Casa Mono

My husband and I are pretty adventurous in trying new dishes so when we ordered to tripe and pork cheeks with pommegranate (sp?) we were eagerly anticipating something delicious. To our dismay, both dishes were quite odd-tasting and gross and we left half of the food on our plates. The venison, on the other hand, was delicious, as well as the dessert (bread pudding with cinnamon icecream--yum!) To add insult to injury, the next morning my husband actually vomitted the whole meal up! My first impression of the place was TINY! It felt like we were being taken advantage of by paying such high bills for a place that didn't even give us elbow room. (THe sommelier kept looking like he was going to be knocked over or trip over someone while carrying the wine and glasses! Very anxiety-producing.) Altogether disappointing!

Really a great experience. Where d you go to get fantastic product, plentiful portions, nice presentaton for 15 per plate. Granted plenty will say " i know this neighborhood place that makes a great paella and its .....blah blah blah. There is a reason that this place is always full.... it is always great! Congrats and thx to andy and his guys for 3 or so years of great dinners. Always make a stop when i am in the city from palm springs and always happy. As an observation to the service uhhh what do you want? Someone in your grill or someone to tell you what they like, what the items are and then expedite the dihes to your table. Which they do well considering space and all the plates flying. Hey it aint Robuchon ...it's supposed to be fun, good and casual which it is. All stars: sepia, razor clams, articokes, clams, mussels, monkfish, octopus, skirt steak, piquillo peppers, mojama and all really great! thx to Ilan for a great dinner 2 nite

A month ago, when my lady was out of town, I went alone to give it a try. No reservation, but they gave me a seat at the bar; the bartender was sociable, and I enjoyed the wines he suggested. (I know Italian wines, not Spanish.) The sweetbreads were so good I knew I would be back. Last night the two of us went. The duck heart cassoulet with bacon was sublime, and the razor clams were delicious. The sommelier was eager to be helpful, and the service was good. We will be back soon with friends to introduce them to this terrific food. Yes, it is small, but that is part of its charm. And while it's no place for a quiet conversation, it does not pretend to be. It is fun.

The pros? I will start by saying that the food was delicious and everything was cooked perfectly. The side of cardoons with aioli was tasty, but I would have left the aioli off to the side. The cardoons became quite soggy. I highly recommend the quail and guinea hen. The wine list offered many choices and was reasonably priced. The cons? I was not treated very well by the host (who seemed like he was also the sommelier). He was condescending and short with me and this dampered the experience immediately. I would rather go to a place that serves similar dishes, but with a warmer staff.

Had our first meal at Casa Mono last night and the service was so poor that I wont go back. Our waiter said <10 words to us over the entire meal... when we told him it was our first time dining at Mono and asked for his suggestions he was annoyed and offered ONE appetizer. A pseudo-somalier came over once and was pleasant, but the waiter did not come over at all during the meal until he handed us dessert menus without saying a word. It must take a conscious effort to hide from your tables all night when the restaurant is 20' x 20'. As for the food, the duck with capers was tasty but overall the meal was underwhelming.

The place is lovely, cozy and intimate, despite being tiny and cramped. The atmosphere makes up for any other shortcomings it may have. The food is certainly delicious, but many items are on the greasy side, being deep fried and smothered with oil. The duck breast was one of the most delicious we have had in a long time. And the concord grape dessert was fantastic. The wine selection is quite extensive, but pricey, so expect to run up a large bill. The service is attentive and courteous. If you walk in, and there is no hostess by the door, expect a while to get noticed and seated, even if a place is empty. In overall, a very nice place to get together on a cold autumn day.

Though tight quarters, food is simply amazing ... you just want more of those flavors -- the skirt steak, octopus appetizer.... clam appetizer a but chewy, but still good. Overall....excellent!