The Little Owl

New York is great for a lot of things, but establishments with character are what I without a doubt love the most. The Little Owl is anything short of character.

This place is also not much of a secret as it is damn near impossible to get a reservation on within a 3 day window. Now, normally the places that are the "in" spot to go to end up sucking, being overpriced and having way too much 'tude for my liking. The Little Owl tries to defunk such a reputation with friendly service and a comfortable scene. Our reservation for 3 was for 9:45pm and the host told us our table was not ready yet so he was kind enough to recommend we head around the corner to AOC wine bar for a drink. We took heed of his advice and enjoyed ourselves.

Once you sit down, you have to get right into the baked clams. These things are big and delicious. I also saw the gravy meatball sliders which we passed on but I was pissed we did. I had the NY Strip which was cooked perfectly but was slightly more fatty than I would like. One of my 2 lovely dates had the crispy chicken with brussel sprout homefries, this dish was unbelievable. Everyone shared the fries and these are a must.

As a hefty eater, I was slightly underfed with the smaller portions but overall it was a great meal and reasonably priced including our wine selection.

One random cool thing to add to this cozy joint is the loft area immediately to your right when you walk in. It has seating for 2 people and you are perched a good 5 feet above the rest of the tables which is strange, but also kind of cool. The long and short of it is The Little Owl is rich with character and the food is enjoyable as well. Good luck with the res but once you secure one definitely make a stop when in the West Village.

The Little Owl
90 Bedford Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 741-4695
http://www.thelittleowlnyc.com/