* Aurora
CUISINE: Italian
ADDRESS: 70 Grand Street, Brooklyn NY 11211 (at Wythe Avenue)
PHONE: 718.388.5100
HOURS: Mon-Fri, noon-3:30pm and 6pm-11pm; Sat-Sun, 11am-4pm and 6pm-11pm
CARDS: Cash Only
BOOZE: Full Bar
AVERAGE ENTREE: $13-$25
MENU: Click Here
BRUNCH: Yes, Weekends
SUBWAY: L at Bedford Ave.
MAP: Click Here
DELIVERY: Yes
EXTRAS: Outdoor Dining
WEBSITE: www.auroraristorante.com
ZAGAT SAYS: "Tucked away in a isolated southeast corner of Williamsburg, this cozy brick- and wood-lined Italian has immediately become a take-out, delivery and drop-in boon for culinarily starved types who like its cheap prices and homemade pastas via a chef from Piedmont; the place has the feel of a branch of Max, which bodes well for its future."
From NY Mag
"Rome native Gaspare Villa named his rustic new restaurant after a favorite place in Tuscany. "I used to drive two and a half hours to get there," he says. The trip to Aurora from Manhattan is much quicker, and well worth it for big bowls of chef Riccardo Buitoni's maltagliati ragu. Not to mention, Villa now reaps the biggest benefit of a Brooklyn lease: a huge garden."
From City Search
"This brick-trimmed trattoria sits blocks away from the hip heart of Williamsburg (as well as the subway), but that hasn't dissuaded diners. The small bar, tucked among wood tables and chairs, attracts a steady stream of wine drinkers, and by 8pm, the comfortable candlelit space is packed. The vibe is casual, thanks to throbbing pop music and relaxed service. Carb abstainers, beware: Chef and co-owner Riccardo Buitoni hails from Italy's Piemonte region, and his inexpensive menu showcases impossible-to-resist homemade pastas. His bread basket alone, laden with crispy rosemary focaccia, portends instant relapse. Start with buttery buffalo-milk mozzarella with tomato-herb confit, or generous plates of cured meats. Then yield to cilandretti (spinach-ricotta crepes sliced into gnocchi-sized bites with heady fontina-truffle fondue) or delicate tomato-tossed tagliatelle baked in foil with fresh shellfish. Entrees include Barolo-braised beef, and moist monkfish served with prosciutto crisps. Accompaniments, like creamy polenta and garlicky greens, are superb."
From NY Daily News
"Bare-wood floors and brick walls provide the perfect setting for the hearty, rustic Italian fare. With offerings from Tuscan-style fish stew ($13.95) to homemade tagliatelle with roasted artichokes, asparagus, zucchini, basil and shaved pecorino ($7.95), it's so hard to choose."
Comments
I went last night the food was exceptional, I recommend it for anyone going on a date. The chef was very helpful and the waiters were great.
Thanks for a pleasant evening
Posted by: jim | March 19, 2008 11:25 AM
i have to revise my crabby post from 1.5yrs ago. Last night I was treated to an exceptional meal at Aurora. The service was absolutely impeccable and the foie gras sublime.
Posted by: dirtystan | February 17, 2008 09:39 PM
I hate to complain about anything but this one can't be let go.
OK, so my lady and I used to love this place. We've been going there for about 4 years now... But not anymore.
Let me tell you the nightmare that we had to deal with one night at Aurora.
First, the bus boy gives our appetizer to the table next to us. After they ate it, they were happy to tell us how wonderful it was. Great, no big deal.
Then they rush it out as our entrees' are arriving.. and the food runner and the server just stand there and don't know how to proceed - mind you that we are being very kind throughout the ordeal - finally I take the plate from them.
So once we start looking at the lobster that we ordered, we notice that it isn't really a lobster it's weird parts of a half lobster. So we tell them to take it back, they apologize, and we order another dish. At this point we are kinda pissed. 5 minutes later the food arrives.
The server apologizes and we ask to see a manager/supervisior. Long story short, they tell us they will adjust the bill. We get the bill and they took off 2 items but then put them back on the bill at the bottom. I notice and tell them and at this point just want to pay and leave. So the managaer tells me to fill out a card to report how the experience was.
We told him no thanks.
I hope none of you have to experience that.
Posted by: rb | September 26, 2007 02:53 AM
The food was pretty good, very succulent rabbit in my pasta dish. However and i am dead serious I think our waitress was on E!
Posted by: Drughaul | September 24, 2006 05:16 PM
I had dinner at Aurora tonight for the first time, and it was AWESOME! Yes, it was super busy and the wait for a table was gonna be an hour, but the hostess suggested the bar. So, happy that I decided to eat at the bar instead of leaving. The food was delicious! Good for them! Off the beaten path and still kicken ass! Definately go it's worth the wait. Cash only, is a huge pain in the rear, but Sweetwater (great also) is cash only too!...It happens
Posted by: jjd | September 10, 2006 05:38 AM
I have a problem with the cash only policy here. They don't want to pay the credit card company a small fee? Even though you just paid $17 for a small serving or ravioli? Instead they suggest you go to the ATM by the bathroom INSIDE the restaurant and absorb the fee yourself! What a racket.
Posted by: sauced | September 9, 2006 03:06 AM
In a part of Brooklyn where getting any kind of decent Italian food is a chore (save for Bamonte's), Aurora is a refreshing find. This ain't no red sauce joint though, so if you want spaghetti and meatballs, you won't find it here. The menu is very eclectic, and includes a fair amount of wild game mixed into the dishes. It's a little expensive for what it is, but given the glut of overpriced culinary mediocrity in the neighborhood, you'll feel fine paying the bill here. And guess what? I haven't seen a single grumpy Hipster working here yet! In fact, I don't even see that many eating here all that often! That alone is reason to come!
