Trio
167 East 33rd Street (between 3rd and Lexington)

I ended up in Trio alone on a Thursday night after my plans fell through. A relatively late seating for a Thursday offered me a quiet and enjoyable meal...or so I thought. The meal was fantastic, and I shall elaborate -- but it's amazing how a great meal can be ruined by those seated around you. If the food wasn't so good, I would have probably smacked the putz sitting on the table to the right. Complete tosser.

Anyway, getting back to the food -- after dealing with that all-too-common problem when dining out alone in a big city of the idiots' and losers' parade -- the meal was excellent. I was pleasantly surprised by all aspects of this meal, ranging from the ambience (can easily be very romantic) to the menu choice. The piano playing in the background was a nice added touch, especially with a nice glass of white. If you've not had the pleasure of enjoying Croatian wine, please do try it -- it is excellent and unique (as many of the grapes are totally native).

Trio is a Dalmatian-centric restaurant. For those of you not totally up to European geography, the Dalmatian coast is the "downward fork" of Croatia. Look at your map and find places like Split and Dubrovnik and you'll see this diverse and fantastic region -- blessed by sun and culture and becoming one of the hottest destinations in Europe. The cuisine has blends of Balkan, Central European and Italian, taking advantage of the richness of the seas.

My starter was grilled calamari -- and that was absolutely delicious. Too many restaurants (to save costs by buying frozen squid from...ugh, China) just deep fry these wonderful treats, which just ruins the texture and taste (may as well eat overcooked onion rings), but Trio grilled it in a delicious mix of olive oil and balsamic. Excellent, I was more than happy by now (despite that moron next to me having a near fit).

For the main course I chose to have the lamb shank. I had thought of enjoying some Croatian specialties, but I was in a mood for lamb. The piece was excellent and cooked well -- dripping off the bone. A nice selection of vegetables on the side made this an excellent dish.

I usually do not have dessert, but I was tempted into the coconut creme caramel -- which was a delicious conclusion to this meal. I enjoyed a nice grappa and treated myself to a sljivovica as well to close off the meal. By then the idiot adjacent had departed, so the experience finished on a high.

Trio is a fantastic restaurant for romantic outings, group dining, or even for the single person like me. Many restaurants treat lone diners without understanding, but Trio realises there's only so much you can do by yourself sitting there -- and is prompt with service. The cuisine is rather unique even by New York standards, so it is definitely worth a try -- you will become a fan.

Food: A-
Atmosphere: A--
For Lone Diners: A-