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“Ciano”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Italian	Flatiron	Moderate	Great

hat fine grilled bread, and two clever accompaniments: a sweet onion jam and a peppery pesto made from broccoli rabe ($16). It’s divine to play all those flavors off one another in one bite. We also loved the roasted veal meatballs. They are fluffy and moist, and slightly charred so they have a little sweetness in the crust. I would have paid for a nice hero roll to tuck them into. They would make a great sandwich. But there were only two per order and sharing was a true hardship.

Roasted baby artichokes seemed fried to me (this is not a complaint), and were served salad-like, punctuated with white vinegar, a bright acidity that plays well with the pecorino and cherry tomatoes. A pair of delicate, buttery crespelles (crepes) arrives swelling with a mix of ricotta, spinach, parsley, and zucchini all set in a sweet tomato sauce. They were outstanding, like the more highbrow, more cultured cousin of manicotti ($12). Any of these dishes could be had at the bar with a glass of wine for a simple weeknight supper if the bar were not such a zoo. But the people know a good thing and they are not staying away. The dining room was similarly buzzing, with tables of young and old (and somewhere in between) enjoying the cheek-flushing heat of a blazing fire on a night when the city’s streets were frigid.

More fun comes with the pastas. Those who have trouble figuring out what to say “no” to will not want to approach his list; it includes ten choices. Oy! And each can be made into a half-order. Portions are large so half orders are really quite enough. Adrienne had two halves and each one could have easily been enough. The caccio e peppe ($10/17) is, as you’d expect from a pasta that’s tugged through a wheel of cheese, rich bordering on risky. The pasta is perfect cooked so it’s just slightly al dente and dressed in a sauce that is as cheesy as it is peppery, but it’s gotta be served with a side of angioplasty. Ditto the potato gnocchi ($15/26), beautifully made in house, with a black truffle butter that is so heavy and creamy it’s practically turned itself into cheese. We also loved the fuzi, a short, twisted, ridged noodle tucked into a rustic mix of housemade sausage, broccoli rabe, plum tomatoes and pecorino ($12/20). It’s the sort of dish made for Sunday suppers with lots of friends and family gathered around. A weekly thanksgiving, Italian style.

At this point in the meal, ... [more, click below]

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Posted: December 12, 2010

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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