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“Sugarcane”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Asian	Flatiron	Moderate	Good

Lately, I feel like dining is a lot like dating. No, not in that I eat my dates. As my Grandma Esther would say—“Get your mind out of the gutter!” Allow me to explain.

There are restaurants you meet and know the minute you lay eyes on them, that they will be good for about one drink and then you’ll have to get out. These places don’t have a clue—they offer careless service, thoughtless food, and make you feel about as warm and fuzzy as a rat in a hole. (Places like these don’t stay in business long enough to even be mentioned here.) Then there are those hot and sexy restaurants you stroll into and know instantly that there is an undeniable surface attraction, but at the same time, you know there’s not much underneath. The place is not relationship material, but the chemistry is there, and it’s clear this will be fun for one or two (maybe five) nights. Ono, Tao, Dos Caminos, Matsuri—these are your Fling or One Night Stand restaurants.

Then there are restaurants that fall outside the dating arena, but that are quite important (even more important in some ways). These are your Friends. For me, these are places like Five Points, Tia Pol, Prune, August, Casa Mono, The Red Cat, The Tasting Room, Craftbar, and the like. These are places you will always hold dear. You call on these places when you need to celebrate, and when you need to be nurtured. They care about you, they know your name, they support you, fill you with food that heals you, lifts you up, and makes you smile. They are the places you adore and always want in your life.

Then there are restaurants you meet and know immediately that something is different. You can feel it. You are going to fall, and hard. There is physical chemistry—the room has a vibe that makes you feel tingly and like the most beautiful being. Butterflies swarm around you in flocks. But it’s not just a pretty face. There is also an intellectual spark, and an emotional connection. The service is warm and smart, the food is delicious—soulful, clever, interesting, and dynamic. These are the spots you commit to, without hesitation. But it takes a certain maturity to look for and to meet these restaurants. When you are looking for places like Tao, you wont find reach for restaurants like Gramercy Tavern, Café Gray, Fleur de Sel, Tocqueville, L’Impero, Bouley, or Daniel. (Restaurants like Per Se fall into this categor ... [more, click below]

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Posted: February 20, 2005

Other restaurants in Flatiron :
+ Suenos   + Amuse-- Closed   + Dos Caminos   + Lucy-- Closed   + Gramercy Taver   + Veritas   + Fleur De Sel   + Bolo -- CLosed   + City Bakery   + Shake Shack   + Kalustyan's Cafe   + Devi   + BLT Fish   + Sugarcane   + BLT Prime   + Barca 18-- CLOSED   + Beppe   + Barbounia   + Boqueria   + Eleven Madison   + Lonesome Dove-- CLOSED   + Hill Country   + Olana   + Wildwood   + Primehouse   + Allegretti   + Bar Breton   + Aldea   + SD26 by Bao Ong   + ABC Kitchen   + Ciano   + The NoMad   

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