Uva: 1486 2nd ave. NY. NY

The dashing, sexy, adorable, charming, bright, funny, sweet man I met here for a date tonight might be the real reason that I have only glowing things to say about Uva. (and since it was his suggestion to write something like that, I would hope he is laughing as he reads this) I will definitely have to plan to have a meal alone here to reassess and make sure that my opinions were not totally skewed. That said with fair warning, we both really loved almost everything about this place. Intimate space and romantic lighting. Exposed brick walls and a lovely outdoor patio that made for a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The only negative was the noise level- a bit much, but luckily we were in a nook that allowed comfortable convo. Just don't bring a low-talker here ;) The wonderful wine menu led us to 4 choices, each of which were quite enjoyable. I especially liked my Pinot Grigio and D's something sweet and pear-y. (um. Sorry. I'm a foodie not a wine connoisseur) We (much to my delight) agreed to share plates (my preferred method of dining) and had a hard time choosing from a large, appealing selection. Our waitress happily made some suggestions when we asked about her favorites, and they were excellent ones. The wild mushroom, arugula, parmesan bruschetta was delicious. It was a pleasant surprise to see that the topping was finely chopped and neatly presented atop each slice of toast- rather than a bed of large arugula leaves with piled-on mushrooms that make for pretty awkward date food. The mini veal meatballs in tomato sauce were tasty, rich, and hearty, but a reasonable portion size that kept us from totally filling up on them. The best dish was the ricotta gnocchi with truffle sauce. Wow. OMG. That was damn good. So filling, but we did just fine getting that plate clean. We finished with a dessert of sponge cake with nutella and ice cream. I *think* it was really tasty. Honestly though, I was a bit buzzed by then and probably too full to have even tried to eat more. Speaking for myself, I think it was just a perfectly fair attempt at making a great date last a little longer. Blush. Sigh.