Good News/Bad News: Ago

Now that Robert De Niro's Ago is three weeks old and the Tribeca Film Festival is here, we figured it was time to check in with the restaurant that will be catering to the downtown celebs this week and next. The commenters, the bloggers, and even the food critics have had time to swing down the Greenwich St. and file their critiques, so let's check out the Good News and the Bad News.

1) Good News: The bloggers and the critics are giving Ago a mixed bag so far, but Yelpers are all about this place: "...service is excellent. Professional waiter dug up a black napkin for me which pleased me much. Food was good--we all had salads, I choose the raw artichoke while everyone else went with the pear / blue cheese combo. I had fish, many folks had pasta but everyone love their meal. So. The food was great....but. The one problem with this place is the ecoustics. Its really loud in there, even when its not packed." [Yelp]

2) Somewhat Decent News: NY Journal went a week and a half ago. Overall his meal was delicious but the poor service and high price point were major detractors: "...it was a wonderful hunk of meat, with the wood-burning oven imparting a wonderful smokey flavor. But was it worth $54, given that Wolfgang’s offers more-or-less comparable quality for $15 less, just two blocks away? The server was friendly and reasonably attentive, though he missed out on the chance to sell me a second class of the barbera d’asti, by failing to note that the first glass I’d ordered ($14) was empty." [NY Journal]

3) Bad News: Ryan Sutton is the first mainstream reviewer to stop in, and he says Ago is good for what it is, but don't expect great food: "The bar attracts an annoying, noisy, high-fiving martini crowd. A hard-surface interior amplifies sounds, making it tough to hear; wood chairs provide no comfort...Think of Ago as another pricey celebrity magnet like Da Silvano (West Village) or Harry Cipriani (Midtown)...We paid $18 for one tiny, bony quail. Skip it, as well as the pallid smoked swordfish. " [Bloomberg]

4) Mostly Good News: Gotham Gal goes during the soft opening and lays down a pretty positive review: "The decor is bland. There is something generic about the whole place. It as if they haven't finished the place yet...The food, is classic Italian and really good. I certainly got the taste of many items last night and truth is, you really can't go wrong...They are not reinventing the wheel but churning out good food from mama's kitchen from the old country." [Gotham Gal]
· Good News/Bad News: Bar Q [~E~]
· Good News/Bad News: Elettaria [~E~]