The first time I intended to go to the infamously hip and reservation-less al di lá trattoria in Park Slope, I was told by the host that there would be an hour and a half wait for a table for four – on a Thursday night. Since I was with my parents, it was cold, and we were all hungry, we ended up going to Tempo down the street (which I’ll write about soon enough). As we were moving on, I overheard another hungry, agitated hopeful al di lá diner say to his companion, “It’s not worth the wait anyway.” As much as it’s gratifying to hear that a restaurant that is SOOOO great is actually not so great after you are told you have to wait an hour and a half for their super-food and end up going somewhere else, this is just not the case for al di lá. I’ve twice waited an hour and a half for its food and it’s been worth it both times.

I find that when choosing to go to a restaurant that requires a long wait before dining, it is best to mentally prepare for the evening. In fact, I have come up with a set of rules for such an occasion that I call The Grimaldi’s-On-A-Saturday-Night Rules:

Rule 1: Assume you have to wait over an hour. When you set yourself up for disappointment, it’s much easier to take. That’s how Red Sox fans survived 86 years without a World Series Championship.

Rule 2: Don’t go on an empty stomach. You might want to pound as much pizza at Grimaldi’s or noodles at Momofuku Noodle Bar as is physically possible when you finally sit down to eat, but do everyone else a favor and bring a little nosh. If I don’t follow Rule 1 AND I forget to bring a granola bar, a cool breeze on a 95º night would even piss me off.

Rule 3: Refrain from reading the menu in the window. Never mind the fact that this will only make you hungrier and crankier. What if you glance in the restaurant and see a happy, laughing couple sitting on the other side of the window devouring the exact dish that you want to get? Yes, they are laughing at you for pathetically staring at the menu, and then their dishes, while you wait.

Rule 4: Bring a wide variety of topics to discuss with your friends or loved-ones. As much as you might like these people, talking with them for over three hours total might be a little taxing. Just remember that it’s not even possible to discuss Obama and Clinton for three and a half consecutive hours — unless you work for a popular cable news channel.

Rule 5: Do not load up on bread once you get your table. The point of the nosh is to curb your hunger so that you do not pound every crumb of bread in the basket before the waiter takes your order. Take a deep breathe, drink some water, order an appetizer and everything will be fine.

If you follow these five rules you will be prepared to go to al di lá for dinner at 8:00 on a Friday night.

The reason it’s important to accept these rules is because the food is that good at al di lá. The sepia and oxtail, served over creamy polenta, is THE best appetizer I’ve had in New York City. The polenta is perfect, the sauce is spicy and rich, and the cuttlefish and oxtail are unbelievably tender. This is what Surf and Turf would be like in a Terry Gilliam film. The carpaccio is also delicious, and is served with anchovies and capers. The best carpaccio I’ve ever had (and the only). I was won over.

I’ve also gotten the calf’s liver, which is probably the most intense thing I’ve ever eaten. I’m not sure what percentage of the liver was served to me, but it seemed like it might have been the entire organ. Though it was good, it was simply too rich and, dare I say, too large of a portion. For a calf’s liver lover, this dish might be considered heavenly.

The second time I went to al di lá, I went with my friends Henry and Maddie and sister, Meg. Maddie was visiting for the weekend and al di lá was the perfect restaurant to show off how hip I can be. This meal went as well as my first excursion, but we all made one fatal flaw – we broke Rule 4. I loaded up on so much bread that you’d think I was at Olive Garden. Therefore, I was incapable of getting an appetizer. I know my limits, so it took great willpower to pass on the sepia and oxtail — the same willpower that was nonexistent when the bread hit the table.

Henry got the quail special, which was stuffed with sausage. I wish I could tell you how it was, but he didn’t offer me any of it. I assume it was good. I got the rabbit with olives and polenta, which was delicious. The last time I had rabbit was maybe eight years ago when I went to Quebec City. I missed it.

Maddie got the Manila clams and spaghetti, which she was very fond of. Meg got the malfatti, which is gnocchi that is traditionally made with spinach, but was prepared with Swiss chard. Delicious. The pastas aren’t really big portions, but are filling and cost $11 to $17. For dessert we got an assortment of gelati: chocolate with caramel, honey, and tartufo. All were amazing and came with a small piece of toffee.

You have to pick your poison when eating out at a popular restaurant in New York City. There are places like Babbo where you have to make a reservation a month in advance. Or, there are places like al di lá where you’ll have to wait an hour and a half to get in. When you compare the two options, there’s something much more accessible about al di lá than the other hotspots. If you’re in the mood to eat at arguably the hippest restaurant in Brooklyn you’re able. You just need to wait. Remember The Rules and after you’ve eaten you will not think about standing around for an hour and a half. You’ll be thinking about that great meal you just had.