Since the pandemic year of 2020, we really haven’t done much dining out in Manhattan at multiple dollar sign places. And a number of times when we have, it’s always been a bit of a disappointment: the food is priced higher than you’d be comfortable with, “suggested” tips start at 25-30%, service really misses its mark, and the whole experience just feels rushed and underwhelming. Even for mid-priced food when dining out, it’s almost impossible to have a meal with multiple dishes and a drink for less than $50 per person in Manhattan unless you’re going to a total hole-in-the-wall. I especially get frustrated at the declining service levels in restaurants. Servers have not known what dishes are when we ask for a clearer description, they have specials, but they don’t know what the specials are before they come to our table, or they just seem clueless in general and are clearly there just to pick up a paycheck and leave. Then, there are the servers who constantly hover over your table when you’re clearly in a deep conversation and keep interrupting to see if you need anything else. I read that as a cue that no, they don’t want to actually see if we need anything else, but they want us to rush through our meal so that they can turn over the table and get another party seated (who can, in the end, increase revenue for the restaurant and increase their own tips). It doesn’t make me feel welcome to sit down and eat, and it certainly should not merit an “industry standard” of a 20-percent tip. That feels like a sense of entitlement when they haven’t even done the work to merit that tip.

So, I was pleasantly surprised when my friend and I went to eat at Frena tonight before our Lincoln Center show. Frena replaced Taboon after had to close due to a fire, and the owner completely gut-renovated the place, complete with a big open oven at the front. We each ordered a drink, had three appetizers, a salad, and two mains, and I am shocked to say that literally every single dish and drink we ordered was spectacular, full of flavor and even surprises. This is almost *never* the case at fancier, more expensive restaurants like Frena. There’s always at least one dish that kind of makes you think, really? That was fine, but not great. But luckily for us, that was not the case here. The bread, which came with the three dips we ordered, was made fresh in the open oven, and it was mouth wateringly good. Plus, the service felt warm and welcoming. The server clearly knew the menu and the specials inside and out, and not for a minute did I ever feel like he was hovering over us and just wanting to turn over our table for the next party of 2.

Most of the good restaurants we go to now are outside of Manhattan, where for whatever reason, the service seems to be warmer and more genuine, and where the food is less pretentious and stands on its own. But Frena was not part of the Manhattan dining stereotype I’ve developed in my head over the last couple of years: it actually was worth every penny we spent based on food quality, service, and ambiance. And it’s so close to home, too!