Gato, Greenwich Village, NYC

Food: ☆☆☆½

Service: ☆☆☆½

Ambiance: ☆☆☆½

Cost: $$$

Must try: Scrambled Eggs, Mushroom and Kale Paella

I’ve always loved Bobby Flay on-screen but not quite so much his restaurants. For me Mesa Grill and Bar Americain were just okay. However, I think that Gato is probably one his better openings yet.

Gato, which debuted to high praise, is Flay’s brand new Mediterranean spot. What’s cool is that the Chef himself is on hand in the kitchen and can be seen cooking here often. The space is massive is packed on most nights.

The menu which has many small plate options has a wide range of offerings. I really liked their take on “Scrambled Eggs”.

The octopus came highly recommend but was chewy – a big disappointment. However the “Kale and Mushroom Paella” reigned supreme. It was a fantastic rendition and all vegetarian. I think it was my favorite dish of the night.

I know that Gato has opened to rave reviews but I didn’t fall in love with it. I think the food is very good here for most part and the service is great. It’s a very solid restaurant in many ways but just not one that endeared itself to me.

Here is some of what we ate: