Pair of 8's

Winette belongs to a writers' guild where she gets free movie tickets from time to time. It's not uncommon for me to get an email message at work, "X movie is finally free, are we going?" I never have to think twice about it. A free movie with a friend is hard to pass up when the going rate for movie tickets in the city is $10.50. The movie that night was "The Squid and the Whale," a sort of dramatic comedy, poking fun at the disfunctionality of a newly "separated" family. It's the kind of movie you find yourself laughing at and wondering if your laughter means you're a bad person.
After the movie, we decided to head uptown in search of some wine. Winette had heard of Pair of 8's recent opening. I couldn't pass it up since it was on my way home.
We walked in and were a little worried by the absence of people. Maybe they had stopped serving. We asked the hostess and she claimed everything was fine, and open. It was 10:00p.m. on a school night, so the quiet was understood.
Pair of 8's is simple in its "dressings." The space is an all-in-one room. The bar is immediately in front of you to your right when you walk in, and to your left, with no divider or separation, are the dining room tables. I imagine it getting pretty loud and boisterous during dinner time. Its simplicity is refreshing, when so many NY restaurateurs seem to pay more attention to decor and hip-ness than the food.

Winette and I love to sit at the bars in places. It's more casual and we don't feel the pressure to eat a full dinner. At the bar things are more relaxed, wine (or cocktail, if you prefer) service is immediate, and we can usually enjoy appetizers without feeling the guilt of stiffing the servers.
As soon as I saw fried artichoke hearts on the menu I was content. After having my first real taste of them in Big Sur I couldn't pass them up. We tried these and the sweet potato puree. I was disappointed in the artichoke hearts, and explained to Winette what they're supposed to taste like. Their artichokes were undercooked and not soft enough. It's never good when you can still taste some of the artichoke heart's rough edges. Ick. But the sweet potato puree was excellent, almost like a very thick apple sauce, but with sweet potatoes. Mmm.
The bartender was extremely friendly and helped us with our wine picks. We tried a couple different varietals, and settled with our favorites. If you like a good Cab, the Washington Fort Rock Red was a hit: just enough oak, well-rounded flavor, and kickin' tannins.
The highlight of the meal, besides several glasses of red, was learning about their special Mondays. They offer a $25 2-course-and-a-drink meal on Mondays, or as they call it, "Neighborhood Night." They also have a generous dessert list that was very tempting.
Pair of 8's entrees range from $18-$33.
If you'd like to read more (until I go back to give it a proper review), check out Bruni's piece from The Times here.
Until then, I hope my New York neighbors will be taking advantage of their steal-of-a-deal Mondays. And let me know about it!

568 Amsterdam Ave., between 87th and 88th Sts
212-874-2742