Inside Bobo

When walking into the newly opened Bobo last night, it became clear to us that Carlos Suarez is the type of person that takes great care in paying attention to details....At least when it comes to design. We were completely impressed with the interior of charming Bobo, the cozy restaurant nestled away inside an old corner brownstone on W.10th. Unfortunately, that's about the only thing we were blown away by....

"Good afternoon, Bobo residence". This is how you are greeted when making a reservation, and for good reason. The place does feel like you are a guest of honor in a posh-bohemian, yet sophisticated private apartment. You enter through the lower level where the main bar and window-tables are before you walk up an old wooden staircase, painted black with a white lined trim, (set to look like an expensive carpet runner), where you emerge into the main dining room (pictured above). There is a smaller corner bar adjacent to this:

Where the bartender (a transplant from Aqua Vit) serves such standard cocktails as the "mai-tai" and the "perfect Manhattan" for $12 a pop (reasonable). Beyond this little cove there are some small wooden steps leading out to the "garden", which is without question, the best part about the joint (and of course where Richie Rich held court last night).

They managed to keep the place full without feeling stuffy, which will be hard to do once winter comes and the garden closes. Along with the hip eclectic decor, the music was great (The Postal Service type shit was playing at the perfect volumed level), and the "right kind of people" were there. However, no amount of well-done ambiance could hide the fact that the food and service were sub-par. First of all, it took over an hour for our APPETIZERS to arrive! The Artichoke Barigoule was actually a pile of arugula with a dash of ricotta cheese and a fourth of an artichoke. The Truffled Elbow Pasta with Ham and Cheese looked like a dish you would feed a 4 year old, and was again, appropriately sized to one. Both the Steak Frites and Grilled Lamp Chop were average in taste, TINY in size. The deserts were simple and unspectacular. Another con, there is only one bathroom, that although clean and sleek, was OUT of toilet paper! We know they have been only officially open for a week, and though we've never actually met Carlos, from what we've heard (and seen last night) he seems to be a down-to-earth, go-getter that put his own sweat and blood into a passionate project. We hope they get these minor pretty big bugs figured out over the month, so that when we pop in for Round Two, a Richie Rich sighting won't be the only highlight of our night.