05.26.08
Review of Dell’anima, Wednesday May 2008
38 8th Ave. & Jane St., 212-366-6633
Great for: sweetbreads, grilled dishes, oenophiles, creative cocktails
My friend S is something of a foodie too. I know whenever he raves about a restaurant, it must be pretty damn good. Dell’anima is his new favorite. Apparently it’s the joint effort of an ex-Babbo sommelier and a former Del Posto chef. It certainly lives up to its potential.
I was lucky S has been here several times, so he could tell me the best things to order. He steered me away from the bruschetta, which he said is just fancy toasted bread, and the pasta, apparently on the brick side of al dente. My starter of quail with farro, beets, lime, chilies, mint, yogurt and tomatoes was a bit burnt in a great way, wonderfully spiced and juicy. The farro had a perfect texture halfway between firm and soft. The accompanying vegetables were an interesting contrast to the quail. S’s sweetbreads with parsnip puree, lemon and capers were fantastic. If I hadn’t known, I would have thought I was eating exceptionally tender chicken, which helped me get past the fact that it’s not and savor each bite. S had a glass of unfiltered white Collio to go with it, which matched really well.
For a main I got the ribeye with grilled fingerling potatoes and Gorgonzola. It was scrumptiously and crisply charred. The potatoes were crackly yet soft inside almost like overgrown French fries. I even liked the cheese, though I’m not usually a fan of that kind. S wasn’t too hungry so he got the octopus appetizer as a second course. It’s charred and served over rice, beans, chorizo and chicory. It was so soft! Not rubbery at all and I really liked it. I think this is the way octopus is supposed to be. His glass of red Alianco complemented it nicely.
The bartender makes some interesting drinks. S’s Negroni was way too bitter for me. I liked the Monte Bianco, a combination of Ketel Citroen, St. Germain and aperol. It was slightly bitter and sweet at the same time. Our waitress Gabriella was cute, friendly and attentive. The busboy, on the other hand, kept trying to take away my appetizer before I was done. He stopped that after I told him three times I was still eating.
The decor is understated and elegant. The lighting is fairly dim, so it’s a good place for a date. It’s quite a small space, although pretty big for the West Village – there’s an interesting counter in the middle at which you can sit and watch the chefs do their magic right in front of you. I’m looking forward to my next visit.
Rating: 9 / 10
Our cost: $180
Noise level: lean-forward-and-cup-your-ear noisy
Chance of walking in: very low.
