Aloe

Aloe was surprisingly empty.
The Squab and I dined here with our two friends to use our
gift certificates. They really like the place, so we decided to try it out.
I tried the duck confit salad and it was pretty bad, tough, and chewy. The calamari wasn’t good either. I forget what I ordered for my entrée (went here a year ago, Mar 2009).
I wasn’t impressed with Aloe to say the least and am not surprised they are now closed. Their service wasn’t all that great either.

What do you get when you want to upgrade a dish like chicken and waffles? You get Aloe.
Aloe is an interesting take on food in the East Village. It combines simple, main ingredients with down-​to-​earth passion and an upgraded flair to get recipes that are tastebud-​friendly. I had the duck and waffles dish with lavender maple, and it was surprisingly good. They also provided our party with some amuse-​bouches that were a spin on tater tots. It reminded me that I was a grown up who still liked dishes with a childhood flavor.

After reading up on the great Unilocal reviews, I was really excited to try this place out. I came with my bf and our standard double-​dater couple; we requested to sit next to each other but not WITH each other so both couples could use our
gift certs.
Service was okay, not great (maybe because of the gift certs?). We started with the warm duck confit salad and calamari, both were so-​so. The duck was a little tough, and the calamari was soggy and over-​flavored. I had the crispy duck breast, which people here RAVED about. This was a huge disappointment: dry, the waffle was cold and the antithesis of light ‘n fluffy. Porkchop had something I don’t remember, but I think it was an appetizer, and the portions were big. The other couple had eaten here before, and it was great, but seemed underwhelmed this time around too. We all skipped dessert.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I went to Aloe last night, during their regular business hours, and it was closed. According to their website, they plan to close April 18^th for renovations, but it appears they might have closed prior to that.
Hope this saves somebody else the disappointment/​hassle.
I’ll update when I find out more.

I have to write a review for Aloe because it concerns me it was empty when I went on a late Fri night, despite the good food, and the chef is Indian, so I gotta support :)
Aloe seems kind of out of place in a neighborhood known for its young residents and cheap eats– entrees are around $ 20. But the food is good, and the ambience matches the price. The food has a modern twist, and the interior is cute, clean, and homey (dim, woodsy feel).
I started with a butternut squash soup topped with foam, which was very good. I detected an Indian spice (cumin powder maybe?) in it. For my main I had the lasagna, which was good (vegetarian), but at this point I was full from the huge bowl of soup. My dining partner enjoyed his duck salad starter and duck with gingerbread waffles entrée (of course I snuck a few bites of the delicious waffles).
Nothing was mindblowing, but everything was solid– large portions, quality food, great service. I’d recommend this if you’re looking for a nice, yet laid back place for a large group that’s close to the LES bars. It shouldn’t be hard to get a reservation, which is always a plus in NY.
p. s. you can buy discounted gift certificates at
.

