Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction

Mo Pitkin's has closed. Our original review follows:

From the owners of Two Boots Pizzerias, Phil & Jesse Hartman, comes a celebratory venue that offers food, music and fun. Named after a legendary figure in the Hartman family circle, Mo Pitkin’s House of Satisfaction is both house-like and satisfying. Tucked away among the many bars and eateries of lower Avenue A, Mo Pitkin’s offers a bar, restaurant, private lounge and cabaret, all aimed at encouraging the individual and rebellious in us. Far from the glam that is fast spreading through the city, Mo Pitkin’s goes for the gritty, offering safe harbor to those who want to retain and experience the neighborhood’s working class flavor. Normally, such a combination of spaces and offerings leads to confusion, but not at Mo’s. It is truly a lot of fun.

The busy bar offers a variety of beers on tap and a lot of high-energy vibe. If you’re there waiting for a table, you’d better belly up to the bar and order a tall one. If you’ve called ahead to reserve a spot, get there early, have a drink and enjoy the buzz.

The dining room is packed with cozy banquettes and an array of tables that can accommodate groups of happy party goers. Settle in with your friends and peruse the menu, a collection of Cuban, comfort and eastern European Jewish foods all presented together, on the same, cheeky menu.

Start with the “pick-six”, a seder-tray (the kind used at Passover) of tapas ranging from chorizo meatballs to whitefish escabeche to brisket to grilled asparagus and pine nuts with a picante dressing – all excellent. If you can’t pick six, go for the smoked salmon kreplach or the chicken chicharrones, or just pick something that sounds darn good – it probably will be. If you’re in a sandwich mood, go for the Cuban Reuben, or the Mo Burger, with its schmear of chicken liver. Among the entrees, the rotisserie chicken and the Hartman family brisket are favorites, but also brilliant are the root beer glazed pork chops and the rib eye steak. The sides are inventive, but the tasty deep-fried mac-n-cheese can be a little dry. (We wanted a little extra sauce drizzled on the plate. We also wanted a little more salt on the manchego garlic fries.) These minor details aside, the menu is a lot of fun and very tasty. If you have room for dessert, there’s always the beloved New York Cheescake.

This is a great place to meet friends and have a good laugh. The noisy and frenetic dining room is not the place for an intimate date. When you go to Mo’s, go to celebrate all the things that you love. The staff here are very accommodating and friendly. Also check out the live music here, which goes on until the wee hours of the morning.