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“Co. (Company)”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Italian	Chelsea	Moderate	Good

s and ends at Co., other than the cramped quarters and the eardrum piercing noise level. The restaurant’s design, while pleasing and convivial, is truly an ode to hard surfaces, from the planks of blond oak that line the walls, to the poured concrete floor, the white lacquer deuces that line the far wall and the rustic wooden communal tables that fill the center of the room. There’s not a noise-absorbing textile to be found in this bustling room, which means that conversations ricochet around the place like crazed spinning tops.

Tables are also jammed so close together (and puffy coats and oversized purses so plentiful) that even my size 4 neighbors had trouble slipping between them to reach the polished wood benches that serve as banquettes. So, comfort and conversation may be challenging at peak times, but I will say that the servers do their best to stay on top of their tables and keep things running smoothly despite the sometimes chaotic atmosphere.

Now, onto the good news, which is, well, (almost) everything else.

While you may think that you should skip the section called “Toasts” since you’ll be having your fair share of pizza for dinner, I recommend going there. The toasts ($3) are wonderful, and they’re really more about the grand toppings than the slice of soft grilled bread that supports them. They come one per order, but they are big enough to share with one good friend. The eggplant is mashed into a soft, rich spread heavy with herbs and olive oil, but the red pepper is truly the star of this category (though chicken liver is a nice runner up), with velvety red strips of roasted red peppers tossed with a hit of chiles and shower of fat salty capers for flavor punch that’s completely addictive.

If you are trying to store up on carbs like a camel does water, Lahey also serves a quarter loaf of pane di commune (a handmade rustic loaf) for $3, or his justly famous pizza Bianca topped with coarse sea salt and olive oil ($4). Either can be matched up with a collection of thinly sliced affetati: finocchiona from Columbus Ohio, Sopressata from Long Island City, and Prosciutto di San Daniele from Emilia Romagna, or cheeses—Mozzarella from Campania, Pecorino from Tuscany, La Serena fro Spain, and more. The meats and cheeses are $5 each, and a mixed platter will run you $22. But if you just want some butter with your bread, it doesn’t come free. It&rsq ... [more, click below]

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Posted: February 28, 2009

Other restaurants in Chelsea :
+ Matsuri   + La Bottega   + Tia Pol   + Bombay Talkie   + Cookshop   + D'Or Ahn: THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED   + Buddakan   + Crema   + InTent: THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED   + Trestle on Tenth   + Klee   + El Quinto Pino   + Socarrat   + Txikito   + Co. (Company)   

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