Casino has very quickly become one of the hardest tables to score in the city. I'm always intrigued by the places that catch on fire immediately. There are tons of quality restaurants opening seemingly every week, yet most of them don't become an "it" spot. I'm Yelp elite but not New York elite, so I don't make the rules, nor am I privy to how they're determined. Needless to say, Casino is effortlessly sexy and a great time. It is filled with beautiful people and beautiful food and yes, do not worry, they serve expert martinis.
We came here at around 9pm on a Saturday night. We did not have a reservation, which is something I virtually never do, but I figured it was worth a shot. We walked in and spoke to the host, who said it would be at least a 90 minute wait, but shortly thereafter he returned and told us he'd have a table ready much sooner. I had prayed to the restaurant gods on our way downtown, and prayers appeared to be answered. We were seated in the front half of the space (the back half is a more formal -- relatively speaking -- dining) at a small table amidst a lot of parties who seemed to all know each other or know people who worked at Casino, or both. It's a party in here.
The cocktail list is comprised of mostly twists on classics. To start, I got the Grappa Martini, which was so simple yet so good. I could've had 10 of those, but I switched to your good old dirty martini after one. My husband started with a tropical mezcal drink which he said was just okay, but his second drink, a White Negroni, was excellent. To end, we split the Primo's Espresso Martini, which was better than your typical espresso martini and not nearly as overly sweet as many of them are. On the whole, Casino is great in the mixology department.
Food-wise, for whatever reason, Casino's online menu is much larger than the menu we received at the restaurant. Not sure if this was because we sat in the front half of the restaurant near the bar (perhaps the main dining room has a bigger menu?), or just because things haven't updated, but we were a little disappointed that we couldn't order duck. That said, a smaller menu means that fewer choices need to be made, which is always a plus in my book. I'm the most indecisive Libra there is. Eats, below:
Amberjack crudo w/ basil, chili, radish, garum: A+
This beautifully executed. The fish was super fresh, and the accompanying flavors struck the perfect balance of subtle and pronounced. A bit herbaceous, a bit umami, a bit spicy -- very well done.
Roasted baby carrots w/ cashew-dandelion pesto: A+
They were out of the Butter Lettuce, which is what we originally ordered instead of this. I was pretty bummed given its rave reviews, but it was still probably a blessing in disguise, because we got to try these seriously delicious carrots instead. I feel like I've said this in a bunch of reviews lately, but don't sleep on sides people!! They're not just throwaway dishes. These carrots were excellent and the pesto was divine.
Pasta w/ clams, bucatini, vin jaune, chili, bottarga
I have a gluten sensitivity so I only had a small bite of this with the hopes of sleeping it off overnight, but it was worth it. The pasta had clean flavors with a light white wine sauce and a sprinkling of dried cured fish eggs. Somehow felt classic and creative at the same time.
Roasted brussels sprouts w/ garlic confit: A
This is comfort food for me. I know, I know, shouldn't that be the pasta? Nope, give me roasted brussels with some healthy roasted cloves of garlic I can eat straight and I'll be happy forever. There was nothing fancy about this dish, just well-executed,
Steelhead Trout w/ endive, green olive-pistachio dressing: A
I love an Italian restaurant that does a great piece of fish. This one hit the spot. Endives are one of my favorite winter vegetables, and here they're served both cooked and raw, adding earthiness, bitterness and of course, crunchiness. read more