dining deal: hearth's cucina povera

I don't really do full-on restaurant reviewing much on the Simmer blog, for several reasons.

1. I don't take pictures in restaurants, like most reviewers (or their associates) do, so it would look pretty dry.

2. There are plenty of people already around in NYC doing this awesomely. More power to them. And I rarely go to a restaurant enough times, and ordering enough diverse dishes, to really give a true and informed opinion of what a typical diner's experience would be.

3. Although I love restaurants, I also love cooking at home, and that's where my focus is these days. (In addition to finishing the last of the revisions on THE KITCHEN DAUGHTER, as I've mentioned. Just four more tape flags!)

But there are a couple exceptions. I did mini-reviews of Garces Training Company, because I'm a sucker for anything Garces, and of the CookieBar pop-up, because it was fun. That's why I have an "other people's food" tag -- I do, from time to time, go batty over other people's food.

And last weekend I went batty over the $35 Cucina Povera deal at Hearth.

NYC, being full of food, is also full of food deals. Prix-fixe lunches. Street carts. Buy-one-get-one offers. A gazillion dumplings for a dollar. Special nights at special prices. But what I liked about Hearth's Cucina Povera deal is this -- any night of the week, you can get three courses for $35, and a set of three wine pairings alongside for $15. Do you get a choice about what you eat? Nope. But is it delicious? You better you better you bet.

And here's another reason this is totally not a restaurant review -- I didn't even order it, though I did taste every course (and every wine). I had an out-of-this-world saffron lasagna that, days, later, I'm still reverse-engineering in my mind. But I know a deal when I see one, and when you see a deal in New York City that doesn't require you to compromise in some significant way (only available til 5:30pm! only for the whole table! only in Long Island City! only for parties of 12!), you jump on it.

Jump on it, people of New York.