Centro Vinoteca (CLOSED)

My girlfriend and I had heard good things about Vinoteca from write ups and I had even met the head chef a while back. She's totally sweet. Unfortunately, the restaurant she has a hand in is so pretentious. It is the sort of establishment that is beautiful and is supposed to make you feel similarly... unless, of course, you are treated as inadequate and undeserving of the ambience. Our server started us off by calling us cheap in oh so many words because I only chose a $35 bottle of wine. When asked to describe the grape (I work at a local wine bar and genuinely can choose an affordable bottle of wine that is worth its weight in salt), she said, "It is one of the cheaper bottles on our list. You pay for what you get." Thankfully, I was with my girlfriend of six years so we could laugh at her amateurish faux pas together. Had it been a first date, this would have been a detrimental error. Shortly thereafter, our server forgot one of the dishes we ordered and took so long in coming back to our table that we had long since finished our appetizers and pastas and had ceased to care. We were ready to leave and go somewhere both classy and comfortable. When we asked to get our check and to cork the remainder of our bottle, we were told that we could not take our remaining wine with us due to a detail in the liquor license. It seems you need to dine on a full meal to leave a restaurant in NYC with an open bottle of wine - something we would have done if our full order was brought to us. In sum, the food was good but not amazing. Too many cheap restaurants pass themselves off as classy deals based on small portions and good chefs, while knowing nothing of the art of service or hospitality. You would do far better to spend your money at any number of other local establishments, such as Babbo, Lupa or Little Owl - places that treats any guest with respect, regardless of budget, because they are true professionals. Vinoteca was unprofessional and undistinguished in a city full of fine dining options.

The food here is really fantastic. Much like Babbo the strength lies in the pastas. I'm still drooling over the lamb bolognese gnocci and pappardelle with white truffles. Our Ribeye main was seasoned and cooked perfect, but it was just a piece of steak...for the purist in you. There were 2 major dings though. Our waiter was not good. His timing with everything was way off. Huge time gaps between taking orders from the piccolini menu, then the main menu. Never poured our wine, never checked up on us. He was oblivious to the fact a new table was sat in his section until they flagged down the hostess, a good 15 minutes later. Which I guess goes back to him never checking up on us since they were seated at the table next to us. On top of this there heating system has 2 settings: inferno or off. My wife put on and off her pashmina no less then 3 times during our meal. Still if you are into food this place is definitely worth going to. I just hope someone is reading this and will hire wait staff appropriate for the level of the quality of food your serving.

I was looking to find a perfect place to spend Thanksgiving dinner with my husband and his family (total of 4) and I could not be happier about this discovery!!! If you watch Iron Chef America, you could not have missed Mario Batalli's right hand (sous chef) Anne Burrell who always lits up the kitchen stadium and is even more cheerful in person! I consider myself a gourmand but my husband is a real expert when it comes to Italian cuisine and he was impressed stating: "This was the best Italian I've ever had"! The originality and perfect execution of the traditional Italian fare paired with the divine wine selection assures unforgettable experience that, on top of everything, is even priced right! We could not stop ordering the piccolinis (especially the truffeled deviled egg and the eggplant cakes) and by the time we got through the primi (amazing pici pasta) and main courses to the desserts we were ready to be carried out ;-) but it was well worth it! We have found our new favorite place and so will you if you'll find your way to this restaurant.....

Friday was my first visit, and the chicken liver pate with its balsamic onions won me! Calamari antipasto and the night's special entree, porchetta, made for a superb dinner. Great choices on the wine list to complement each dish. I will be going back soon to explore more of the menu.

Went to centro last night and after dinner needed to have a handful of pretzels b/f I went to bed. I was still starving.The first serving while a great idea lacks in execution. The dinner of pasta and spicey sausage was good but no where close to filling. The service was decent and the waiter was knowledgeable but the there was a good amount of wait time for the wine and placing our first order. Overall I give this resturant a B-

The picollinis are to die for!!!

The male bartender last night was so arrogant. He wasn't attentive. The great foods and wines we ordered would have been enjoyable if he wasn't working there. He didn't do he's job!