Because we left for Alaska right after my birthday, I planned a belated get together with my friends at Max in Tribeca. Everyone had a long weekend for the July 4 holiday so even though it was a Thursday, it felt like a Friday. The restaurant in Tribeca (there are other Max locations) is a pretty tiny space; the dining room is long but extremely narrow. Josh made reservations but unfortunately a lot of people were running late so they gave up our table. Luckily we didn’t have to wait super long for another big enough table to open up, but it was a pretty tight squeeze.
The bread baskets came out after everyone placed their orders. It was rustic Italian bread with a sturdy crust, and they brought bowls of olive oil with what I think was mashed sun-dried tomatoes mixed in it. The bread was just ok but the oil/tomato dip was deliciously fruity and a nice change from the usual plain oil or butter.
Bread and an olive oil dip
We ordered a few appetizers to share. First up was the bruschetta, which was decently fresh and garlicky. The pieces of toast were pretty big and not too crunchy, and the tomatoes were piled on. It was a simple but tasty appetizer.
Garlicky tomato bruschetta
We also got a few orders of fried calamari. The portions were large and the calamari was fried well – crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It came with a tangy marinara sauce for dipping.
Fried calamari
Unfortunately, things went downhill with the entrees. I got an order of black spaghetti with shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce. The pasta was pretty mushy and gluey, and had no briney taste to it at all, which is unusual for a black pasta. The tomato sauce was a bit too acidic, and the shrimp were overcooked. I was very disappointed with the dish and barely ate half of it.
Black spaghetti with shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce
Josh got a special of the day, which was pasta with mushrooms. The pasta had no flavor and was overly oily. We dumped a bunch of salt into it which helped a bit, but it didn’t have that earthy mushroom flavor we were hoping for.
Pasta with mushrooms and olive oil
Overall I think most of us were unimpressed with our food. Aside from the appetizers, nothing was really cooked properly. One person had the lasagna, which was served in a beautiful individual casserole dish, but it was totally mushy. I took a bite and couldn’t distinguish between the noodles and the sauce and the cheese.
Mushy lasagna
Most of the pastas were really overcooked and not well seasoned. It was disappointing because it’s a really cute restaurant and the prices are very reasonable. It might be a good place to get a glass of wine and nibble on some appetizers, but I don’t think I would go back there for a full meal.
Max (multiple locations)
181 Duane St. between Greenwich and Hudson St.
New York, NY