Ava

I love this place. This may be my new favorite place to go to for happy hour deals because they have some killer prices for killer food and drinks. Ava is one of several new restaurants that are popping up in the SoHo area. You may initially look at the dinner menu and think "wow, this is some pricy food." And yeah, while that may be true, the real steal is if you come for happy hour between 4pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday. Not only do you get to have some fantastic food and drinks, you can essentially get a drink, a pizza, and appetizer for around $24. Now I call that a major steal.

I decided to go with some charcuterie and their spicy sausage pizza. Man, that charcuterie really was fantastic. Everything from the cheese down to the dollop of mustard paired together perfectly. The prosciutto, the copa, and the cured duck were all so magnificently rich. So rich that like vapor, they melted on your tongue, leaving behind a fantastic meaty flavor. The Gorgonzola dulche was probably one of the best blue cheeses that I've had. While still having it's unique blue cheese funk and sweetness, the funk wasn't so strong that it overpowered everything. Instead, it had a nice mellow flavor that really allows you to appreciate blue cheese.

The pizza was fantastic as well. Nice crispy crust that is able to stand up to the robust tomato sauce and spicy sausage that was topping the pizza. The use of fresh basil was an excellent enhancement for the various flavors on that pizza.

All in all, I will definitely be back. Not just for happy hour, but everything else as well.