Aloe is too good of a restaurant to not be experienced by hungry New Yorkers!
I chose Aloe for my birthday treat extravaganza by the sissy because it was off the beaten path and practically everything on the menu seemed like a winner.
We settled on two appetizers (the calamari and mussel pot pie) and one main course to share (duck and gingerbread waffles!). The calamari and duck are the signature dishes of Aloe and are a definite must! One common theme about the food at Aloe is that while it may be one thing, it may look like another, and taste like something other. The calamari reminded me of onion rings but overall it was the best calamari I have ever tasted. Light, crispy, not chewy, flavorful, etc. The sweet and sour sauce on it was not drenching and it had just the right amount of heat — just a hint. The calamari was not greasy and we killed it in a matter of minutes. As for the duck, we had our choice of how we wanted it cooked and we chose medium. The duck was very tender and juicy. There was minimal fat on the duck and the skin was crispy. Sliced to perfection, the duck was a substantial serving good enough for two. Best duck I’ve ever had. It kind of reminded me of roasted pork loin (but not dry) and roast beef but instead it was duck. So much better! The brussels sprouts on the side were funny. They looked like onions or baby potatoes but they tasted like tiny cabbages. And the gingerbread waffle? Oh baby its like brunch, the holidays, and dessert on your plate! It had just the right amount of lavender maple syrup, was perfectly crispy, and was full of flavor. It was an excellent compliment to the duck. And to all of you who like that waffle and dinges crap mobile, this waffle is so much better. I would gladly chomp on this waffle walking down the sidewalk any day.
The mussel pot pie was good but somewhat mediocre in comparison to the two signature dishes. The gravy and vegetable mix (perfectly diced zucchini and halved cherry tomatoes) were yummy but the puff pastry shell was a small copout. Chef Amit Kale could have whipped together his own pastry crust.
For dessert we chose the banana pudding, as recommended by Chef Kale. It was amazing! Served in a giant spoon rest, the banana pudding had whole slices of banana hugged by crushed Nilla wafers. It was blanketed by whipped cream, dusted with powdered sugar, and drizzled with caramel. This dessert would beat out chocolate in any contest.
The food at Aloe is excellent. The ingredients are fresh, the food is packed with flavor, and the presentation is simple and well thought out. There are no bells and whistles here. The food stands on it’s own.
When we got our bill, Chef Kale said he included some of his business cards in the folder. I didn’t quite get it and almost blurted out, «Oh are you a private chef?» But it was just his way of passing out the cards instead of in a caddy by the door. Chef Kale was a one man show that night. No host, hostess, waiter, or water boy. He did everything himself from greeting guests to setting tables and pouring water. A sous chef was hiding discreetly in the kitchen. I wouldn’t have known he was even there but when there are only four people in the restaurant, all voices were heard, regardless of the fade in fade out very loud trance music. Service was slow but then again you couldn’t expect the check so soon while the chef was in the kitchen. He could have been cooking and you wouldn’t want him to burn someone else’s dinner now, would you?

I’ve been meaning to try Aloe when I saw it featured on Unilocal,and finally got a chance to this weekend. As mentioned by the other reviewers, it is a great date spot as the atmosphere is very warm and intimate. The servers were also very friendly and helpful.
For appetizers, the staff recommended the spicy calamari which was excellent and we also got the duck salad. The menu is pretty limited and with a party of four we got to try out the majority of the dishes. We ordered the duck w/​waffles (yes waffles!), pork with dirty rice, beef brisket, and the tuna and they were all excellent. I highly recommend the Aloe Bellini.

To be honest I’d give this place a 4.5. I’m a little more than «Yay I’m a fan.» This place is small and intimate. Wonderful place for a date, or if you want to chill out with your friends, talk, and have some delicious creative cuisine. The food itself is good and as I just mentioned a couple words ago creative. It’s kind of a Mediterranean fusion, a bit exotic, colorful and refreshing.
Definitely come here. You will not be disappointed. Also a good place to start off the evening if you are planning to stay around East Village/​LES

I’m not sure why Aloe is one of those places that only gets weekend traffic because the food is great and the ambiance is quite nice. It’s the perfect neighborhood restaurant that is worth traveling to. The menu is short but good. Perhaps it is the basement seating, if you walk past you would assume the restaurant is completely empty. Or maybe its the economy — the food is great and the prices are reasonable but a bit high for a regular meal and not quite for the fine dining types. Whatever it is, just be glad it means you dont need reservations.
The food is delicious, the scallops were large, fresh, and cooked to the perfect texture. The duck was moist and flavorful, the only drawback were the soggy waffles that added nothing to the dish. And the short rib ‘dumplings’ appetizer was tasty although the short rib could have been just a little more tender.
The service is extremely friendly and attentive but at one point we were the only ones there so I’m not sure what its like when busy.

