A Voce - New York, NY Review

Based on my first trip to A Voce I would rate it as a solid but un remarkable upscale Italian restaurant. The service, ambiance and food were all good, they just were not great.  For $142 before tip, I would expect more.

Our table of four shared the Sheep's Milk appetizer which was quite tasty.  For my appetizer I ordered a roasted asparagus with a poached egg and shaved Pecorni Romano cheese.  It was good, but they did not poach the egg for long enough.  I have had similar dish to this (Aigre Doux in Chicago) where the yolk was inside the poached egg and you had to break it open to see the yolk.  The preparation at A Voce was more like a sunny side up (under cooked!) runny fried egg.   My wife ordered the beet salad which was good, but I have had better.  The Rigatoni with lamb entrée unremarkable, basic Italian fare.  My wife ordered the halibut but we both agreed that the XXX fish ordered by our friend was the best dish of the night. 

The doughnuts with chocolate sauce were good, but frankly after having eaten my way through New York in the last 24 hours, I did not fully appreciate them.

There are so many great and exceptional restaurants in New York that to be merely good or even very good, simply doesn't cut it.  In a different city and a different price point I would have given A Voce a 4 rather than a 3.

So, for a pure dining experience, particularly in New York, I think you can do better.  (If by chance our friends who picked the restaurant read this, please know I still had a great time! ">)