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“Allegretti”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	French	Flatiron	Break the Bank	Great

Let me ask you a question. Are there any circumstances under which you’d be willing to pay $19 for an heirloom tomato salad? What about $38 for a piece of halibut? If you’re thinking “No thanks, buddy,” let me add a few more details to the picture. What if I told you that the tomatoes tasted as though they were just pulled from the vine in the warm sun and that they were served with creamy burrata cheese, and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and decorated with fresh basil? And what if I told you that the halibut was luscious and milky, capped with a crisp and smoky top hat of pancetta, with a saffron-scented risotto paella cake all set in a spicy tomato sauce? And what if I told you that these dishes were served in a serene little jewel-box of a restaurant that offered wonderful hospitality? Would this be something you might be interested in? Yes? Well, if so, get on the phone and call Allegretti, Alain Allegretti’s lovely namesake Nicoise eatery, right now.

If not, I can certainly understand. With the economy in a tailspin, and what seems like a city-wide yen for simpler, cheaper times—a nice cold pint or a glass of table wine and some rustic local home cooking—the idea of dropping that kind of cash on tomatoes and fish is a tough one to swallow. Similarly, the decision to open an expensive restaurant on a lonely, construction-blocked stretch of 22nd Street just off of 6th Avenue is a curious one. Nonetheless, this is precisely what the acclaimed chef Alain Allegretti has done with his restaurant, a serene and pretty space that appears like a Tiffany’s box at the end of 22nd Street, in view of the Staples on the Avenue.

While the location might not be ideal, it’s hard not to like the place. It’s washed in white and filled with intimate tables dressed in soft linens and fine stemware, with floors of glossy wood, and a small modern bar and lounge with rich leather loveseats and chairs, like the sitting area in a posh hotel room. The menu, too, is precious and elegant, not to mention expensive—apps come in between $12 and $20, entrees range from $25-$38 and most wines over $75. It’s as if to say to the world, “To hell with the economy!” I am not sure that’s a wise tact to take, but it’s one that seems to be working for Allegretti. The place has been busy on the few times I have been in, with festive tables of Chelsea boys and their Cosmos, pre ... [more, click below]

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Posted: September 21, 2008

Other restaurants in Flatiron :
+ Suenos   + Amuse-- Closed   + Dos Caminos   + Lucy-- Closed   + Gramercy Taver   + Veritas   + Fleur De Sel   + Bolo -- CLosed   + City Bakery   + Shake Shack   + Kalustyan's Cafe   + Devi   + BLT Fish   + Sugarcane   + BLT Prime   + Barca 18-- CLOSED   + Beppe   + Barbounia   + Boqueria   + Eleven Madison   + Lonesome Dove-- CLOSED   + Hill Country   + Olana   + Wildwood   + Primehouse   + Allegretti   + Bar Breton   + Aldea   + SD26 by Bao Ong   + ABC Kitchen   + Ciano   + The NoMad   

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