Casa Mono
March 24, 2004, 2:19 p.m.
After conquering the West Village (with Po, Lupa, Otto, and Babbo)
After conquering the West Village (with Po, Lupa, Otto, and Babbo) and Midtown West (Esca), Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich set their sights on Irving Place by taking over the former Irving on Irving space with Casa Mono, a variation on Spanish tapas bar. Gothamist checked out Casa Mono one evening to see that the Batali-Bastianich touch and name bring the foodies comin'.
The space is bustling, with open grills, counter-bar space, and small tables, with people filling every corner (even at 6PM on a weekday). Perhaps that's why the hostess was less than keen on seating the four-out-of-six people in our party, but we did have a reservation and insisted on getting seated. (Can someone explain to Gothamist why entire parties must be seated, when a partial party will in fact start ordering and will agree to vacate the table by the next seating? This is something we're wondering about, thanks.) As expected, the wine list was an extensive selection of Spanish wines (much like the overwhelming wine list at Otto) that could have been perused for hours; we chose some sort of Rioja. The "tapas" menu has a mix of traditional (manchego cheese, bacalao croquettes) and non-traditional (sweetbreads, cockscomb) dishes (see part of the menu here). Our server said that each person generally ate about 2-3 dishes, and that was a good guide. We ordered: Croquettes of both cod (bacalao) and pumpkin & goat cheese; pulpo (like baby octopus); scallops; fried duck egg over potatoes with truffles; manchego cheeses; patates; sweatbreads; artichokes; and peppers with oxtails. And it was all delicious and surprisingly filling: The fried duck egg was generally considered the standout dish, but the pumpkin & goat cheese croquettes were a close second.
The tangerine sorbet with pomegranate was the perfect refreshment after the meal. The crema caralana (a more liquidy creme brulee) with batter-covered-then-fried bay leaves would satisy someone with a richer sweet tooth.
Overall, Casa Mono is a great place to go if you can get a seat (you can make reservations, but walking in seems dicier) and can deal with the din. Gothamist wants to try other things on the menu, but we're a-fearing the other rabid foodies and foodie-come-lately types. Perhaps when Mario and Joe and company open up the next place, things will quiet down...though that didn't exactly happen with the other joints. Sigh.
Casa Mono, 52 Irving Place, 212-253-2773
eGullet on Casa Mono.