Rebecca W.'s Profile
Date
172 W 4th St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 352-1171
New York, NY 10014
(212) 352-1171
Varsano's Chocolate
Categories:
Chocolatiers and Shops,
Candy Stores
Neighborhood: West Village
I'm allergic to wheat, and my sweetie is Italian. Thank goodness Za Za's is here and serves the most amazing mushroom risotto! They are the only Italian place in the area to serve risotto. I cheated once and had a small taste of to die for gnocchi. My friends have raved about the pasta dishes as well.
The atmosphere is a bit more swanky than many Ithaca restaurants, but its a nice place for a casual, quiet, special dinner with friends and a good bottle of wine.
The atmosphere is a bit more swanky than many Ithaca restaurants, but its a nice place for a casual, quiet, special dinner with friends and a good bottle of wine.
I love Fall Creek Pictures and its sister theater, Cinemapolis. As I mentioned in the Cinemapolis review, the two theaters are owned by the non-profit 7th Art and will be combining under one roof later this year in a new theater just a block from the Commons.
Fall Creek Pictures is in a lovely residential neighborhood next to the fine dining restaurant Willow. The individual theaters range wildly in size, from the largest rivaling some corporate theaters and the smallest holding probably only 30 people.
The features are great independent films. A few I've seen there include "The Namesake," "An Inconvenient Truth," "Bowling for Columbine," and "Across the Universe."
Fall Creek Pictures is in a lovely residential neighborhood next to the fine dining restaurant Willow. The individual theaters range wildly in size, from the largest rivaling some corporate theaters and the smallest holding probably only 30 people.
The features are great independent films. A few I've seen there include "The Namesake," "An Inconvenient Truth," "Bowling for Columbine," and "Across the Universe."
I love Cinemapolis and its sister theater, Fall Creek Pictures. They are both owned by the non-profit organization 7th Art and will be moving together into brand-new theater space a block from the Commons later this year.
The movies are a great selection of independent films - I've seen flicks such as Juno, Pan's Labyrinth, and Persepolis there to name a few. Its local. Its homey. They'll make you fresh hot chocolate and the popcorn has real butter. The prices are less expensive than the big theater at the mall and they have a discount night once a week.
The movies are a great selection of independent films - I've seen flicks such as Juno, Pan's Labyrinth, and Persepolis there to name a few. Its local. Its homey. They'll make you fresh hot chocolate and the popcorn has real butter. The prices are less expensive than the big theater at the mall and they have a discount night once a week.
I've dropped at lot of money at Ithaca Grain and Pet over the years - especially the year I had six cats! I just love the place and the staff are incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and helpful every single time. No exceptions. There are a few resident birds and a lovable cat named Petey. I have occasionally requested special order items and they are always happy to accommodate my needs.
I have a number of piercings that I've cover time, none of which came from Dawn. But having been in the shop on numerous occasions and accompanied others getting piercings, I would trust Dawn to pierce just about anything. The day I was truly won over I watched Dawn talk a high school girl and her mom out of getting a piercing until she was a bit more prepared for the kind of care it would require.
The store is clean and Dawn and Ron do a great job of educating anyone who comes into the shop. And they are incredibly kind and compassionate folks. When I discovered that I would need to remove all of my jewelry for a rushed medical test I went to Dawn. She was supportive of my health situation, helped me take out the jewelry, offered to clean it all while I went in for my test, and helped me put it all back in when I was done. She was a real gift for me at a time when I was under a lot of stress.
The store is clean and Dawn and Ron do a great job of educating anyone who comes into the shop. And they are incredibly kind and compassionate folks. When I discovered that I would need to remove all of my jewelry for a rushed medical test I went to Dawn. She was supportive of my health situation, helped me take out the jewelry, offered to clean it all while I went in for my test, and helped me put it all back in when I was done. She was a real gift for me at a time when I was under a lot of stress.
If I'm going to go out for drinks with friends, this is my most likely destination. Felicia's is fun, and frequently packed. The staff and service is fantastic. The drinks are strong. Sometimes there's live music. The bar is dominated by graduate students and professionals, not by the local college kid scene.
Is it authentic Mexican food? No. But its a fun place to go out for a margarita or a carafe of sangria and get some decent food.
Viva Taqueria is the sit-down, full service side of the place. There's a full bar and a few areas where tables can be combined for a larger group. The decor is fun and a little funky, and the tattooed staff is friendly, helpful, and usually delivers pretty good service. There are tremendous options for vegetarians and great explanations of ingredients throughout the menu. They do not take reservations, and they will not seat you until your entire party is present. Expect there to be a wait and a fairly full bar at peak times.
Viva Cantina is the take-out side. The prices are lower, the menu is stripped down, and there are about six tables available on the side for indoor seating. The take-out menu provides some of the least expensive food in town.
Viva Taqueria is the sit-down, full service side of the place. There's a full bar and a few areas where tables can be combined for a larger group. The decor is fun and a little funky, and the tattooed staff is friendly, helpful, and usually delivers pretty good service. There are tremendous options for vegetarians and great explanations of ingredients throughout the menu. They do not take reservations, and they will not seat you until your entire party is present. Expect there to be a wait and a fairly full bar at peak times.
Viva Cantina is the take-out side. The prices are lower, the menu is stripped down, and there are about six tables available on the side for indoor seating. The take-out menu provides some of the least expensive food in town.
I've been periodically stopping in to give Diamond's another try because I really want to like it. Its got an incredibly convenient location and I love Indian food.
Unfortunately, it just remains OK. The ambiance is pretty awful - always hope for a booth next to the windows so you can at least gaze outside over the fake plastic flowers. Any street light also helps to diffuse the fluorescent lighting. The service is always adequate, but never better. The food is decent, with my favorites being the Molai Kofta and the Palak Paneer. The lunch buffet is again, OK, and a good price.
Unfortunately, it just remains OK. The ambiance is pretty awful - always hope for a booth next to the windows so you can at least gaze outside over the fake plastic flowers. Any street light also helps to diffuse the fluorescent lighting. The service is always adequate, but never better. The food is decent, with my favorites being the Molai Kofta and the Palak Paneer. The lunch buffet is again, OK, and a good price.
I went here with a group of friends last week and confirmed yet again that I just don't enjoy it. There are very few options for vegetarians or those with food allergies. As someone who is both vegetarian and burdened by a wheat allergy I got the only item on the menu I could eat - nachos. And they didn't even come with beans. The restaurant was so loud that I wasn't able to hear over half the people I was seated with, and the place was only half full. Luckily, at the end of the meal I remembered that they also serve the worst coffee ever and I chose to skip it.
The selection of beer is great, and I've heard great things about their burgers, but I can't offer much more than that in their favor.
The selection of beer is great, and I've heard great things about their burgers, but I can't offer much more than that in their favor.
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Review votes:
37 Useful, 1 Funny, and 5 Cool
Location
Ithaca, NY
Yelping SinceJuly 2008
Find Me InIthaca NY
My HometownBaltimore, MD
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...I'm about food, working like mad, cultivating a love affair with my sectional.
My First ConcertAmy Grant. With my mom.
My sweetie tried the orange milk chocolate truffles (he says "delightful hint of orange with a luscious center") and the dark chocolate mousse truffles ("rich, robust").
I would definitely try it again.