10.09.11
Review of Tre Dici, Friday lunch September 2010
128 W. 26th St. & 6th/7th Aves., 212-243-8183
Great for: most seafood, panna cotta
This place is actually a steakhouse, but for whatever reason we plumped for all seafood. I loved my tuna tartar over avocado and sour cream garnished with bloomed mustard seeds and soy and wasabi oil. It was a great idea beautifully composed in squares, with a nice melding of flavors. The little bits of mustard cut all the cream well. My friend’s lobster salad with winter melon (which was like watermelon) had too much of the latter and not enough of the former. It was decent.
I was mildly enthused by my Alaskan king crab tagliatelle. It was a bit bland. The crab itself was nice but the pasta somehow didn’t absorb any flavor. The veggies were good though. The fennel pollen tuna in pesto finished with saba over butternut squash caponata, on the other hand, was lovely. The just-barely-seared tuna and the braised vegetables underneath were delicious. It was definitely something to dig into.
I’m glad I allowed myself to be tempted by the “sinful” panna cotta, made fresh daily. It was soft fluffy vanilla loveliness, not too heavy despite probably ridiculous amounts of cream.
The waiters are good at their jobs. The décor is the epitome of midtown corporate. I rather liked it though their efforts were uneven.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $135 (2 apps, 2 entrees, 1 dessert, 2 glasses of Chianti)
Noise level: probably not above a convivial hum
Chance of walking in: I imagine you can walk in fairly easily.
