<< previous review   next review >>

reviews

“Spigolo”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	New American	Upper West Side	Moderate	Great

is approach to food quite well. The technique is there—the little suckers were braised and tender, with just the right amount of chew—but the pairing and the seasoning he chose take you higher. The octopus are coupled with a warm salad of shaved radicchio tossed with tomatoes, garlic, and whole dried chiles that give the dish the right hit of bright heat. But then he adds one last element—tiny bits of cured, preserved lemon that shoot a jolt of sunshine through your mouth. Consequently, I could not help but lick the plate clean, like a hungry puppy before a bowl of Purina.

His baked clams were a bit too aggressively garlicky for me, paired with a sizzling bagna cauda butter ($8), but they were terrifically juicy and meaty and held onto the sweet salinity of the ocean. We also had the burratta, a special that night, served over crusty bread with a slick of Acacia honey and a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar. This was a beautiful dish—a lush, milky puff of this cow’s milk cheese from Puglia, given sweet and tangy notes from the honey and vinegar.

We had a fairly late reservation, and as the room started to empty out, we started chatting with Scott and Heather (my chef worked shoulder to shoulder with Scott on the line at Union Square about 7 years ago), and were introduced to Scott’s Dad and his wife, and his Mom and sister. The family was justifiably over the moon about Spigolo’s amazing two star review from The New York Times that day, and pointed out the magnum of champagne they received from Michael Romano and the staff of Union Square Café congratulating them on their success. There were these big toothy smiles on everyone’s faces, and the air in the room seemed to get lighter—like it was filled with some sort of helium that was getting everyone high and giddy. We felt honored to be tagging onto their celebration.

Meanwhile, our own personal celebration of food continued at our table with the arrival two bowls of nearly flawless pasta. The house made gnocchi ($14) are shaped like oversized Chicklets, and are fashioned from sheep’s milk ricotta, not potatoes—a trick that turns them into edible clouds on par with the gnudi at The Spotted Pig. They seemed to evaporate on my tongue under the hot, rich cream sauce that was balanced out with smoky hunks of pancetta and sharp shredded radicchio. I was not about to tell my chef how I felt about the gnocchi. Ther ... [more, click below]

Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  

 Make a reservation

<< previous review   next review >>

Posted: August 29, 2005

Other restaurants in Upper West Side :
+ 'Cesca   + Asiate   + Blue Hill Stone Barns   + Per Se   + The Neptune Room   + Spigolo   + Telepan   + Aix Brasserie   + 'Cesca   + Bar Boulud   + Dovetail   + BarBao   + Dinosaur Bar-be-Que   + Kefi   + Bar Luna   + Ed's Chowder House   + Red Rooster, by Rachel Barbarotta   + Loi by Dara Pollak   

Share ! Post a comment