THEY SAY IT’S MY BIRTHDAY…

May 4, 2004 at 6:31:19p.m.

For the past few months I’ve been telling you all about good cheap kosher eats in Manhattan. Well, now I’ll tell you about one not-so-cheap place, where I was taken for my birthday dinner.

Domani Ristorante, at 1590 First Avenue between 82d and 83d Streets, is a delightful little Italian place. Everything we tried was scrumptious, and the presentations were wonderful too; for instance, the grilled vegetable appetizer comes with the veggies arranged in a pinwheel shape. Main courses are mostly chicken and veal dishes, with a few fish dishes and several pasta specialties.

The attentive waitstaff overheard us talking about the fact that it’s my birthday and surprised me (and everyone else at the table) with a slice of delectable lemon-chocolate mousse cake drizzled with chocolate sauce – and with more chocolate sauce spelling out “Happy Birthday” on the serving plate, along with a G clef and some musical notes – how did they know I’m a musician?

Speaking of music, if you like the Three Tenors you’ll love the ambience here; Italian songs all the way (although I did catch a bit of “Carmen” mixed in).

Dinner at Domani (which is under OK supervision) will probably set you back at least $50 per person, but it’s well worth it for a special occasion (I believe they have a separate party room as well). The phone numbers for reservations are 212-717-7575 or 212-717-7557.

(DW)