09.04.08
Review of Palma, Saturday July 2008
28 Cornelia & W.4th/Bleecker St., 347-448-4805
Great for: sharing Italian tapas, an al fresco European experience
E was supposed to have dinner with Commodities Broker and me, but was delayed to the point where she said she’d just meet us after, since it was getting ridiculously late. We ordered for her as well, so don’t think we’re piggies because of all this food.
The five polpettini (meatballs) di carne with roasted tomato sauce and fresh basil were small and terrific with lots of sauce. I loved the texture of the meat. The crab salad with avocado, hearts of palm, sweet corn and lettuce was crunchy and fresh with subtle flavors. Everything came cubed or cube size. The fresh salad of arugula with orange, fennel and wine-cured olives in a light vinaigrette needed some balsamic.
The paccheri bolognese was supposed to be ribbed pasta with classic bolognese sauce. However, they just looked like huge smooth ribbons. In any case it all turned out simple and tasty. The linguini alla vongole was not as successful, mostly because the clams were on the wrong side of fresh. The rest of the dish was done well.
We found the tagliata di manzo, a grilled ribeye steak and arugula, tender and flavorful. Unfortunately there was a lot of gristle. We were full anyhow; for two people this was entirely too much food. Though I could have had more of the fantastic strawberry caipirinhas.
Our waiter was very friendly and kept us focused on ordering before the kitchen closed without being annoyed by our tendency to drift off into conversation. There is a beautiful garden between the two dining rooms, which is where we sat. Very romantic. I might return if the wait is too long at nearby Lupa again.
Rating: 7 / 10
Our cost: $180 (2 caipirinhas, 2 glasses of red wine)
Noise level: pretty quiet
Chance of walking in: medium. Try for the lovely garden in the middle.
