The Public Restaurant & Bar-CLOSED

03/17/2008 Posted by madmadzoo

the food, the service, the place, 5 star all the way. you will have to go and try it yourself to know what all the review is talking about. but go soon, they are moving... to China.

03/03/2007 Posted by bigrand010

Went to this area to chill with my friends and came upon this hidden gem. This place had a great late nite happy hour with gourment food at a reasonable price. ($5 for everything on the menu!!!) This has been my favorite place to hang out and have a great time.

Pros: Great atmosphere and space.

Cons: Too many people.

12/18/2006 Posted by msmo814

Most definitely. The Public is a great space in a great location. Stop by for drinks or a bite to eat before heading down the block to a show at Slim's. I recently went to the Public on a Friday night for dinner with my boyfriend. I expected the place to be packed already, but upon our arrival for a 7pm reservation, we were the first people in the loft space upstairs and a minute after that we were ordering our drinks. Our server was extremely nice and made some great recommendations on the food. If you like cabernet, try what they have on the list. You might as well just get the whole bottle. It's yummy. The gorgonzola salad and the endive salad are delicious. The gorgonzola salad is a little rich so if you want something a bit lighter to save room for your entree, go for the endive salad. It's got a nice citrus flavor and tastes very clean. For entrees, we had the short ribs and the duck. Both were good, the meats were so tender they just melted in your mouth. For dessert, if you are a creme brulee afficionado you should try the vanilla creme brulee which is bruleed perfectly by the way. All in all, the food was good, the atmosphere was amazing, and the service was extremely friendly. We ended up having the equivalent of a bottle of wine, a beer, an appetizer, 2 salads, 2 entrees, and a dessert for a total of $130 including tip. Not bad for a Friday night! Even after we paid and were on our way out the door, I was looking for a lighter so I could smoke and one of the chefs gladly lent me his. Now that's service! It's a fun spot to have dinner and stay after for drinks. If you are curious, go check it out yourself. I doubt you will be disappointed.

Pros: friendly service, tasty food, ambience

Cons: parking can be tricky

11/14/2006 Posted by mgeroni

Having read that this restaurant was good for large parties, a group of six of us went for dinner. My husband and I found the food and service to be average. There are only about 5-6 entree items to choose from, which is a problem when none of the choices are particularly exciting. I had the butternut squash risotto, which was a little too sweet and a little too mushy. Our server was unenergetic and deflated; an ill-match for the loud, trendy ambience. The music was too loud, and I could barely hear the person sitting across from me. The industrial-style decor and building is inarguably the strength of this establishment. Also, the MoMo cocktail is yummy.

10/15/2006 Posted by 2138nym

If you into a casual place to hang out to in a loungy enivironment. This is a defintely a place you need to check. It's like having a party in a loft apartament. Very cool

09/03/2006 Posted by lovablemei

I'm not surprised to see nothing but rave reviews for this place. I just moved to the city and must say I've never seen or experienced anything quite like this. I stopped in tonite for a brief while to meet up with a friend, who happens to know the owner. Yes, we got preferred treatment because the owner (who was bartending) was there, but I must say I really loved the ambiance, decor and the relaxed atmosphere of this place. It definitely gave me a very NYC feel. It's very chill. While I was lounging on the comfy couch it totally felt like home. I got to sample some of the food (the ribs & shepard's pie) and would not hesitate to go back to dine there (I'm already thinking about throwing my bday bash there next year). I'll definitely save room for the chocolate pudding cake people keep recommending in the reviews. The staff were also very attentive and super friendly (not in the annoying, in your face kinda way tho thank god). I watched the way they handled a situation w/some patrons sitting nearby without incident. The party of 4 were in high spirits when they left the place. Congrats on getting everything perfect for the patrons!

Pros: Relaxed atmosphere, great food, friendly staff

08/06/2006 Posted by jvandersluis4city

Pleasantly surprised by walking into the hip & cool, yet casual atmosphere with main floor couches, two bars and a very attentive staff (after having no problem finding free parking in the street). The party of four I was with got there early enough on a Saturday night to have the couches downstairs to ourselves while we enjoyed drinks before dinner. We had an attentive waiter who was really helpful with suggestions and honest opinions. He also gave one of my friends a little wine tasting since she was asking for a comparison of three wines and he'd only tried one of them (it was his second week working there). I had a really good rum mojito. Dinner upstairs was very good. A little dark, but without making mention of it to the staff we were asked if we'd like the lights turned up a little. Our wait staff was excellent and everyone was happy with the appetizers, salads and entrees we ordered. I got the seafood risotto that had a nice, light curry flavor to it. Overall the risotto was a little salty, and the crab cakes we ordered weren't anything special. But the shrimp appetizer, beef short ribs and jerkspice chicken were all tasty. The desserts were fabulous. I'd recommend the chocolate bread pudding to anyone. Really, anyone. The regular coffee was a little disappointing; they were out of decaf and for some reason we were given a shot glass of cream for everyone to share.

Pros: Atmosphere, service

04/09/2006 Posted by mabzg

We needed a place to have dinner and lounge with drinks...this place offered just that plus more. (we were a large group and most places could not seat us unless it was 10pm) The ambience is priceless: exposed brick walls, large windows, smooth lighting-art-decor and HBO series: "Sex in the City" feel. Feels like a place Keri, Miranda, Charlotte and (can't remember the other chic's name)...would lounge with their cosmos at hand. Felt like I was in New York again. Food is reasonably priced and delicious!!! Have dessert!!! really you should. Drinks before dinner...dine...repeat w/ drinks all over again after that at the bar or the cozy couches in the main floor. Meet the owner and manager...very nice fellows. Great Place!

04/02/2006 Posted by katyb0730

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at The Public last night. The lounge area was modern and nicely appointed, but nothing outstanding and a bit cold. I wasn't expecting anything spectacular, but we were pleasantly surprised. Our waiter was superb, knew the menu well and gave us great recommendations. We had the mussels (extraordinary) and the boar sausage (good, but not fantastic) for starters. We toyed with getting the Ahi Poke and the waiter was so exceptional that he brought us a sampling of it! Our service was efficient, but not rushed, atmosphere was lively, without being piercingly loud. My halibut entree was cooked perfectly and paired very well with the mussels. My husbands salmon was excellent as well. A pleasant surprise in a hit or miss location...we definitely recommend! Also, a bottle of wine, two entrees, and two appetizers came to $105 - a bargain for the quality!

Pros: Affordable Wines, Interesting Space, Excellent food

Cons: Difficult Parking

02/18/2006 Posted by lewench

We found this wonderful place quite by accident and it has quickly become such a favorite we make our plans around dinner. We love every aspect of this restaurant from the ambience, the food, the staff, location, drinks, the food and the food! With the parking garage nearby, that wasn't even an issue either. A definite recommendation.

Pros: Food, Service, Ambience