Great little restaurant. Everything I had was great and perfectly cooked. Even the glass of cote du rhone I had was pretty amazing. The pork loin with somekinda sweet reduction sauce was like eating candy. Meat candy. Delicious. The all star though was the (oh snap!) Duck and Waffles! I got to thinking of other things that might go good with waffles:
1. Baby back ribs
2. Spam
3. Mac & Cheese
4. More waffles!
Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles, you guys are in TROUBLE.

I don’t think there are words in the English language to describe how AMAZING Aloe is! It stands for «A Little Of Everything»… but it should be «a PERFECT little bit of everything!» This was truly a unique and heartfelt dining experience, and this is definitely one of those places that is going to explode soon (you’ll see when you go and experience for yourself, because this IS a place you will come back time and time again): we got personal and loving attention, the food was OUT OF THIS WORLD, incredible wines on the menu, the food combinations that the chef has on the menu– totally AMAZING and had us saying «oh my god!» over and over again, and totally affordable!!!
I went there a few nights ago with a few friends, and the hostess sat us downstairs by the kitchen. We got to meet the chef (he was really friendly!) Amit Kale– who we later found out had trained under Emeril Lagasse! It added a really personal touch! It was such an intimate experience! There were several other customers, but we felt like we were the only ones!
For what we ate: The duck confit salad (the duck was perfectly seasoned and cooked, melted in your mouth, and went perfectly with the goat cheese– who would have thought that duck and goat cheese go together). I love calamari, and I eat it everywhere I go– but the calamari here is the MOST AMAZING calamari I have ever had! I can’t even describe it– you got to try it for yourself! Now, I don’t even like seafood (I’m a newbie to this food group– and find the «fishy» smell gets to me) but at Aloe, I found myself scraping off every piece of grouper with jambalya (and it’s like happiness in your mouth!) of the serving dish, and the branzino was unlike anything else I’ve ever tasted! Chef Kale was able to crispify the skin– and it was just a perfect medley of taste and texture in my mouth. Now, I’ve THOUGHT I had hanger steak before, but I NOW have had hanger steak– Chef Kale again, I don’t know he does it– but it’s just the most PERFECT piece– it melts with your fork and it’s perfect! You definitely have to try this– you will be in Heaven once a piece of this goes in your mouth! And then– we were still hungry, so then Chef Kale brought out something (I didn’t think it could get any better than the hanger steak…) but oh yes it does… Crispy duck with waffles and maple syrup! I think I died at this point out of shear belly delight! PERFECT, and who would have thought?! And for dessert– the do’ boys are something really unique– little donuts are filled with chocolate that oozes out when you bite into them, truly bursts of happiness! Everything that Chef Kale sends out of the kitchen is a true labor of love, and I this is the top dining experience of my life! So GO TO ALOE!!! Try everything I just said above and more! You will NOT be disappointed! 9^th street between 1^st Ave and Ave A!

Wow, despite it being so highly ranked on Unilocal,definitely a well hidden gem. Went there at 7:30p on a Tuesday night and we were the only table. There were 3 tables when we left around 9. Was doubting my choice when the hostess said «its a light night, you can choose any table you want.»
I loved the ambiance, décor (rothko paintings are my weakness) and lighting.
the thin garlic crackers they serve in place of bread was delicious and the new short rib dumplings appetizer was the perfect pairing of short ribs, mushrooms and blue cheese. The duck was good, not great. Medium rare seems to come out medium.
the scallops were TO DIE FOR. boys and girls, i’ve never seen scallops this big. these humongous babies were cooked and seasoned PERFECTLY. Sorry Gary Danko, but when it comes to scallops, you’re my #2 now.

This is one of those gems you find and want to simultaneously keep it all to yourself while telling the world of its glory.
I went here a few months ago with my friend and her uncle. I had the basic salad, crispy branzino with lemony potatoes (which ended up being a great infusion), and then the do’boys. All of the food was amazing, and I felt as if I could have just gorged myself on course after course. We were there on a Thursday night, and not one other party was present. The waitress was great without her presence being overbearing. All of the flavor combinations are interesting and just work really well.

