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Not to be confused with
the Latina whorehouse ¡Ay Poppi! down the street, this rustic
Italian joint features the look and feel of the Italian countryside
right here in the East Village. Everything about this place just says,
"come on in." Its warm interior gives way to a wonderful back garden
that drips with ivy and candlelight. On a warm evening one can almost
ignore the surrounding tenement buildings and imagine dining in a
provincial garden in the countryside, or a fancy joint in gay Paris.
The waitstaff is friendly and helpful, (and almost certainly auditioning
for a part as an East Village waiter) as is the wandering cat that
stops every once in a while to beg a meatball or sautéed calamari.
The food is simple and devoid of the pretensions of so many downtown
restaurants. It's almost reassuring to see a menu not filled with
different goose parts and unpronounceable French crap. The pastas
are plentiful and flavored just right. The appetizers are equally
tasty. Chalk this up as yet another romantic spot for a date (especially
out in the garden). If you can't find a joint to take a nice lady
on a Saturday in NYC, you might as well give up now and donate your
Sega thumb to science. [MF]
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