Warning: Cafe Orlin may cause the developmen​t of a severe love/hate relationsh​ip

The first time I tried Cafe Orlin was for dinner a few years ago.  We waited a good 7 minutes after we sat without menus, but we were finally able to flag down a bus boy who brought us menus.  After looking at the menu, which is reasonably priced for the City, (both in food and drink prices) I ordered the Warm Mozzarella sandwich, which at the time came with fries AND a small salad.  My co-diner ordered the Chicken Cutlet sandwich, which also came with fries and a small salad.  We also ordered one of the special wines at the time, which cost only $20.00 for the bottle.  When we ordered, we requested bread for the table and never received said bread the entire meal.  This was especially frustrating because ALL of the tables around us were getting bread! Note - the bread debacle has happened on a few other occasions as well.  Truly puzzling.  Despite this, the food at Cafe Orlin is consistently great.  I have never had a dinner meal that I did not feel fully satisfied with at Cafe Orlin.  Also, the wine is always good too.  Recently, I also tried their spicy margarita, which was the perfect amount of hot.  Their alcoholic blueberry lemonade is tasty too, not overly sweet.  The waitress also told us they have a non-alcoholic version as well, which I imagine is just as delectable.
I have also dined at Cafe Orlin numerous times for breakfast and brunch.  They have a great selection.  I highly recommend the Malawach if it is listed as a special at the time. Simply superb and different from other brunch items I've had anywhere else.  During the week when breakfast is served they have a really good breakfast special where you get two eggs (any style) served with home fries and toast, plus orange juice and a cappuccino for only...wait for it...wait for it...$6.00 - CRAZYYY. 
So there you have it, the love part of the relationship.  Moving on to the hate...

You know how in interviews sometimes the person interviewing you asks "now tell me one thing you could work on about yourself" or "tell me one flaw you have" - well, I think Cafe Orlin would or should answer, their service.  Cafe Orlin's servers are SO neglectful.  Besides the failure to bring bread to the table consistently, even when asked, I have went an entire meal without getting my drink until my food is brought or after my food is brought.  Once, I didn't even get my drink at all!  I have also had instances where I never see my waitress or waiter again after my order is taken.  They simply vanish, to where is one of the seven wonders of the world.  Now this is really where the hate part of the relationship comes in...the thing is it doesn't last for long because as soon as you are about to complain, the waitress or waiter will come to your table and they are extremely kind and pleasant to deal with and really do not seem to realize that they have been absent for the entire length of your meal.  It is a true conundrum.
Cafe Orlin makes me feel like a middle child must feel, always there, hardly noticed.  Better yet, Cafe Orlin makes me feel as though I have a split personality, one minute I'm happy and smiling and enjoying my meal and the next minute I am frantically searching for my server before I become irreversibly dehydrated.  Overall, the food makes up for the service and I will continue to suffer at the hands of my inattentive waitress or waiter and return to Cafe Orlin for many meals in the future.

Astor Wines & Spirits - WINNING!

Not only does Astor Wines & Spirits have one of the largest selections of wines and liquors in the City, but they also have sales representatives who are extremely knowledgeable as to the wine and liquor carried.  The store itself is huge, to the point where it can be overwhelming at times due to the vast selection of alcohol.  However, the store is also organized extremely well.  The wines are organized by region.  There are also areas for wines under ten dollars, sparkling wines, etc.  At the end of each aisle you can typically find wines that are on sale at that time.  Towards the back of the store is the liquor section, which is organized by the type of liquor you are looking for (i.e. - vodka, tequila, etc.).  I am not a huge sake person, but they also have a great sake selection from what I have been told.
As I mentioned, the sales representatives are extremely helpful and know what they sell and know it well.  At my most recent trip to Astor Wines & Spirits, I was looking for a red sparkling wine that was dry rather than sweet, and not a Rose.  The sales representative I asked led me to a whole section that was devoted to sparking red wines.  He then proceeded to explain each that was available to me and match me with one he thought suited what I wanted.  He even said to let him know how it was because they would explore additional dry red sparkling wines if it was too sweet!  The wine that he recommended was great and it was exactly what I was looking for that day. 

In past trips, I have been looking for good vodka to match with bloody mary's and they hit the nail on the head with their recommendation (for anyone wondering - Absolut Vodka makes a "Peppar" vodka that helps to make a superb bloody mary).  They have a unique boxed wine section too that has a lot more than your typical boxed wines.  The sales representatives really know the wine and liquor that Astor Wines & Spirits carry and do not hesitate to give a recommendation when asked.  I have yet to be disappointed in any recommendation received - wine or otherwise.
Astor Wines & Spirits also has frequent "free tastings" where you can try the type of wine and/or liquor they are serving that day.  Another bonus, they have a great online database as well (www.astorwines.com).  On the website you can check out their "wine of the month clubs" or view their upcoming events and scheduled tastings.  On the website, you can also search their inventory by a bunch of different factors, including: color, grape variety, price range, vintage year, region - to name just a few.
In addition to Trader Joe's Wine Shop located near Union Square, Astor Wines & Spirits is my go to alcohol store when I am looking for reasonable prices, a unique selection, and helpful recommendations.