Graffiti (Food & Wine Bar)

"One of the top five dining experiences I've had."


Ash's words, not mine, but I'd whole-heartedly agree. We went to Graffiti last Friday, and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It is essentially a tapas and wine bar located on E 10th St. between 1st and 2nd Ave. (Look carefully--you'll probably walk right by it.) It is a tiny little place (seats about 18 total at four communal tables), and looks like it used to be someone's studio apartment. (Yes, it's that tiny--the picture shows 90% of the entire restaurant.) However, it's set up in a charming way, so the space feels intimate and has a "hidden treasure" appeal you don't get at many restaurants. Jehangir Mehta is the executive chef, so not surprisingly, the food has many indian-inspired flavors. Below is my personal list on why you should go:

Why You Should Go To Graffiti

1. The food rocks.
Be sure to order the Green Mango Paneer. Amazing. Better yet, order three. You won't want to share.

2. Every wine on the menu is just $25 a bottle.
Yes, you read that correctly.

3. Jehangir Mehta has been a pastry chef at: Jean Georges, Union Pacific, Virot, Compass, Aix and Sapa.
Hello? Do you need another reason?

4. Jehangir Mehta actually cooks all the food himself.
We saw him working away in the tiny kitchen the entire time we were there. That is, of course, except for when he was talking to the diners, since....

5. Jehangir Mehta actually comes to your table to present all of the dishes himself.
This was my favorite part. I'm in awe of great chefs--it could have been Brad Pitt coming to our table between every course--that's how excited I was. I told him his paneer was the best paneer I've ever eaten, and he was incredibly gracious and humbled. SUPER nice. A really cool experience.

6. This is his only restaurant.
Yes, I asked him. Anything to keep him at our table longer.

7. I bought his cookbook on-the-spot as soon as I tried his food.
I don't buy cookbooks on the spot. I am an Amazon junkie. But his style was so unique that I couldn't help it, and I'm quite certain there's not another cookbook like it. In case you want to purchase his cookbook and save a few dollars, feel free to click here, or on the image below. But I will say, there's something cool about buying a cookbook from the chef himself.



What We Ordered:

We ordered a lychee martini ($7, apparently it's recently been featured on the Martha Stewart show, so everyone in the restaurant had one) and three small plates. The restaurant has three price tiers, so we ordered one plate from each tier. (You can view the full menu here.) Our plates were:

- Green Mango Paneer ($7): Best. Paneer. Ever. A small dish of paneer served with a few small pieces of perfectly cooked bread. (Small sharing portion--next time I'm going to order one of these just for myself, though I actually liked it so much I could eat four of them. Don't go and not order this. It would be a HUGE mistake.)

- Zucchini Hummus Pizza ($12): Very interesting, in a good way. It didn't have too many indian flavors, but was very good. Picture a flaky pastry crust topped with hummus, sliced zucchini and wasabi peas. Don't know if I'd order it again, but definitely enjoyed it. The size of the pizza was about 5 inches or so--a perfect size for Ash and I to split.

- Tomato Tamarind Vegetable Buns ($15): Very good. They were three small buns, each one slightly smaller than the size of my palm. You could certainly taste the tamarind, and it was an interesting contrast to the tomato. Definitely more indian in flavor, but unlike anything I've eaten at any other restaurant.

When (not if) we go back, I'll be ordering a Green Mango Paneer all to myself. Additionally, I think Ash will try some of the non-veg items, and I'll ask them to tailor a few items to make them vegetarian (which they state they are happy to do on their website). Though we didn't order dessert, we were brought a complimentary taste of his homemade ice cream (amazing), and some candied carrots (better than you would think!). Ash had a shared connection with the chef, so I think this was a kind gesture more than the norm.

(Sidenote: Before you comment on my lack-of-ordering-dessert, we had plans to go to Max Brenner or Veniero's, both of which are a few blocks away. ChikaLicious is also pretty much right across the street. So don't judge too soon... Although next time, we'll probably order dessert.)

Finally, to wrap us this post, a few bits of advice if you decide to go:

If You Go To Graffiti...

1. Make reservations.
We saw several people get turned away, as there was no availability for the remainder of the night. (We were there at 7:15.)

2. Request seats against the wall.
If you are a party of two, you will be sharing your table with one or two other couples. The seats against the wall are the only ones where people will not consistently be brushing against your back throughout your meal, as it is a very tight space. It's not unbearable--but if the food wasn't as good as it was, we probably would have gotten annoyed.

3. Don't bring a bunch of shopping bags.
When I say tiny, I mean tiny.

4. Order the Green Mango Paneer.
Did I mention this already? Ah well. It's important.

Enjoy!