The Payoff: Bar Stuzzichini
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 11:48AM Today, as expected, Frank Bruni awarded one star to Bar Stuzzichini, finding the Italian small-plates joint flawed but worthy:
The restaurant’s agents of tantalization include creamy sheep’s milk ricotta seasoned with saffron and drizzled with honey; ethereal buffalo’s milk ricotta stuffing involtini of thinly sliced eggplant; fried meatballs, each consumed in one crunchy, happy bite; and a tangle of astonishingly tender octopus, poached and then grilled, which is a smart way to treat an octopus.
On a given night there are some 25 stuzzichini in all, each priced between $5 and $10. Only a fool would order them individually because $22 buys any combination of five, and that’s a deal that gives Bar Stuzzichini something to crow about, a hook in a city and era of determined grazers.
Eater and I both took the one-star bet at 2–1 odds. We both win $2 on our hypothetical one-dollar bets.
Eater NYJ Bankroll $40.50 $44.67 Gain/Loss +2.00 +2.00 Total $42.50 $46.67 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Won–Lost 17–5 16–6
Bar Stuzzichini in BruniBetting 
Reader Comments (1)
This restaurant is poison.
We had to wait 75 minutes after our original reservation time. The management blamed us for having 6 people in all, 3 couples. They were unfriendly and rude.
Our table was not set up in full when we sat down, and the waitress didnt mind shoving her hands in between everyone without permission to finish it up.
Then we get the food... some might call it tasty; perhaps it would have been... IF IT DIDNT MAKE US ALL TERRIBLY SICK.
We all ate there, and we ALL got SICK.
Terrible stomach cramps, bowel movements, headaches later on in the night.
The service is terrible, the people are rude, and hte food is bad!
DO not Go to Bar Stuzzuchini and expect a good experience. DO NOT GO THERE AT ALL!