Louro- Certainly Not a Bore-O

I can’t think about Louro without thinking about Bar Blanc, a long ago restaurant that once occupied the same space. Bar Blanc also had a good vibe, great looking crowd of locals (we once had an SJP Andy Cohen sighting and now as Louro we saw Prabal Gurung), and serious foodie cred. As much as I loved Louro last night, (cue Carrie Bradshaw voice), I can’t help but wonder: In a city like New York, where palettes are fancy and crowds fickle, will Louro make it? In space, that was loved and then lost, will the replacement be able to go the distance?

Sex and the CIty jokes aside, it is interesting to think about how some places can seemingly have it all together and then not make it. Some times all it takes is a chef departure or management change to tip the scales of foodie fortune unfavorably, but we will be pulling for Louro. Off the top of my head, I can’t describe what kind of cuisine it is; if there is an over-arching them to the menu it is probably “ecelectic” or “modern American” or something broad like that. The menu is also arranged in a lot of different categories, so it is best to go and try a lot of things. The space is long and kind of narrow, with white walls holding some artwork and some walls covered in a book shelf wallpaper. If the bar were bigger, I am sure that they would fill it every night with people from the hood out for a bite. The space is cool and not married to any theme, a backdrop for beautiful people and interesting food.

Our server Jeff, was a real pro, a great attitude, very helpful and efficient. Although we are trying to just say no to carbs, the foccacia like bread and dipping sauce was too much to resist..we are weak. Anyway, we started with the uni and pork belly dish, that was a little messy to share but good in all the right ways; a salty, chewy mouthful, served with some sort of pickled cabbage. The Piri Piri shrimp were really spicy, simply presented in a bowl, four large shrimp to an order. We also ordered a lettuce salad that was refreshing and crunchy, with watermelon radishes and carrots and some other things, in a punchy dressing that was Caesar-ish but not nearly as heavy. I guess it just had garlic. For main courses Sister got a snapper with a mildly Asian presentation, that she exclaimed “tastes like a fish dish.” It was good and well done but not unique in any way. Sister was much more interested in my gnoochi with a truffle cream sauce and shaved truffles. This dish is very filling, and the optional shaved truffles for $5 are a no brainer…I wonder if they would double it for $10. There are also a lot of onions in this dish- crispy fried ones that are the real deal of the those things Sofia Vergara’s husband sells. Onions are something I can not eat, so I had to move them around, but the dish was enjoyable overall; I would suggest this as something for the table to share, because it is really a task to finish it.

We found some delicious wine that did not break the bank, and were too full for dessert. Louro is a hip spot in the West Village that manages to balance the vibe of the neighborhood with interesting cuisine that does not rely on trends or hype. I hope that this combination is enough to make it a permanent addition to the NYC dining scene. Louro also does some sort of spicy meal on Mondays that is different from the regular menu.