This week has been a lot of socializing, and that means a lot of restaurants.

Monday I went to Ruths Chris for a Restaurant Week meal.  I was apprehensive that it would be too snobby to be enjoyable, but all the waiters and other staff we interacted with were pleasant and solicitous and - perhaps because it was restaurant week - the clientele wasn't at all hoity-toity.  The steak was amazing and the salad was extremely fresh and generously portioned. The sides were overly creamy and bland and the dessert was not worth finishing (I'm not someone who would typically say that about a dessert) but you don't go to a place like that for sides and dessert.  On the whole, a very good dining experience.

Tuesday I went to Balade, yet again.  It just always seems to be the best place I can think of for any purpose.  It's quiet enough for serious conversations, has tables big enough for large groups, offers both vegetarian food and meaty dishes, serves small plates and large entrees, and it's conveniently located.  This time I shared small plates and pizza and had a glass of Lebanese wine... I wasn't impressed by the "national dish" of Lebanon, which is some kind of ground-beef dumpling, but the other dishes were good as always.

Wednesday I went to Boat Basin Cafe, which somehow I had never been to despite living on the Upper West Side for the past three years.  I can't say that I think I was missing much.  The food was somewhere on the bad side of forgettable, the chairs were flimsy and dirty, the service was indifferent, and on the whole there was really no reason to ever go back.  I realize that the draw of this place is not meant to be the gourmet food, but next time I want to eat a casual meal by the water in Riverside Park, I'll go to Zabar's for picnic supplies instead.

Thursday I went to Vino Vino.  I'd been once before with the same group of people, and we returned for the happy-hour wine and reasonable variety of interesting, classy nibbles (olives, crostini, charcuterie, and unpronounceable variants thereof).  As before, the location was somehow classy yet approachable, not too loud, and the waiter gave us advice on the wine menu and refilled our water glasses frequently.  The seating isn't well-configured for meals or dates - the tables are long and low - but for a large group it works very well.