Go for the ambiance, skip the food

Place: Turks & Frogs Tribeca

Location: 458 Greenwich St. near Desbrosses St.

The occasion: Searching for a good Turkish restaurant in the new hood

The setting: The former stonemason’s studio is given warmth and an eclectic personality with a smattering of French and Turkish antiques at every turn.

The food: Having massive Turkish food withdrawals thanks to the Upper East Side’s yummy Beyoglu, Ivan and I set out to find a replacement closer to our new Fidi apartment. We had hoped we had found it with a short, 10-minute walk to Tribeca’s Turks & Frogs, a cozy red-hued bar and restaurant that seats 60 and has over 80 varieties of wine. But sadly, the food didn’t live up to the décor.

While the crystal chandeliers, antique lamps and paintings were beautiful, the fylo rolls tasted more like a salt lick—I’ve never had such salty feta in all my life. And this is coming from a saltaholic! The chicken kabob was served over soggy croutons with two mushy grilled green peppers and two lackluster grilled tomatoes. With the lighting so dim, it was hard to tell whether I had bread or chicken on my fork. And more often than not, it was bread. The portion size was small and favoring carbs over protein.

I wouldn’t recommend eating here, but it is the perfect spot for a quiet night of drinks, where you can emerse yourself in good wine and conversation, while taking in the lovely sights of an era gone by. 

Riesling in a keg? Cheers to that!

Place: Terroir Tribeca

24 Harrison Street

(212) 625-9463

The occasion: Friday night drinks

Setting: It has the same cozy, exposed-brick feel as the namesake East Village wine bar, but with a lot more seats (three times more to be exact!) and an upscale vibe (to match the celeb-filled Tribeca neighborhood).

The drinks: Owner/head sommelier Paul Grieco describes Terroir as an “elitist bar for everyone,” and it truly fits that bill. They have over 250 varieties of wine at the Tribeca location, yet the sommeliers (not bartenders!) sport tattoos and piercings with their jeans and vintage tees rather than stuffy coats and ties. Apparently I’m a little late to the party, because I didn’t realize wines came in kegs, but I tried an amazing Riesling from the Finger Lakes there—which is more than enough reason to keep going back. Fun fact: Each keg of wine holds the equivalent of 25 bottles. I also had a Malbec from San Juan. I was a little baffled till the sommelier told me it was San Juan, Argentina, not San Juan, Puerto Rico (which I was thinking). For those of you who’d rather eat grapes than drink them, Ivan enjoyed the Speak Easy beer. There are plenty of bottled and draft options for you too—just no hard liquor.

The "Freaky Beef Balls" (real name, I swear!)

The lick your plate-worthy Veal and Ricotta Meatballs.

The food: The menu is a smorgasbord of small bites split into sections like: bar snacks, fried stuff, charcuterie, cheeses, paninis and salads. Ivan and I had already eaten, but Ivan had a meatball craving (as he often does!), so we tried the “Freaky Beef Balls” (insert joke here) and the Veal and Ricotta Meatballs. The former were too salty for us, the latter were moist, flavorful, and quickly inhaled! Make sure to use the bread served on the side to soak up every last drop of the marinara sauce. And when that’s gone, your finger will do. It really is that good!