Ambivalent Tastes at this Old-World Italian Restaurant

RESTAURANT: John's of 12th
LOCATION: 302 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003

It's been a few weeks since these 3 tomatoes & company went to John's of 12th Street, and I still have yet to feel inspired to blog about this long-standing, old-world Italian restaurant.  The most compelling aspect of this place perhaps is that it dates back to the prohibition era with its mountain of candle wax drips collecting since 1937.  John's of 12th was also featured by Food Network's Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

The restaurant itself has a historical old charm and a homey dining atmosphere.  The portions are good and the food is unadulterated, not bad at all but also not much stood out that has me wanting to go back & eat more.  The best dishes of the night were the special appetizers.  My favorite was a type of Avocado Bruschetta.  It takes bread to a whole new level, rubbed with garlic and olive oil, topped with tomatoes & avocado.  The burrata, basil & tomato dish was also another favorite for everyone that we made sure to order 2 plates to share amongst the entire group. 

As for the main entree, I ordered the Spaghetti with (Veal) Meatballs.  (Tip: I was able to substitute the regular meatballs with the veal meatballs at no extra charge, which was great since the veal meatballs are on the appetizer menu & I was curious to try these.)  I also tried a bite of someone's Tuscan Ragu over Homemade Pappardelle.  I'm struggling to find something eloquent or expressive to say to give some justice to these dishes.  But plainly and simply, while the ragu was tender and tasty, the pappardelle was nothing out of this world.  Although I do recall enjoying the spaghetti with veal meatballs that there was nothing left on my plate for me to take home in a doggie bag, I cannot remember being over the moon that I have the urge to revisit.  I have heard that true Italian cooking/cuisine does not use a lot of tomato sauce, to keep the dish fresh and focus on the taste on the pasta itself rather than the sauce.  My tastes might not be refined enough for the true Italian ways if that's the case.  I love my pastas seasoned & lathered with plenty of sauce to slurp the noodles & soak up with a piece of bread.

Overall, it was good food with great company in a cozy, laid-back environment.  Although we all seemingly enjoyed our meals, I was trying to evaluate how this ranked on the foodgasm meter.  Pleasant, perhaps satisfying at times, just gets the job done but nothing memorable or euphoric.  As I was discussing with one of our foodie fellows, we realized that the food was good if you were having a home-cooked meal at somebody's home (which technically John's of 12th achieves this goal; a good homemade pasta, home-cooked tasting meal)... but since in actuality, it's a meal at a NYC restaurant that you're paying for, the standard is higher & we expected a little better.

Bottom Line:  Take it or leave it.  Get the avocado bruschetta.  Good laid-back ambiance to just sit back and enjoy your company.  Decent & fresh home style meals but not a must-try spot considering the number of Italian restaurants all over NYC.  Plus side though, there is a vegan menu if that is something that floats your boat.

Happy Noshing, Jeanne