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“Barbuto”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Italian	West Village	Moderate	Great

calamari ($9), a warm salad of chickpeas and tender squid that was extraordinary in texture and dressed in a lemon-garlic sauce that we mopped up with bread before parting with it. The punatarelle al ouvo ($8) was served in its classic dressing of anchovy (so light it’s really just there for background flavor), garlic, olive oil and lemon, and topped with a fried sunny side up egg. (I love eggs on my food, especially at night. There is something very simple and messy and childlike about it.) While the egg was a touch over-fried, I still loved cutting into its glossy orange center, and letting the warm yolk run all over the puntarelle, adding a rich new note to the dressing. We also ordered the polenta ai funghi selvagghi—a creamy dish of polenta decorated with a number of meaty sautéed porcini and crowned with a cool tangy dollop of mascarpone ($8). We didn’t get to the rest of the menu, but I plan of going back for more. (The chitarra with walnuts garlic and Parmesan ($14) sounds terrific to me.)

While I really enjoyed the food and the easy, casual vibe at Barbuto, I think a couple of small changes might help the place out. The first concerns the wine list, which is all-Italian and is way too expensive for the restaurant, an unfortunate fact because there are many good and reasonable Italian wines out there. We enjoyed the Aglianico del Vulture “Il Viola” for $29, but it was one of only two bottles in the $20 dollar range. The majority are in the $45 plus category. With a menu that is so reasonably priced and a place that offers casual service (we refilled our wine glasses and hailed down waiters to check on drink orders), it seems there should be more of a synergy between the prices of the menu and on the wine list. Also, the place can get very loud as the room fills up. The restaurant has no sound insulation, as it is essentially a renovated garage space, so get ready to shout to hear and be heard, but otherwise it’s an easy place to have a fun night and a terrific dinner.

Barbuto is at 775 Washington Street, at West 12th Street, 212-924-9700.

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Posted: March 11, 2004

Other restaurants in West Village :
+ Jefferson-- Closed   + La Palapa Rockola   + Sumile   + Babbo   + Tasca   + AOC Bedford   + Home   + The Spotted Pig   + Barbuto   + Numero 26   + Mas   + August   + Alta   + Cru   + Blue Mill Tavern-- Closed   + Employees Only   + Lassi   + Metropol--Closed   + Turks and Frogs   + Bellavitae   + Yumcha-- CLOSED   + Gusto: SEE EARLIER REVIEW; THIS CHEF HAS LEFT GUSTO   + Perry Street   + Home   + Ditch Plains   + The Little Owl   + Cafe Condesa   + Cafe Cluny   + Gusto   + The Waverly Inn   + Morandi   + P*ONG   + Perilla   + Soto   + Market Table   + Centro Vinoteca   + Barfry   + Dell'Anima   + Bar Blanc   + Smith's   + Commerce   + Elettaria   + Bar Q   + Cabrito   + 10 Downing   + Minetta Tavern   + Braeburn   + Scuderia, by guest reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Bar Blanc Bistro by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Joseph Leonard   + Bar Henry, by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Kin Shop   + Monument Lane   + Wong   + Bin on Bleecker, by Dara Pollak   + Ristorante Rafele   + Cole's Greenwich Village by Guest Reviewer Claire Jaffe   

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