We actually sat down for a meal on our most recent visit to Peasant Wine Bar.  We were on a bit of a binge night, starting at Radio Mexico, Mother’s Ruin, Stanton Public, Peasant, 1534, Bontanica and finishing up at Puck Fair.  Yikes, good thing we ate TWICE.

We opted to try the CANNOLICHI razor clams and compare to Bacaro, their sister restaurant we just tried on the Lower East Side.  Bacaro wins, hands down.  Also, the atmosphere is similar but Bacaro is much larger and the volume is significantly lower.  This is a more crowded and lively atmospherel

We’ve been to Peasant upstairs many times and it’s excellent. It’s warm and cozy, brick oven, great Italian fare. They’ve added burata to the menu. Burata is fresh mozzarella with heavy cream added, then shaped into a ball, covered with a shell of mozzarella, then hung to cure. Once you’ve had this, you will never settle for fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil again. Ever.

Anyway, we recently learned there is a secret bar downstairs in the ‘cellar’. When you pass by if there are candles lit on the basement stairs, the bar is open. It’s a really cozy wine bar, they still serve the apps from upstairs, and it’s a little secret hideaway. Ok, so it was filled with hipsters. But it was still cool. The secret is out.

this is what it would look like in light…

http://peasantnyc.com/
194 Elizabeth Street – Nolita