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“Accademia di Vino”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Italian	Upper East Side	Moderate	Good

grill, and served sliced up and ready to share. There are a half dozen varieties that range from amazing to good, including a rather dry sausage and broccoli rabe ($15) and a spectacular tomato, basil and mozzarella pie ($14), quilted with a shimmering layer of gooey melted cheese, and garnished with sliced yellow and red pear tomatoes, and pulpy puddles of tomato concassé. I'd put in an order for one as soon as you sit down and so you have it to share with the table while you decide on what else to eat.

We decided on one of the carpaccios to start as well, the Manzo-sheets of brilliant ruby red beef ($14), aggressively seasoned with capers, shaved fennel, onion and mint, with shaved Parmesan and a gentle touch of truffle oil, not enough to overwhelm, just enough to raise an eyebrow. The carpaccio went nicely with the escarole salad ($11) which was perfect-ruffled greens dressed in a lemony vinaigrette and showered with silvers of red onion, a smash of toasted hazelnuts, a few shavings of Pecorino and a whiff of mint. Garcia's fat and cheesy proscuitto and Parmesan fritters (guaranteed to clog arteries in a single bite for all of $12!) also wound up in the mix, as Craig and I cannot seem to resist a food that combines cheese, ham, and a deep fryer.

With our first courses, we had a few glasses of white-I went for the fresh and crisp Gavi di Gavi, F. Piccolo Piedmont ‘06 ($10), and Craig decided on something a bit more bold, the Greco di Tufo, from Feudi di San Gregorio, Campania 05 ($5). As we drank our wine and cleaned our plates, the crowds continued to descend like slinky cats to saucers of milk. The place is already wildly popular and attracts boisterous groups of friends in addition to intimate parties of two, all passing antipasti, pizzas and pastas to share. The crowds give the restaurant a terrific energy, despite its windowless subterranean locale. The brick-arched, wood-planked rooms feel cozy and sexy, like dining in a wine cellar in Tuscany, not in the basement of a restaurant on Third Avenue within shooting distance of Bloomingdale's. From what I saw the other night, it feels like this place is here to stay. I hope so, considering the space has been the home of many short-lived projects, including most recently, Mainland. But this formula-crowd-pleasing Italian-seems to be working. It's also bringing in industry folks. Egi Maccioni, Siro's wife, was dining at the table next to us with some lady friends. Danyelle Freem ... [more, click below]

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Posted: September 24, 2007

Other restaurants in Upper East Side :
+ Sfoglia   + Zoe Townhouse   + Accademia di Vino   + T-Bar Steak and Lounge   + Parlor Steakhouse   + Le Caprice   

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