The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. (Ecclesiastes 7:8 NKJV)

Our trip was almost over, but we would have regretted not stopping by the Statue of Liberty. We woke up a little earlier, checked out at the hotel, and we took the 1 train at Rector St to South Ferry St. We barely made it to the last car, which was eerily empty. We were celebrating at the fact we had conquered the subway system in New York. We arrived to our destination, but the only problem was that in order to be able to exit the train, we had to be in the first 5 cars. So once again we were stuck and we had to go two stations up so that we could retake the right train, and this time we needed to make sure we were in the correct car.

Needless to say, the subway system was frustrating, but the good news was that we were coming home soon! The trip to the Statue of Liberty was worth it; I couldn’t believe we were standing in front of a symbol that represents so many things to so many different people. She stood there with dignity as she witnessed the terror attacks on September 11, a symbol of resilience. She also has welcomed thousands of immigrants looking for a better life, a symbol of hope. Time on Liberty Island flew by, we were there for over an hour when we had planned to be there 20 minutes.

We had reservations for our last meal in NYC and we chose to eat at The Little Owl, located in the Greenwich Village inside a very popular and F.R.I.E.N.Dly building. The ferry took a long time and we worried we wouldn’t make it on time, but we did. Now we can proudly say that we’ve conquered the subway system!

The restaurant was very easy to find, it probably helped knowing what kind of building to look for. Right at the corner of Bedford and Grove stood the building that was used for the TV show F.R.I.E.N.D.S and right on the ground floor is The Little Owl. We knew we needed reservations because the restaurant itself is tiny, only about 10 tables fit inside and the kitchen could only hold 2, maybe 3, people. The Little Owl is your typical hole in the wall place, and that’s exactly what we wanted to try before leaving. The tables were all tightly close to each other, but that’s been most of our experience in NYC anyway. There was one server, the Maitre’D, and a couple of bus boys. The service was excellent, it was very personal and friendly. We felt a warmth being there, truly a very welcoming place! The food was also welcomed by our stomachs! We started off with their famous meatball sliders and they were delicious, thank God Joey Tribbiani wasn’t around! We couldn’t find anything wrong with them, except there were only 3 and we had to fight for the third one! Kenny ordered the grilled salmon with corn and a fava bean ragout, topped with romaine hearts. Very seasonal dish, the produce was fresh and the dish was light for a lunch item. I had the ricotta ravioli served in a pecorino broth with peas, bacon, and topped with a tomato coulis. My complaint was that it wasn’t big enough, but thankfully, it was served with bread! As an Italian, I’m very picky with my sauces and this one was one of the best I’ve ever had. The broth and the tomato coulis have a great marriage, very well balanced! I used every little piece of bread to soak up all of the broth and coulis.

Finally, we couldn’t leave without splitting a root beer float and having the raspberry and Nutella beignettes! Let’s just say they didn’t last long enough! They were astoundingly amazingly awesome! I’m also a sucker for anything with Nutella, so there’s my bias; but they could have worked without the Nutella. Great root beer float! Great job to chef and owner, Joey Campanaro! This type of restaurant is a reminder that the best truly come from small packages…

Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Decor/Ambiance: 3/5

Monica Geller, eat your heart out…