What a find… a best kept secret really!
Aloe is absolutely fantastic. The ambiance is warm and romantic.
The food is delicious. This is a great place for dates and small parties.
Don’t take my word for it, go see it for yourself!

Aloe was delicious! I should also preface this review by saying that it’s a great date place (there were only three tables in the restaurant). Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman walked in while we were there, which was an extra plus.
I had the Aloe Bellini, which was a real treat, it was cirtusy and different. Then for dinner I had the Red Snapper, which was in a sour cherry type sauce with some greens and rice. VERY GOOD. My boyfriend had the hanger steak, which was in a delicious sauce, he was literally ready to lick the plate!
The desert was a homemade cheesecake with caramel pretzels… such an interesting combo, but it all worked together nicely. Highly recommend this place for intimate gatherings and birthday dinners!

Okay, I’m a bit biased b/​c I just had my birthday here yesterday and it went perfectly. Natasha who plays sommelier/​waittress/​hostess/​et al. had our party of 12 downstairs taking over the majority of the restaurant.
We all fell in love with the Aloe Bellini, which is lava-​lamp enthrancing. I don’t know why no one’s thought about it before but this consists of a ball of sorbet and Aloe that slowly floats up a tall flute of prosecco. Every single one of us ended up holding the flute up and watching it as though it was our own personal drinkable lava lamp. And I may never go back to normal bellinis. After the entire table sampled the bellinis, we ordered several bottles of wine (prices very reasonable with the majority below $ 40) with the selection ranging from the Nicolas Feuillate Brut that at $ 80 is a steal compared to its retail price to the to Te Karanga Pinot Noir the we had with the short salmon.
We started off with the salad and the calamari served family style. And I knew we were in for a great meal by how delicious the calamari was. The sweet sauce poured over it was a bit too sweet but the calamari is very salt-​and-​pepper style and hailed as a favorite immediately as people kept going back to the serving plate and heaping more and more spoonfuls of calamari onto their plates. The duck confit over waffle was entrée sized and tender on the inside and crispy — dark on the outside. If the meal had stopped right there, i would have been happy already. We had tried the Vittretti Italian red (super tuscan-​ish mix of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cab) and the California Chardonnay (which went very well with the food and was served ice cold — perfect for 90+ degree evenings).
For my main, I went with the short rib and it came out basically as a good 10 oz of juicy — fork/​tender chunk of meat. The chef had done all the hard work and had already taken out the bone. To my right, I heard Ellen go into a When Harry Met Sally «OH MY GOD» sigh/​groan over the buttery salmon. For our entrees, we went with bottles of the Crozes-​Hermitage and the pinot noir. We were DEFINITELY full by now.
Yet, not to be outdone, the apple bread pudding came out on a large platter with two huge scoops of whipped cream and two large sides of ice cream. This was the culmination to a fantastic evening. The bread pudding was perfect. It comes out as a sliced loaf and hints at French Toast meets pudding. Whereas I find most places’ bread pudding tends to be a bit too dry, ALOE’s isn’t shy to claim its relation to the creamy pudding family and I couldn’t have asked for anothing more. Oh, wait, my friends bringing out a birthday cake with way too many candles :)
For large parties, there is a prix-​fixe menu. For the quality and quantity of food we had, I was amazed by the $ 35 sticker price. The atmosphere is elegant with lots of dark wood and wine bottles everywhere. The AC kept the room cool and inviting. For our group of 12, we had nine small tables arranged into a 3×3 square that allowed people to talk to each other across the table while also allowing for plenty of intimate neighbory talk to the people around you.
Having never been here before, I didn’t know what to expect but even if I’d had expectations they would have been crushed by the actual experience. Big thanks to Natasha for taking care of us, being so flexible and making the evening so memorable. Interestingly enough, the front end of this place is so discreet that several people (including Jim who lives on the NEXT block) passed by it several times without finding it. Having said that, everyone had a great time and I think many of us will be back. Again and again and again :)