Posted by: Dick | August 15, 2006 04:34 PM
really, really delicious. been there several times and have never been disappointed.
Posted by: miss_messaround | August 12, 2006 07:44 PM
i guess the food was ok, but we kinda felt like we were in the "nice" restaurant in some small Jersey town. and take some credit cards. its 2006.
Posted by: dirtystan | July 10, 2006 03:49 PM
I took my girlfriend to Aurora on a date last week-end, as I remembered the food was good but we had a hard time enjoying it, the problem was that every 5 minutes someone from the staff would present his hand and ask if we were done, we were having a nice conversation and we had to keep saying "no" four times as a different person would show up every time, then while I wasn't paying attention one of them manage to get hold of our 50 dollars bottle of wine filling both our glasses ,mine almost to the top, just so apparently they could take away the bottle ! we suddenly felt we were having lunch in Manhattan at some tourist hotspot where the table was needed for the next idiot. we decided to go somewhere friendlier and left
sad that Aurora was no longer what it used to be.
Posted by: prime_minista | July 7, 2006 04:47 AM
This place is great for taking a chick on a first date. The decor is all brick wall, old wood with the faint chitter chat of italian in the background. The lighting was just right, and very romantic.
We got there at 8:17 and decided to forego the 20 minute wait and sit at a table inside. The garden was lush and everybody out there was eating and drinking happily.
For starters, we ordered off the special menu and ordered the Burrata Pugliese (creamy buffalo mozzarella from Puglia with pesto grilled vegetables and toasted bread). The monk ordered her main course off the special menu too and got the “Filletto alla Grigila” (grilled fillet mignon in balsamic vinagre and shhallotes reduction with rosemary potatto and roasted tomato) and I got the Seared Tuna Loin and Baby Calamari (with crushed potatoes, green beans, pesto salad, tomato, extra virgin olive oil emulsion.
They started off with a small complementary plate of salmon tartare and fennel salad which was pretty bland and unimpressive. The burrata pugliese more than made up for it however. It was the creamiest, milkiest most delicious mozzarella I have had in recent history. Amazing stuff it was. The pesto vegetables I came with it was also really good, and but together they had the monk and I swooning. They also brought out a little basket of breads with a little dish of balsmaic and oil. The foccacia was also really delicious and very fresh. I generally dont like foccacia as its too dry, but this was really pretty tootin.
Unfortunately my main course was not nearly as delicious as the starter. The only high point of my dish was the calimari which tasted very fresh and was lightly charred, setting the leading note of the food. The tuna however while also fresh and seemingly well cooked had none of the pizazz that I was really expecting. The potatoes were also equally uninspiring. This however did not prevent me from finishing my entire plate.
The monk however was in rapture eating her fillet. According to her it was one of the best fillets she had ever had, from the meat to the grilling to the sauce. I did have a nibble at the rosemary roasted potatoes and sopping it up with some of the balsamic in the bottom of her dish I can concur that those were indeed delicious.
We finished off with their homemade tiramisu. It was okay, but I think they were just phoning it in. It really could have been much much better. The marscapone was kinda flat and there wasnt enough lady fingers in it.
All in all a pretty good meal, I just probably didnt order the right thing. Also, the napkin totally smelled like hamster, but I wont hold that against them. I’ll be back soon enough.
Total Bill: $87
Posted by: Jarkob | May 11, 2006 07:41 PM
Aurora is such a remarkable place in the neighborhood for excellent food! The dining room is warm and the glassed in patio looked so romantic. We happened to wander in on an early evening a few weeks ago and noticed the waitstaff preparing for battle! Because we arrived before seven thirty our dinner was leisurely and worth repeating! The wine (an italian offering by the glass) was delicious and inexpensive. The salads we had before our main course were fresh though on the large side and the pig belly was incredible! The pasta was simple but perfectly prepared. An absolute favorite restaurant!
Posted by: cheryl | March 30, 2006 01:19 AM
MMMM I love Aurora. I went with my g/f for Valentines day and the Prix fix (although slightly expensive for my broke ass) was incredible. MMMM.
I go just about every weekend for brunch and it rules. Cheap and delish. Oh, and one of the waitresses who is always there is really hot.
Posted by: BK | March 28, 2006 10:59 PM
kiki bigtitroundasses*
kiki bigtitsroundass*
Posted by: Adgast | March 8, 2006 09:47 AM
A little bit out of the way, but well worth the walk. The Pork Belly is especially delicious, very tender and succulent! The restaurant as a whole is very cozy and even the garden area in the winter! Plan to go back time and time again!
Posted by: Jinnie | January 25, 2006 03:49 PM
still delicious, but saturday night at 9:15 it was overwhelmed. Got table at 10pm, waitstaff was still nice but service was spotty. I went a few months ago with married w/children friends at 7:30 and everything was perfect. So, have a baby.
Posted by: will | December 5, 2005 10:47 PM
i love this place but unfort it is experiencing what i like to call "Diner syndrome". which is, you cannot get a table anymore because of it's huge boom in popularity... like, ever. and it seems because they are so busy now, the usually super nice laid back waitstaff have now become stressed out and crabby. This saddens me to know end. NEXT.
Posted by: miz s | March 24, 2005 12:03 AM
Have you seen 'Big Night'? Remember Tony Shalhoub as Primo, refusing to serve risotto in under 40 minutes because it wouldn't be perfect? That's Aurora. The food is incredible, but be prepared to wait for the culinary delights to arrive.
Posted by: Bryce Edwards | March 12, 2005 11:52 PM