$178 for 4 people, before tax & tip. 4 mains, 1 app, 2 salads, 1 cocktail, & 1 soda.
Pork Scaloppini -- Yes
Spaghetti alla Carbonara -- Yes
Fettuccine all'Amatriciana -- Yes, with notes
Pappardelle w/ Short Rib Ragù -- Yes, with notes
Service -- Sit at the bar and be social.
My guests were very kind and understanding of my desires to sample everything at the table, so I was able to try every dish. The scaloppini was perfectly cooked. It was tender, flavorful, and balanced. I was also impressed with the spaghetti alla carbonara. The emulsification of the eggs, cheese, and pasta water was on point and gave the dish a silky texture while still tasting bright and rich.
When I got to the pappardelle and the amatriciana (my dish), the only two red sauce dishes at the table, both tasted oddly lifeless and dry, despite the quality of the ingredients and the restaurant itself. I was surprised.
My guess was that the noodles may have absorbed too much moisture while sitting, or perhaps the pasta wasn't finished with enough pasta water. Another possibility was that the fat from the proteins in the sauces was separated instead of properly emulsifying into the sauce. When that happens, pasta can taste dry or slightly chalky.
Luckily, during an earlier conversation, our server had brought over a bottle of extra virgin olive oil. I added a small amount to refresh the noodles, and the transformation was immediate. The oil coated the pasta, restoring a silky texture and helping carry the flavors across the palate. The olive oil softened the sharper acidic edges of the tomato sauce while helping the savory notes bloom and linger longer. More importantly, it helped reunify the sauce and pasta so the dishes tasted cohesive again. The added fat essentially restored the emulsion and dramatically improved both plates. It was magical. In that moment, I understood why this was the Winner of 2009 Boss of the Sauce award. It deserved it and it still deserves it.
When we arrived, we sat inside at the bar, and I'm glad we did. The man behind the bar elevated the experience from something that could have been average restaurant experience into something more memorable. Though he was clearly busy and not hovering over us, sitting at the bar gave us direct access to him. If we needed something, we'd simply ask. But what made the experience special wasn't attentive service in the traditional sense, it was more the genuine humanity of it.
I truly felt like a guest who was hanging-out in a friend's kitchen during a party while he casually hosted around me. I could talk with him naturally while he worked. There was no script, no performative upselling, just authentic hospitality and a genuine care for the cuisine and us. He turned me on to dishes simply by being a good host.
That kind of atmosphere feels like an insider experience, both literally inside the restaurant and socially inside the circle of the people creating the experience. Those conversations with the staff probably don't happen at a patio table. Don't get me wrong, the patio has its own energy and purpose. Outside feels more like a lively beer garden with music, groups sitting at picnic tables, and heaters. But inside at the bar felt personal.
I'm already planning to go back to sit at the bar for a cappuccino and tiramisu.
On a side note: A couple of other dishes that caught my attention as those came out of the kitchen were the cheese pizza and the osso buco. read more