Community, Broadway between 112 and 113

Despite the snow and the three inch thick ice blocks that traversed the sidewalk in front of stores that didn't shovel and the six inch puddles of slush you had to step into (or walk great distances to circumvent), we made our way up 4 blocks to Community, a restaurant we'd been meaning to get to since it reopened in October after a grease fire had closed it down for six months.

Community seats its guests at, well, communal tables.  Long tables fill the center of the main dining room where the acoustics verge on loud.  We found ourselves talking in more than hushed voices to be heard over the laughter and good stories told at nearby tables.  In fact, we found ourselves entering the conversations at the tables on either side of us -- eyeing and commenting on the butterscotch pudding topped with whipped cream two women shared, overhearing a discussion between a brother and sister of last year's production of Euripides off-Broadway and ogling the very attractive shrimp pot stickers and perfectly browned zucchini scallion pancakes .

Ordering wine was easy, once we'd decided against the $50 dollar bottle of pinot noir from France.  I ordered the malbec ($9) and David ordered a pinot ($12).  Then the hard part:  how to choose among the apparently healthful, organic beautifully prepared entrees.  We ordered the special salad:  arugula, toasted walnuts, bacon and blue cheese tossed in a pear vinagarette -- which we shared.  I judge a salad on the crispness of its vegetables and the smoothness of its dressing.  This was ambrosia -- the sweetness of the pear emulsified with olive oil and vinegar.

David ordered the Hudson Valley duck breast ($23) served with sheared and grilled brussel sprouts, whole wheat spaetzle, and a rich port sauce one would normally find on a steak.  In fact, the medium rare duck tasted like steak -- but more tender.  I ordered a hamburger ($14) medium rare (more for the fries than the hamburger!) -- but it came medium well, and our enthusiastic, charming waiter took it back to the kitchen and brought me back my fries.  Rather than another burger, I ordered the shrimp pot stickers ($8.50) -- which were delicious.  These pan-seared dumplings arrived perfectly browned.  Inside the al dente rice paper, chunks of shrimp mixed with ginger and something green I could not identify.  Suffice to say, it was as good as it looked -- and better.

For dessert we ordered the special which will soon be on the menu:  coconut-banana cream pie.  So creamy the dollop of whipped cream on top seemed redundant.

Our bill came to $75.32.