Our Dinner at Gus & Gabriel Gastropub

We had been meaning to dine at Gus & Gabriel Gastropub since we toured the new restaurant before its opening night.

We were concerned about the no-reservation policy but easily walked in and scored a table last Friday at 8:30 pm. The dining area was nearly full (there were 3 empty tables) and fairly loud (not a first date place!). This is definitely a casual spot to dine out with friends.

We had the Black Cherry Chocolate Float ($8.50) that was made with Virgil's black cherry cream soda (micro-brewed with natural black cherry and vanilla beans). The soda was tangy and went well with the chocolate ice cream. It was really large and filling.

Glazed Pork "Riblets" ($7.95): The ribs are glazed with sherry, honey, molasses, and pommes purees. It was good - tender, sticky, sweet, and flavorful.

Smoked Tomato, Garlic Confit, and Mozzarella Burger ($12.95): The grilled tomato was a nice touch. Though it was cooked medium (we had asked for medium-rare), it was still flavorful, moist, and juicy. We also liked that it was not greasy.

Chicago Hot-dogs ($10.95): When the chef had told us that he went through countless mixes to perfect his hot dogs, we knew we wanted to try them. The hot-dogs were great! We also liked all of the toppings (especially the spicy peperoncino). We thought that the bread was too dense.

Gus & Gabriel Gastropub is located at 222 West 79th St (btwn Broadway and Amsterdam).