The name said it all. A Canadian friend was in town for the weekend and I needed an interesting restaurant near Washington Square that would allow us to focus on a much anticipated catch-up while providing a hearty meal on a freezing night. Research and reviews directed me to the west side, and luck and intuition took me the rest of the way. Through the minus temperatures of the previous weeks, ‘Good‘ had been featuring a season of stews, which showed an earthy attitude to food and gave me a warm impression of the place before I even arrived.

The restaurant is in Greenwich Village, and despite the cold causing a swift stride from the subway, I could see there was much to challenge the long standing ‘A Salt and Battery’ ( fish and chips ) and ‘Tea and Comfort’ ( cafe ) establishments that I knew from previous visits. The distraction of people and places meant I walked straight past my friend sitting in the window of ‘Good’ – but then it was kind of dark inside…

Because I have not yet conceded to carrying my reading glasses with me everywhere as a regular habit, I glanced at the on-line menu earlier that day to give me a visual advantage. While this seems silly, it was not as short sighted as it sounds. The restaurant had a very moody ambiance, so if I hadn’t already decided on the overnight roasted pork with pears, shaved brussel sprouts, handmade spaetzle and natural jus, I would have missed something wondrous. The meal was absolutely delicious, wine by the glass was easy, and the service was friendly and floating. Fortunately my friend was also fun and familiar – a blind date would have hit and miss…