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| - *****THIS PLACE IS REALLY 2.5 STARS*****
Whenever I go out I always find, and this is specially true in Little Italy since there are so many Resto/Lounge/Bar/Bistro combos right next to each other, that they all tend to fall under three main categories.
A-) Great food, love the place.
B-) Great food, place is alright.
C-) Food is not all that but the place has a great vibe.
IGN falls under the latter as I have walked by this bistro for years and during many of those walks, I actually stopped to look at their menu and the only thing that came to mind was 'Man, that patio sure looks like a great place to have a cold one.'
A few times I have gone there and done just that and had a really nice time. Chat with a friend, had the odd smoke, do a little bit of people watching, all in all, good times.
Only twice did I go through the trouble of looking at the menu and it is pretty standard fare for this side of town. Some Pollo and Margharita pizzas, maybe some veggies thrown in for good measure, some cheese/chicken/seafood pasta... But not enough to warrant the price plus last time I was there, the server seemed to be having a bad day, alas, I digress. The rest of the menu looked very pedestrian, yet most items were near the $20 mark, which is a no-no if you are asking almost $20 per dish.
Honestly I can barely remember the pizzas we ordered. However I do remember the inviting old-world-looking bar made out of darkish wood, stacked bottles of wine behind it. What felt like high ceilings and hardwood floors and the great corner patio with a tree at the very corner where you can sit beneath its shade during hot afternoons. Ah... Add a glass of dry, smoky white wine/or a cold {insert drink of choice here}, pair it with some good conversation and you are set.
Personally, I see Il Gatto Nero to be more for an espresso or apéritif kind of place, so do yourself a favor and check it out, just don't come hungry.
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