I didn’t realized they had been closed all this time. Remodeled, the restaurant and pizzeria have been joined into one big space.
One new and permanent feature is the housemade focaccia, a bread Craig says he dreamt up and then worked with bread expert and author Michael Kalanty to perfect. It’s a cross between traditional focaccia and Roman pizza bianca, Craig explains, with a wide open crumb and a perceptible olive oil flavor, despite the fact that it’s also sourdough.
Chicken Liver Crostoni
The kitchen very kindly figured out a way to replace to crostoni with gluten-free crackers for my mother. Excellent home-made chicken liver pate. I also liked the olives(!), which makes this the second time in my life where I’ve eaten olives and actively enjoyed them. Apparently they source them from some guy named Georgio, or something. They were on the fruity side, but don’t look at all like castelvetranos.
Insalata di Campo
Great salad, exactly what is says on the tin. Nice aged parmigiano, very nice crispy bits of pancetta sprinkled throughout.
Razor Clam Crudo
Easily the best razor clams I’ve ever had (though I’m probably at n = 5). Simple, very high-quality ingredients. Strongly recommended.
Langherino Bottone
Pasta itself was good (filled some kind of very mild melted cheese?), not sure the mushrooms made a ton of sense. Would try a different pasta next time, but I can see this being a hit for someone.
Wood-Grilled Short Rib Stracotto for Two
Forgive the atrocious picture quality here… this was maybe the best short rib preparation I’ve ever had. (I haven’t had Majordomo’s.) Super tender, very beefy, some nice charred bits, excellent marinade/seasoning, not oversalted. Large enough that I took home a decent chunk of it despite having 3 people at the table. Served with…
Cardoon-Potato Gratinata
Sadly, somewhat underdone - the kitchen agreed, so hopefully a temporary issue. The cheese was nice but I think I wouldn’t rush back for it even at a proper done-ness, but I’m generally a fan of my potatoes on the crispy side.
Butter Beans da Delfina
I’m extremely not a bean guy, but taste was excellent - unfortunately the texture remained bean-like. This isn’t really a knock on the beans, just a personal deficiency.
Smothered Chard
Y’know, greens.
Cocoa Nib Pavlova
Fine, but I’m not much about the pavlova (and when I am I think I tend to prefer fruit-based preparations).
Pear Crostata
Crazy good, one of the best pear-based desserts I’ve ever had (almost as good as Shige-san’s erstwhile poached pear). Crême fraîche was 
.
Overall impression - very happy with the meal. The gratinata was a bit of a whiff, but I usually much prefer a meal with a miss or two and a few knockout dishes than a meal where everything is consistently “good” but nothing dazzles, and here I’d say there were at least 3 such knockouts, with a 4th borderline. And while the menu prices look a bit scary, the short rib is so much food that this ended up being just a hair over $100/head after tip & tax, with some leftovers.
Insalata di Campo
Pane e Pala
ricotta & dried tomatoes
Tagliatelle al Ragu Nostrano
Spring Pea Triangoli
Wood-Grilled Short Rib Stracotto
cardoon-potato gratinata
Liberty Duck Breast
Delfina sauerkraut, kumquat mostarda, brown butter polenta
Buttermilk Panna Cotta
candied kumquats, pistachio
Meyer Lemon-Meringue Crostata
Came back with a party of 4, this time. Razor clams were no longer on the menu, sadly (I assume they’re going to be pretty seasonal). Pastas were both excellent. Short rib as good as last time. Gratinata not undercooked - very good. Duck was good, though honestly not that hard to get similarly good results at home with a bit of practice. Polenta quite good (though I usually don’t eat it so hard to judge). Both desserts were well-done but I’m generally a fan of slightly firmer panna cotta than this one. $92/head all-in, still managed to take home a few leftovers. Great meal.
What’s the competition for this place that I should be checking out next?
Cotogna.
Barberio Osteria
Flour & Water
Cotogna
Che Fico
Itria
