Traif — Restaurant in New York

“We should go there” my wife said casually one Friday afternoon. Calling ahead for an appointment at 5 in the evening proved fruitless: they don’t take reservations once they start service but the hostess earnestly implored us to come by at 11 or so at the chance of grabbing some walk in seats.

When we did finally go a few weeks later I casually sauntered into a mostly empty place for a 7 pm reservation. A few early diners were being seated, the very small and tight kitchen, exposed for all to see, was ensuring that their mise was, well, in the right place, and the lone bartender drying and priming glasses. A few cocktails later (the Navy grog bearing no resemblance to its namesake) and the conversation flowed between the bartender and me. Despite Traif’s reputation it was a very comfortable place. Bright colors and custom paint marked the décor and the single unisex bathroom didn’t try to sweat modernism. Lit on the dark side, the plethora of tables for two was accompanied by a few larger (4-6) tables- I didn’t get a chance to peek at the outdoor/indoor seating area. At home I rarely splurge on the good (spoken: expensive) alcohol but I was delighted to experience Scarlet Ibis Rum. If the quality of that one spirit is any indication of Traif’s libation repertoire then you should walk away satisfied and slightly tipsy.

Traif makes an excellent choice for the 2nd to 4th dates. The tables are intimate and the shared tapas style dishes pull no punches in clanging of forks or the mixing of portions. The waitress did a fine job guiding the number of dishes we chose (6 or so for a couple) and we were never wanting of her attention. It was surprising to see how rapidly chairs were filled and AMAZING how quickly orders were filled from the single stove. A slurp of bacon soup was a complimentary amuse-bouche. Although their online dinner menu isn’t entirely accurate we did try a variety of dishes. Tenderloin slices were tender on the inside, crispy on the outside. Chicken wings gooey sweet more so than hot. Pork belly slices were melt in your mouth delicious. A lobster pasta looked and tasted green. Veal sweetbreads with lobster specks a delight; this was probably the most flavor complex dish we had. And finally, but not least, the braised beef slider was a bombshell. You don’t choose the order of the dish rollout and they prefer you put in for everything at once but I am very reluctant to judge the individual dishes. The variety they offer should satisfy most customers although the number of strictly vegetarian dishes was minimal. By the end of tapas #6 we were truly stuffed but my taste buds were not dancing. Most of the tapas had mild flavor profiles although the slider was a standout.

We left happy customers after skipping desert but appreciating a super sweet cube of pineapple to the low roar of the crowd. Clientele was mostly fashionable but it didn’t seem to matter: Traif is a comfortable place to share decent food and drink among good friends or perhaps a future-future-future-perfect boyfriend.

Drinks: 8/10 for a friendly bartender that is a multitasking master yet still aims to please. Food: 6/10 for a creative variety that is a little weak on the flavor elevator. NYCism: 9/10 for providing that comfortable start to a 20-something...

We love Traif and it’s long been a favorite. So we were delighted to return last night to enjoy their beautifully cooked and presented food.

We used to always sit at the bar, enjoying the experience of watching the dishes being cooked and plated right in front of us, and the warm conviviality of chatting with both staff and other customers. Understandably this option is no longer available, and we were fine with that. Menus and water appeared promptly and the waiter immediately asked us if we’d like to start with a cocktail, which one of us ordered. We also asked for the tasting menu and wine pairings.

The first glasses of wine arrived before the cocktail, along with the first course. When the second course arrived we noted there was no new wine, but were not concerned as we’ve often seen a single pour paired with two courses. We did wonder where the cocktail was. With the third course we asked our server where the wine pairing was and were told, for the first time, that the original pour was meant to last through three courses. Our glasses were sadly empty at that point, and had we known we’d have paced ourselves. We had to ask for clean plates, as ours were quite littered with the remains of the previous two course. We were not given clean cutlery. Both the second and third courses (and every course thereafter) were served on cold dishes and became tepid very quickly.

We were stunned when our server poured the second wine pairing into our used glasses in preparation for the 4th and 5th courses. When the red wine came around for the 6th and 7th courses we asked for clean glasses. Our server pushed back, stating that using the same glass was a Traif philosophy. We’d never experienced that at Traif or anywhere before and insisted on new glasses. Soon after the missing cocktail arrived and was in the house. This was appreciated, though not really needed at that stage of the meal.

For the last two savory courses our server knew to provide clean glasses, which was appreciated. Sadly both courses failed to meet the usual Traif standards. Not only were they marred by the cold serving dishes, they were surprisingly disappointing. The gnocchi with “roasted mushrooms” contained rubbery pale mushrooms that looked and tasted as if they’d been taken from a can, and the duck was half gristle.

The key lime pie was comically tiny given that it was meant for two people.

The food was by and large excellent and we’re so happy they’ve managed to stay in business. We get it that they’ve taken some very heavy economic hits and have had, like many other restaurants, to institute some cost-saving measures. These mean that many of the niceties great food requires are not so easily provided without the extra staff to make them happen. I’d honestly prefer to pay more in exchange for warm serving dishes, clean glasses for each wine, and fresh plates and cutlery. I’d also amend the menu to explain how the wine...

I loved eating here. It was our first time here after hearing positive reviews from everybody we know, and it was to also celebrate on anniversary.

I made reservations 4 weeks out and the process works like this... they don't pick up their phone till after 6, so you call them while they're in the middle of their packed and busy dinner service. You say you want a reservation, they put you on hold. They come back on and ask for date, time, name, and contact info. Then you're called back in around 20 minutes confirming your reservation. Simple enough but tedious.

I forgot to write down the time of my reservation and I couldn't remember if the reservation was for 6:30 or 6:45. This was entirely my fault and it's no big deal since restaurant normally call 24-72 hours ahead of time to confirm that everything's all set. But they didn't call, so I called the day before. The person who picked up told me they'd have to call me back, and four hours later at 10pm I still hadn't heard anything and tried calling again. And instead of getting an answer I got a lecture about how the don't keep their reservation book downstairs and I was calling in the middle of service so I wasn't going to get an answer. I understand it's a really small restaurant but for its level of popularity there could be a better reservation system.

Whatever it happened, I can deal because the food and service that I received on the day of my dinner service was almost perfect and deserving of 5 stars. We arrived 15 minutes early but were seated right away, our server was new but friendly and the service went smoothly. We ordered five dishes and one dessert: the pork belly, chicken liver, pork cheeks, ribs, scallop risotto, and bacon dulce de leche donuts.

The pork cheeks were uninspiring, and the pork belly was over cooked making it rather rough to eat. But the flavors were still there and good. The stars of the night for me were the scallops and donuts. The scallops were cooked lightly seared and perfect, with a squash risotto. They complemented well and I highly recommend this dish to everyone. Bacon dulce de leche donuts with cappuccino ice cream, speaks for itself. My partner is a big fan of cappuccino ice cream, didn't like the ice cream that much but I...