Pera

Most amazing food I've had in midtown in a long time. Way better than I could have ever imagined- I will be going back very soon.

The food here is below average and extremely overpriced. The $16 mezze sampler is served on a glass tray and offers a mere one or two tablespoons of hummus, a sliver of salmon, two very small stuffed grape leaves, a sardine or two and various other very, very small bites. The mezze sampler appears to be the restaurant's main marketing gimmick, but other parties around us, who also ordered the same, agreed the ingredients were below par and very insufficent in their portions. We also found it extremely offensive that this restaurant charges $29!!!! for one crab cake (albeit, 6-7 ounces) which comes in a pool of sauce so brutally tart that every bite is a jarring punishment. That the food here tastes off is not the sole problem; it is the restaurant's arrogant perception that it can charge so much for such poor value and minimum portions. What an insult!

Pera has only been open for a couple weeks and I already like it better than most of my Mediterranean mainstays. Each dish was quite frankly excellent and original. We started with fried artichoke hearts, done in a chickpea batter, which was very delicious, if a little bit oversalted. Smoked eggplant, unbelievably delicious smoky flavor, much better than babba ganoush somewhere else, though again a bit oversalted. Octopus salad phenomenal - better than ceviche, better than the poached seafood salad you get as antipasti at an Italian restaurant. Beet salad was excellent as were the pidettes. The lamb brochette main course was excellent quality lamb tenderloin, not gamey tasting, no fat, wonderful acoutrements. The service was also excellent. And the space is beautiful. This place rules.