Editor Pick
Del Posto
- October 19, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
artslover from Calgary, Alberta
The appearance of this restaurant is unlike the usual Italian restaurant atmosphere, especially the type of restaurants Mario Batali, one of the owners, is famous for. The very large space with its high ceiling, tall windows, dark wood, marble floors, black iron railings, central marble staircase and upper level dining area, give the place the immediate appearance of opulence. Wait staff are in black suits with white shirts. Most of the patrons are similarly well dressed, although as far as I could determine, there is no dress code. During part of our meal, a piano player was playing old Italian tunes at the grand piano next to the staircase.
Despite a French dining room appearance, the menu is clearly Italian and very extensive. The prices also resemble an expensive French restaurant. A number of the offerings, roasted chicken was one I recall, provide table side carving service for the whole table. There is also a tasting menu. The offerings are both rustic and refined.
I was so distracted reading the menu and wine list I forgot to note the amuse we were given to start. We were given a selection of breads with butter and lardo. The texture is like butter but it tastes like pork fat or bacon grease. Interesting but a taste was enough. The wine list, which was all Italian, was huge with some reasonable prices for some of the very good selections.
I started with panzanella, a rustic Tuscan bread and tomato salad, a favourite of mine. It tasted fine but I found but the bread was rather dry, which it should not be. DH enjoyed a scallop carpaccio which was so tender, it melted in your mouth. We split a plate of tagliarini with an entire white truffle grated over top. This was undoubtedly the best pasta either of us have ever had. And at $80, certainly, the most expensive. For secondi, DH had turkey which was braised with white wine, onions, and red cabbage, but found the slices of breast meat unexceptional and too much of it. Accompanying it was a dish called cebreo, braised bits of dark and organ meats topped with butter crumbs. That was very flavourful and very rich which made the breast meat seem even plainer. I had lamb loin which was tender and delicately flavoured. It came with black pepper and oil, fried basil leaves and what was described as tomato salsa, which was a tangy cooked tomato and olive compote-like side. It was delicious but too strong flavoured to be eaten with the lamb. For dessert, DH had the apricot cassata, which was a variation on a baked Alaska. He did not particularly like it. I forgot the name of the dessert I had but it was three types of solid chocolate which get chipped off a block and put on your plate at the table and are to be sampled with three different types of rum.
The entire experience was a mixed one but memorable.
From journal Entertainment in New York City