Loring Place

“Second visit to Loring Place, and while there is genuinely a lot to appreciate here, it left me with mixed feelings. On the plus side, the commitment to fresh, seasonal, high-quality ingredients is evident and commendable. The Asparagus Fries are an absolute must-order — a standout dish that lives up to the hype. The beet salad was equally well done. Service was warm and attentive throughout. The drinks were pleasant but nothing that particularly stood out or warranted a special mention. Where it gets tricky is the overall value proposition. The food is good — but at this price point in New York City, good isn't quite enough to set you apart. Several restaurants in the city offer a comparable seasonal, ingredient-forward menu at a similar or better price-to-experience ratio. Nothing on the menu left a truly lasting impression, and for what you spend, you'd hope it would. A solid restaurant with real strengths, but not one I'd go out of my way to return to without a compelling reason.”

“Beautiful restaurant with delicious food. Interior is very, very well done here. Ricotta with mint and eggs on the side was an amazing combo. Grandma pizza also amazing. Service staff is always very kind and comped their squash fries for us to try while waiting for food. Definitely recommend.”

“Have walked by this restaurant a hundred times, finally booked a 1pm brunch reservation on a Saturday. Space was busy when we walked in but really died down / was super quiet by the time we left around 3pm. Seems like a great space for larger group brunch - including for kids / babies. I ordered the baked eggs which were fine, the star of the show were the pancakes which we split for the table - the butter was delicious. Would come back and grab bar seats or try out their dinner.”

“Shame they’re closing, they have phenomenal lemon curd for their pancakes. Honestly all the fruit preserves and butters are top notch. Also really appreciate the attention to texture in their dishes. Lots of crunch and soft and flavors mixing together to create memorable plates.”

“I went to this almost 10-year-old New American restaurant a while back with a few others, having passed by it numerous times as I used to go to Rasa, a Malaysian place just up the block. The inside was chic with the lighting slightly dark for photos, and the staff were friendly. I believe I had a glass of wine or perhaps a spritz, but I'm unsure. My appetizer was the Wood Grilled Broccoli Salad for $23, with orange, pistachios, and mint. The broccoli had a light char, a mildly smoky flavor, and a very mild sauce underneath. The bit of orange added citrus, and I liked the crunch from the pistachios. However, I think this would work a little better if the broccoli were cut into smaller pieces rather than one large stalk, as the textures would blend a bit better. Still, I liked it overall. If I recall correctly, another person had the Shaved Brussels Sprouts, and another had the Baked Ricotta, and both enjoyed their appetizers. That night, I decided not to have any meat or fish, unlike usual, and went with the Gemelli, a type of pasta. For $25, this was served with tomatoes, herbs, and lemon crumbs, which was a bit pricey for a plain pasta, but hey, it's the Village. Apparently, this pasta has been made with crab and chili before, which sounds a bit more substantial, but I'm presuming there would be a price difference if that were the case. The pasta was a bit past al dente for my liking, and it had a surprising amount of kick. It almost reminded me of an arrabbiata, though with tomato instead of the usual tomato sauce. Otherwise, the lemon crumbs added a unique and fun crunch, and overall, it was decent, but it felt a bit one-note, as the spice overpowered whatever other flavors there were. Another person had the same dish as me and wasn't a big fan due to its heat level. One of the other people had the $35 Skate "Fish & Chips," which came with three pretty big pieces of fish and a bunch of crunchy French fries, which were shared with a few others at the table. Another had one of their signature whole-wheat pizzas, the Grandma-Style, for $20, with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, which seemed like a decent portion for the price, and I would probably get that or a fancier pizza next time. This was a good neighborhood spot, and I can see why it's been around for as long as it as as the food is unique enough while remaining approachable. I wish I could give this place a 3.5, but since that rating doesn't exist, I'll bump it up a bit, as it is closer to a 4 than a 3. I wouldn't go out of my way for this place, but I would stop in again.”