Northwest American Grill & Lounge: For an UWS establishment that serves over 70 different kinds of wine, you might expect something of a disaster scene. But the coast is clear: Those timid highbrows, stuck drinking champagne in their penthouses, can emerge. With its mini-blinds, track lighting, and giant potted plant, this Tuscan-style bar/restaurant aims for the sophistication of a Union Square Café and achieves the Pottery Barn showroom effect, even more so when you consider that practically all the decorative black-and-white photographs, which range in subject from Italian-American actors to Venetian canals, are for sale. Regardless, the patrons don’t seem to mind gazing at Joe Pesci over a glass of pinot noir, and even the staff appears quite content swapping their life stories at the tiny front bar area. |
