Welcome to Ask Eater, a column from Eater New York where the site’s editors, reporters, and critics answer specific or baffling restaurant requests from readers and friends. A new question and answer will run every Thursday. Have a question for us? Submit your question in this form.
Hi Eater,
My longterm boyfriend's parents are meeting mine for the first time! My parents are artists and very adventurous eaters; his are more traditional. The ideal restaurant would be at least a little hip but not too loud (they are hard of hearing), with delicious food. Lower Manhattan preferred. A nice meal, but not exorbitant. There will be five of us. Any suggestions?
— Getting Serious
Hi Serious,
Exciting! Big move. New York has tons of restaurants that will work for this, but let’s go with something a little newer.
The team behind ultra-hip Estela have a less scene-y restaurant in the West Village called Cafe Altro Paradiso that will probably fit the bill. Thomas Carter and chef Ignacio Mattos opened it last February, and while it got off to a sleepy start, word is that they’re firing on all cylinders after a revamp.
It’s brighter and quieter than Estela, and the menu will have options for both people who want to stick to ingredients they’ve heard of before (spaghetti, chicken) and diners wishing for dishes that sound a little more unique, like a prawn crudo with cherries and capers. Mattos does raw food well, so perhaps your parents will want to try that.
Hot tip: Pastas can be ordered by the half portion, allowing for a tasting of pastas if that is of interest. But since it’s a delicate parent situation, maybe it’s best to stick to splitting appetizers.
Good luck,
Serena