wine, two desserts, and a coffee for him & a glass of vin santo for me would cost well over $100. i don't normally splurge that way on a meal by a looooooong shot, but for a special night once or twice a year i would most definitely spend a goodly sum, and i have spent that much THERE without batting the proverbial eye. so considering how slighted you felt, and considering the fact that the manager made no mention of a price cap the first time you spoke, if i were you i would be angry about that, too. the only advice i could offer you in the future would be to take advantage of the offer the owner gives you right away, not weeks later. i completely understand that no undertaking is easy when it comes to making childcare arrangements. just throwing the notion out there that they probably would have made more of an effort to please you if you were in a rush to go back.

but in the end, no matter what my two cents are, i am sorry you've come away with such a poor opinion of the place. and even if i may not agree with all you've written, i am glad you took the time to share.
_________________
Get your paws off my canned chicken

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[raw]

[Quigley]

Maybe you just should've ordered your car service for 8:40, and then none of this would have happened? (Especially since you said yourself "the car was late, as car services are wont to do.") If you know the car service is going to be a few minutes late - as we all do - why not just pad your trip with 5 minutes so you won't be late? Just sayin...

[Nepenthean]

[raw]

[veets]

Coincidence... we (3 people) ate at Convivium this evening and ordered the steak. We had the seafood apetizer first and that was terrific. We did not finish the whole steak so they made a nice aluminum foil package complete with handle to brin the steak home. What we ate in the restaurant had little fat. I will let you know after lunch on Sat. if the remainder is fatty or wonderful, as was the carved part of steak we ate there tonight.

I can tell you now that service was lovely even though the place was at capacity. We had no reservation and were told it was a 20 minute wait. It was more like 35 minutes but we were hanging in front and the rain had stopped so we didn't care. Someone came out and apologized that the wait was longer than he had told us and when we sat down an appetizer of codfish and salad was brought to the table immediately with an apology that the wait was longer than they had originally projected.

Each to their own in reviewing restaurants... but Convivium is still on my A list..........might turn out to be Aminus if the left-over steak turns out to be fatty.

[pastoralia]

OP should have left and gone a block down to Canaille and his evening would have been saved.