Dani

Dani does a good job of representing itself on its website. What you see is pretty much what you get. A comfortable, tastefully appointed room serving mediterranean cuisine that is neither boring nor too adventurous.

And that's a good thing for nearby residents...but perhaps not enough for those considering making an extended trip to try it.

We started with some chips that were served with a tasty, eggplant caponita-like dip. These were fine and kept us nibbling until our appetizers arrived.

My wife ordered the steamed prosecco mussels (orange/fennel/saffron). The broth was very tasty but the mussels were too big (New Zealand) and chewy to be enjoyed. I simply don't care for the New Zealand variety, and neither did my wife.

I ordered an appetizer portion of the special pasta of the day - which was a wild boar ragu with housemade papparadelle. This was pretty good. Not on par with what you'd get at Maremma or Babbo but good nonetheless.

For entrees, my wife had a short rib ravioli which was good but she wasn't in favor of the consistency of the meat (blended instead of say, shredded) and the overall flavor fell flat. She said it was good but left much room for improvement. I'd agree.

For my entree, I chose the quail spiedini. A google search tells me that spiedini is the Italian word for skewers of meat or fish grilled over a flame or under a broiler. Not to be confused with Spidini (as served at Aldo's in Wyckoff, NJ) which is Breaded mozzarella with béchamel; topped with creamy cheese sauce and mushrooms. The quail, two birds, were well cooked, perhaps a bit too well and slightly underseasoned. The baked racicchio slightly overpowered the smoked bacon but added to the bulgur also served with the quail. Good, and certainly appropriate for this time of year, but again, could have been better.

Dani is a good local spot (Hudson and Charlton) for those seeking a decent dinner, a room that looks comfortable without being too cramped (especially during the fall and winter) and a decent bar scene for those who want a casual (sort of low key) but fun night out. But it's not really a destination restaurant - I wouldn't go back unless I was in the area.

We decided to go elsewhere for dessert - a second trip to Will Goldfarb's Room 4 Dessert, which seems to have matured since our first visit during it's first month of business.

Room 4 Dessert

The menu has become only slightly more readable (spelling errors and missing words taboot) but gone is the silly cotton candy dish that didn't really work for me.

Will seems to have things going more smoothly though perhaps not at the level he'd like just yet. He'll get there I think. Nice guy, I hope so.

Danna went for Choc 'n' Awe, a foursome of really rich chocolate dishes - our favorite being the white chocolate cake dish.

I had the Laissez Pear, which was great from beginning to end, the highlight being the cake of kabocha squash, vanilla ice cream and pear bavardian cream.