Gemma, NYC

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Gemma

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Review by Frank Longo
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Enter Gemma, and you'll land yourself waiting for a table with much the same exclusive A-list crowd that you did time with at a certain well-hyped West Village tavern last month. So blatant that mirrored scene is, that the heavily buzzed eatery is already being billed as the Waverly Inn's East End cousin.

Waverly-esque in more ways than one, the hotly anticipated restaurant is a similarly proportioned, art–directed – albeit celebrity-studded - trattoria, this time contained within the confines of the new Bowery Hotel. That being said, you would be hard pressed to find more high-octane frenzy over what is really just another tavern. And who better to do it than Eric Goode and Sean MacPherson, who with Graydon Carter to bring the place together.

Designer Taavo Somer (designer of Freemans) has carved quite the hip trattoria out of a space that wasn't very accommodating for creative decorative invention. But, in Somer's hands, Gemma has become an attractive refuge. It is countrified to the core, but not in a dull way, as it squeezes a surprising amount of charm from simple effects: clusters of candelabras fill every flat surface; large chandeliers, hovering over aged wood tables, warm up the room considerably. Wrought ironwork and post and beam elements finish up the Gemma package. Large tables fill the front area, amongst the warmth of exposed wood beams and copper pots hanging on the walls. Wood-burning oven bustle with activity.

Goode and MacPherson enlisted Chef Chris D'Amico (La Bottega) to create their Italian menu. It's straightforward fare, really, just the same classic American plates found at Waverly. And there is certainly no shortage of rustic tavern food at any amount of restaurants from the Lower East Side to Washington Heights.
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2 Reader Reviews

1. Randy Cohen's Review :: August 21, 2007
Traffic, traffic - traffic everywhere. Now I remember what I hated about living in the East Village. Nonetheless, Gemma is still a good choice; they somehow manage to deliver sophisticated haute cuisine without the off-putting haughty service.

Randy Cohen's Rating: 3 Stars
2. Randy L's Review :: July 20, 2007
It's a small place and heading over here on a Friday night (which was also First Friday) left us with little room to enjoy... too many people in too cramped a space. It seems like it would be a pretty sweet hangout if not too crowded, otherwise the sardine-can chic really describes the atmosphere. The area seems to be gentrifying and with the light rail on the way more places like this will start popping up in the area. Good thing for those who couldn't make it into the Waverly

Randy L's Rating: 3 Stars
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Restaurant

Gemma

Address

335 Bowery, New York, NY

Phone

212-505-9100

Area

East Village

Cuisine

Italian

Venue

Restaurant

Hours

Price

$$$ (Within Reach)

Payment

Master Card
Visa
American Express
Diners Club

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