I made tentative reservations at Commerce, Bar Blanc, Bouley, Alta, and L'Impero. Problem is, all reservations are for 6pm which is way too early. Ideally, I'm looking to book a table for us around 7 or 7:30... any suggestions?

Out of all these places, which one would you recommend for a great first date dinner?

Definitely overrated in my opinion. I've tried their beef cheek ravioli, gnocchi, pork chops, and calamari appetizer-- nothing extraordinary.

Max on 4th and B (most amazing, hearty homemade italian dishes-- lasagna and black spaghetti to die for)
Assenzio on 4th between A and B (mushroom truffle pappardelle absolutely divine, amazing wine)
Hummus Place on St. Mark's (addicted to their hummus-- best in the city)
Whole Foods (obsessed with their sweet potato pommes frites)
* Baby Cakes (technically LES, but love their banana bread)
Momufuku Noodle Bar (I love their kimchi stew, duck breast, and their buns)

Never tried their pies but their cupcakes were horrendous. Very bland, dry, and utterly disappointing. I literally took 2 bites and threw out the rest. Completely forgettable.

What are your thoughts? Rave reviews but wanted to get some opinions from here... thanks

Definitely Supper over Frank. The latter is way overhyped. Pasta is mediocre at best. Never tried their other main dishes but was utterly disappointed by their pasta (very bland and oily). Frank is also EXTREMELY crowded and is not worth the long wait. Supper is cozy and has some great dishes. What about Max on 4th between A and B? I absolutely LOVE this place. Amazing pasta (lasagna, fettucine w/homemade meat sauce, and black pasta w/shrimp are to die for). They also serve this incredible olive paste with fresh, soft bread-- I highly recommend Max over any other Italian place in the EV... every person I've brought to Max has fallen in love with the food and atmosphere.

I'm in the mood for some hearty, authentic korean food tonight and can't decipher which restaurant I should go to. Looking for some yummy bulgogi, pajun (those potato pancakes), and tofu casserole. Def am not a big fan of Gum Gang San and those big chain ones....

Regate on Orchard and E. Houston has great brunch w/unlimited mimosas! Very good food and the restaurant is really cozy.

Assenzio would be perfect. A very cozy, quaint, romantic and authentic Italian restaurant located in the East Village (East 4th between Aves A and B) with the most incredible wine and amazing dishes (my favorites are the black linquine w/shrimp and the mushroom truffle fettucine). I love the ambiance-- dark wood, dim lighting, warm, and just very private. Far from pretentious and the service is wonderful (everyone who works there is Italian).

Afterwards, you could head to Death & Co which would be perfect to share some of the most incredible cocktails.. absolutely love this place.

So I tried the famous pizza from Lombardi's tonight and I have to say, it wasn't all that I expected it to be. I was pretty impressed with the tomato sauce but I'm quite disappointed overall. Crust was too chewy and soggy, and it just did not taste fresh at all.

I currently live in the east village and am wondering if there are any great pizza joints around here. My ideal slice is the perfect amount of fresh mozzarella, tasty tomato sauce (like the kind at Lombardi's), and crispiness. Crust can't be too thick either. Brick oven is ok but usually with brick oven, the crust tends to be too crispy and hard.

The one and only place that comes near to my ideal slice of pizza is Little Italy pizza place located on 33rd and 5th. Oh my goodness, the pizza here is AMAZING...especially the crust which has the perfect amount of crispiness. Love their sauce and cheese too. However, it's in midtown and I'm looking for a place closer to where I live to fill my frequent pizza cravings!

1) Max (hands down favorite italian in this area)
2) Rai Rai Ken (love the ramen and gyoza here- very hearty and delicious)
3) Hummus Place (the hummus is beyond amazing)
4) Dumpling Man (love, love the pork dumplings.. i hear the specials are fantastic too)

I don't have a number 5 since I am still discovering my new neighborhood.. but I heard that Pylos (Greek) and Cafe Mogador are supposed to be really, really good too.

I tried Russ & Daughters (too hard, dense, and starchy) and Bagel Zone (too bland, not tasty enough). I'm looking for bagels simliar to those from H&H (fresh, soft, w/a hint of chewiness factor)... can anyone suggest a good place in the LES/East Village area?

You must check out Blue Ribbon Sushi. The ambience, food, sake, service-- all spectacular. Hands down one of my favorites. Aquagrill is also great. Pepe De Rosso is tiny and very casual but excellent (love their sauteed calamari). And if you like Thai that's not too greasy, I would check out Boyd Thai on Thompson St.

Their pastries are excellent! I love the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies- they're to die for. Everything's organic and they're not too ridiculously buttery/oily.

I'm a huge coffee fiend and my favorite places are Think (Mercer and 3rd Sts), Caffe Dante (great espresso) on Macdougal between Houston and Bleecker, and Once Upon A Tart (very strong, dark roast coffee) which is on Sullivan between Houston and Prince. Favorite hands down is Think. Not a huge fan of Mud or Joe's.