We were invited to a rooftop party for July 4th. Our host made an earlier dinner reservation at the new La Follia at 17th St. & 3rd. Ave. She lives a couple of blocks away. When we got to the resto it was wall to wall busy. This spot had formerly housed Mumbles, a long-running tavern. Well, the space has been enhanced and the reasonably priced Italian-trattoria type menu was inviting. We were seated almost immediately, great since it was crowded.
For starters we ordered a crisp fresh Endive Salad to share, and Burrata Crostini. Both were very good. Our crusty complimentary Italian bread and olive oil were a fine foil. We ordered two of their wood burning oven pizzas: NY Style, sort of a Margherita, and the Clam Pie. These two 11 inch pizzas were winners, loaded with flavor! Our meal certainly set the pace for the fireworks to come, and they were beautiful.
Caveat: The service was very friendly but had its lapses. It was crowded, after all. But in the end it turned out to be a fine experience. We would return…
Thanks for posting about this spot! Sounds great to me. I used to frequent the i trulli on 27th which sounds very similar- very good food at reasonable prices. I trulli has a great back outside seating area and the enoteca has fantastic happy hour deals on food and wines. The pizzas are great and there’s a pizza and salad of the day combo, and they offer all the pasta dishes in appetizer or entree size.
Very neighborhood find kind of spot (and also quite popular) definitely worth checking out in the area, or if your friends haven’t been yet it’s an easy walk from them
My brother lived right down the street from Mumbles back in late 1990s-early 2000s. I visited him often. Mumbles was the kind of unpretentious place that I think is quickly becoming an extinct species in New York. We shared many decent, hearty meals at the bar with cheap beer. Thanks for jogging a good memory.
