Fradei Bistro — Restaurant in New York

A fantastic initial meal, but a disappointing second experience.

I had an amazing meal from the team at Fradei shortly after their opening and NYTimes review. The owners are lovely and the chefs are terrifically creative. I still remember the cheeky take on sour cream and onion chips as an opener and their terrific wine list too. We advised the team of my gluten allergy ahead of time, and the owners and chefs made one or two great gluten-free substitutions to the menu-- at times completely different dishes, not just slight modifications (e.g. removing a pasta dish, for example). It was just perfect.

Please note that they no longer accommodate allergies or aversions. If, for whatever reason, you're not 100% "normal," you might want to look elsewhere.

My attempted second experience:

I wanted to eat there again before I leave the city. I made a booking and the website asked me to "Please inform us of any allergies, aversions or dietary restrictions while making your reservation." It then continued, "We are sorry but we are unable to accommodate any Vegan, Gluten-free, Dairy-free or Egg restrictions."

The team at Fradei did get in touch (to their credit before it was too late to cancel without financial penalty) to both confirm my allergy and that, despite the brilliance of the chefs in the past and the importance of flexibility, it was too much extra preparation to accommodate allergies or aversions.

It was quite a disappointment, given the caliber of the team. And likely frustrating for many in the immediate community. But given an effort to support more covers per day and a more complex menu (both questionable, as their intimate simplicity were standout characteristics) any deviation isn't feasible.

I'm sure it's still a fantastic spot to eat, if you're able to, but sadly it's no...

The intimate space is warm and inviting, and might be the smallest restaurant I have ever seen, in the best way. Book a resy here for a romantic date night or the perfect evening of exploring natural wines with good food and friends. Food: •Red Endive - This salad was insanely good and definitely inspired me to try to recreate it at home. Served with bon bon dates, tango mandarin, and verbena. Each leaf was perfectly coated with the most delicate and flavorful dressing. So perfect •Yellowfin Tuna - Amazing quality tuna served with a lovely horseradish cream. Definitely get this! •Bucatini - This nautical pasta had calatura di alici, dulse, and egg yolk woven throughout. Very delicious if you are looking for seafood pasta vibes. •Sunchoke Scarpinocc - This pasta was seriously delicious with chestnut, chanterelles, and pecorino. Perfect comforting pasta dish for a rainy night.

Drinks: I started with a glass of Ca'Liptra Arancio made with 70% Malvasia Toscana, 27% Trebbiano Toscano, and 3% Sangiovese from their estate in Cupramontana, one of the highest-quality villages in Verdiccio die Castelli di Jesi. This wine offered a great balance between delicate aromatics and grippy tannins from the skin contact. I also tried an amazing Chardonnay from La Fermented e Jeanne in Bugey. I think this is only the second Chardonnay I have trie from Bugey, and it might be one of my favorite places for this grape. Perfect tension between a round, oily texture and razor sharp acidity, alongside some stellar aromatics. I am always down for some Bugey. Ended the night with a lovely blend of 50% Mencia and 50% Albarin Tinto from the Asturias...

Left Fradei feeling rather disappointed in the quality of food for the price point. At this point I would not recommend it to anyone.

Considering the bracket in which they place themselves in ($90 multi course tasting menu) the competition outshines Fradei on multiple fronts.

Here’s a breakdown: Food: Nothing our tasting menu was memorable or in the ‘good’ category for the price point we had. Most of the dishes focused on pickled vegetables which was somewhat repetitive throughout the menu. We also were served no meat, which was fairly surprising given a $90 per person price. Atmosphere: The ambiance of a small restaurant is cozy, but it does not present the feeling of a location where you’d be having an upscale tasting menu. There’s a cheap curtain separating the door from the dining room draped on the floor that I almost tripped on when leaving the restaurant. Staff: The staff were friendly and casual, but we felt the attention to detail was lacking & minor things you’d expect at a restaurant in that price bracket.

If you’re wondering on how I derived these feelings, I’m placing Fradei in a league of upscale restaurants for a similar price point. A simple visit to Crown Shy in fidi for example highlights a lot of these flaws in terms of expectations (albeit not a full tasting menu, but you could course a few large dishes for the same price point especially with more...