Three ambitious new eateries have opened within the last two weeks on the Upper West Side: Greek restaurant Loi at 208 West 70th Street, Slightly Oliver on Amsterdam Avenue and 85th Street and Elizabeth’s Neighborhood Table on 93rd Street and Columbus Avenue. All three spots have gotten some buzz, and they appear to at least be trying to offer something unique. If you’ve gone to any of them, let us know what you think in the comments.
Loi Restaurant: The restaurant on 70th Street that used to be called Compass has gotten a complete makeover and is now led by Maria Loi, the “Greek Martha Stewart”. Who is this mystery woman? She’s an entrepreneur, a cookbook-writer, and apparently a big fan of slow, healthy food: “Nothing is fried, I do not use butter and add olive oil at the end so it’s healthier. I cook most of my food slowly, in the oven,” she told the Times. On the menu are many traditional Greek favorites, including homemade phyllo pies, and the delicious-sounding “market-fresh fish baked in sea salt”. The restaurant, Loi says, “shares many of my Loi family recipes, which have been passed down from my great-grandmother.”
Elizabeth’s Neighborhood Table: Elizabeth’s just opened on 93rd Street and Columbus, in the spot that used to house The Corner and Roth’s Steakhouse before that. Grubstreet calls it an “urban farmhouse” and says the decor includes a picket fence and a swing. If those special accoutrements can’t help you settle in and relax, maybe the “American comfort food” the place serves will get you in the mood. The menu is filled with words like “sustainable”, “cage-free” and “free-range” (the chickens are 100% vegetarian fed, the beef is grass-fed, and the fish of the day is “local”.) but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy. In fact, the first three words that popped out at me were “Crispy Fried Chicken.” Oh, and if you get past the entree, the dessert menu’s here.
Slightly Oliver: The quirkily-named new spot on 85th and Amsterdam, which took over for the shuttered Bar Luna, opened less than a week ago. It’s a “cocktail-themed gastropub,” serving lots of hearty fare like steak & kidney pie, fish and chips, and crispy duck tongue salad (poor little ducks!). Here’s a pdf of the menu. The cocktail menu “is splashed with five-ingredient punches and Prohibition-era interpretations,” says Grubstreet.
For more recent Upper West Side openings and closings, click here.
Photo by Avi.
Loi is terrific — had a great dinner & drinks.
Elizabeth’s is only open for dinner — don’t know if it will open for lunch later.