Had my engagment dinner here, thrown by my co-​workers. A small cute place. We had downstairs and there were 8 of us. We sat in the back and had our own corner, which was nice. Service was overall pretty good, but slow at times.
Now to the important stuff — the food!
Appetizers:
Calamari — EXCELLENT
Bacon Dish — pretty good
Cheese platter — great
Entrees:
Salmon — do not recommend
Short Ribs — great
Duck w/​Gingerbread Waffles — Excellent (especially the waffles)
Cous Cous — pretty good
Fried Monkfish with mac & cheese — fish was good, mac & cheese was very good
Desserts:
All were hits — donuts, cheesecake, and the warm apple bread pudding
This place is great to take a date or to have small parties. Seems like the menu changes occassionally, so I’d come back again.

We booked for Friday night 8pm, no problem, the place was quiet and the waitress was very friendly.
I was recommended a nice Oz wine, similar to a bordeaux ($ 45) it was exactly what i wanted, perfect.
We were recommended the following so being the first visit we rolled with it.
Apps.
Calamari — excellent, served with a sweet spicy sauce
Bacon with greens — wonderful thick cut bacon, delicately flavored
Scallops — Best I have tasted in years on a bed of squash purée
Entrees
Slow-​Braised Short Rib $ 25~
Buttery Fingerling Potatoes, Lemon-​Thyme Mushrooms — excellent, soft as silk
Crispy Duck Breast $ 27~
Gingerbread Waffle, Brussels Sprouts & Maple Sage
Pudding!
Warm Apple Whiskey Bread Pudding — excellent, very soft and light
Desert wine
Domaine De La Casa Blanca, Banyuls, 2005, Languedoc, France $ 12 gls
Total $ 204 with tip.
I love this place, if you are looking for Allen & Delancy and cannot get in, or have tried it and want something as good try this place.
The chef worked under Emeril, if you’ve ever been to one of his places you know how well he trains his crew.

Duck breast and gingerbread waffles AND roasted brussel sprouts?! Sign me up! I made a large reservation at Aloe for my birthday based on Unilocal reviews and went once beforehand just to make sure it was as good as y’all said it was. It is! A word of caution, however — some of the appetizers, such as the calamari, are huge. Two friends and I split one portion and I still felt like I ate a pound of squid. It is good, but I felt a bit woozy afterwards. Not to worry, the duck waffle combo kicked out any lingering calamari batter sweetness and I can still remember the tangy touch of molasses in the waffle. I had no room for dessert that time but didn’t make the same mistake the next.
Although my birthday party was quite large for a restaurant of this size, Chef Amit graciously let us all order a la carte instead of making us all eat prix fixe. This meant that the food took quite awhile but considering the size of the kitchen vs the number of guests (it was a full house that night, which I’m guessing is around 45 covers), it was pretty amazing that he got 17 plates out for one party in two batches 20 minutes apart. Recommended dishes: braised short rib, duck waffle, seared scallop appetizer and banana and coconut streudel.
The wine list definitely adheres to the «a little bit of everything» theme. Although there were no faults with the Pinot Blanc bottle we ordered, I didn’t like it and asked if it was possible to order a different bottle, especially since we were ordering two of every bottle. They said no problem. This, the food, and Chef Amit’s masterful multi-​tasking earn Aloe a well-​deserved five stars.

I will TOTALLY give this place 5 stars. As of this published date, it’s only been open about a month. We went there with a huge party (about 12), and the service was amazing.
The chef came out to greet us, alongside our stupendous server, and they proceeded to recommend the Chef’s Sampling dinner, which is basically plate after plate of whatever the chef feels like cooking up. This was $ 40 a person, and totally worth your money.
Awesome décor downstairs, great service, and amazing food. Go. Now.