Barbone

Occasion: Abby's birthday dinner, with Juice, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mike

Location: Barbone (or as they bizarrely spell it, Bär-bō-né) on Ave B between 11th and 12th St (barbonenyc.com)

Edibles: asparagus fries for Catherine and Abby to start; beet and orange salad with ricotta salata for me and Elizabeth to start; wild boar lasagne for Mike; spaghetti carbonara for Abby; black pepper pappardelle with short rib ragu for me; cavatelli with chicken sausage for everyone else; birthday dessert for Abby

Musings: Cute little place. Overall, a bit uneven but there's a great meal to be had for a reasonable price. At our table, that meal was Abby's - the asparagus fries followed by the carbonara.

Even though I was fairly full from two hours of snacking on various gourmet cheeses and cured meats at Rachel W's housewarming party, my nose still perked up when the asparagus fries (or as I'd describe it, asparagus tempura) appeared at the table, smelling like deep-fried goodness. The aioli on the side was the perfect dip. Thanks to Catherine for "forcing" two on me! The beets were OK, but the ricotta salata tasted like pencil shavings to me. Definitely the wrong garnish.

Most of their pastas come in an appetizer size for a few dollars less. I didn't see much of a difference between my "small" plate and the full dinner portions. It needed salt, but the pappardelle was nice and al dente. As rich as carbonara is, I think the app portion would be enough for that one too.

The little birthday dessert they brought was basically a dish of cream cheese frosting. One bite was perfect - any more would have been cloying for me, but I know at least one person who would love to eat the whole thing....

They also offer a 5-course tasting menu for $37 per person, which sounds very agreeable.