Those same ingredients are repurposed in a rigatoni entree, but taste duller with pasta than when standing on their own. Chicken alla Romana is masterfully moist, an appetizer of artichokes and roasted butternut squash satisfyingly savory. Meaty, tender pork baby back ribs are sensational. More bad news: The shrimp was still terrible. Good news: Iocco pledges it will be a frequent special. Unusually long gnocchi, shaped like skinny fingerling potatoes, arrive in tasty tomato-bell pepper sauce, but would also benefit from salt.īad news: The excellent tuna tartare isn’t on the fall menu. Spaghetti carbonara also needs the salt shaker, although we like its crunchy crumbled pancetta, and a poached egg on top oozes rich yolk into the pasta, creating velvety texture. Its flaw is oversalting, which makes it especially odd that on our second visit numerous dishes seem to lack salt entirely, from bland limoncini fritters to overcooked scallops to margherita pizza. Each puffy piece can be eaten in two bites, delicious with or without accompanying eggplant caponata. Light, airy cod tempura is basically classy fish ’n’ chips. Our only quibble is its bed of strawberry risotto the tangy fruit seems out of place amid the hot, silky rice. Pan-roasted salmon is simple and well prepared. Tuna tartare with sesame dressing and slivers of mango is wonderful - fresh, flavorful, and seared on one side. Red and gold beets rest in a pool of vividly green liquid: basil jus, a gorgeous herbal broth. On our first visit, dinner begins with great promise: thin strips of warm, crusty bread on a narrow cutting board with three little bowls of olive oil, one with grated Parmesan, one with crushed red pepper, one straight up. When the heat lamps occasionally flip on, diners are briefly bathed in eerie orange light. An itty-bitty open kitchen sits behind a white Carrara marble counter. Another is a mirror, creating the illusion of more space than there is. One dining room wall is exposed brick with shelves of wine. It’s just shy of cramped, but manages to be pleasantly cozy, although the minuscule bathroom feels like an airplane lavatory. And, in a charming touch, the wait staff exits the restaurant to serve window customers, handing them their food from the sidewalk. To your right, another queue wraps around the block, this one populated by people clamoring for a coveted table next door at tiny Daily Catch.Īt Scopa’s window ledge, dinner comes with built-in entertainment, gratis. In front of Mike’s, leather-clad motorcyclists park in their usual curbside positions, like sentries keeping order. Through the open windows, marvel at the endless line of customers filing into Mike’s Pastry and emerging with little white string-tied boxes filled with cannoli and other sweets. These are the thrones of the restaurant, with unparalleled people-watching. The best seats in the house are indisputably the four spots at the window overlooking Hanover Street.
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