This was probably our favorite five star restaurant we both have ever been to…so far. The romantic low light dining room, with our very accommodating server Tom and the rest of the crew, we were highly impressed by everything! When we walked in, we felt so out of element by the decor and even the menu; but as the night went on, our experience improved by every bite we took. We decided to go with the five course tasting menu so we could get a total experience of what they had to offer. We started off with a complimentary amuse that consisted of cauliflower soup with dried cauliflower on the rim, salt cod with potato crisps, and chicken salad tramezzino on a cake plate. All of them were very light and had their own distinct flavor. If this was a sample of what we were about to taste, them we were in for a delicious treat.

Kenny ordered a chilled lobster salad with oreganato crumb and zucchini ribbons. Ally tasted the truffled beef carne crudo with watercress buds and parmigiana-reggiano. Both were very tasty, but the beef crudo was definitely our favorite. After that we had the option of two pastas, Kenny chose the garganelli verdi al ragu bolognese and Ally picked the veal agnolotti with ramp sauce, crispy morels and split peas. Both pastas were very light and they melted as soon as we took a bite. Kenny wanted to taste Mario Batali’s interpretation of fresh pasta, while Ally was fascinated by a recent tv episode of Masterchef where Joe Bastianich introduced his mother to the contestants and challenged them to make a perfect agnolotti dish. (Mario and Joe are business consultants).

By this time, we were starting to get a bit full and we still had the main courses and desserts to come! Ally ate the lobster with artichoke, almond, basil salad and tangerine essenza; while Kenny had the perfectly cooked heritage pork trio with ribollita alla casella and black cabbage stew. Both were already expected to impress and we were right.

At this time, dessert wasn’t even necessary but it was already included, so why not! Ally had Tom’s recommendation, tartuffo al caffe with rich dark chocolate and a unique coffee bean Sant’ Eustachio espresso, very popular in Rome. Kenny had the butterscotch semifredo with melon agrumata and crumbled sbrisolona. Not being a fan of coffee in desserts or butterscotch, we indulged every intricate step that went into creating them.

Tom had one more surprise: a cheese grater filled with a few more sweet treats!! The top part had mini donuts or bombolinis filled with orange cream, olive oil gelato pops; and the bottom part had Campari candied grapefruit, house made candy with edible wrappers, and dark chocolate truffle.

The mystery of the amuse on the cake plate and the mini desserts on a cheese grate is explained by Tom as a very playful culinary irony.

We have rated all aspects of our experience a 5/5.

Day two will be very fun as we will be meeting with Ally’s old college friend Cassi and her husband Chris…we will be spending Fouth of July as New Yorkers do!