Del Posto
 

Last night we went to Del Posto for a celebratory dinner. It was a very good meal, not great, with an extraordinary price. The restaurant rises like a palazzo in the meatpacking district just below the weedy corpse of the highline and there are reminders of Italian pretense everywhere. You drop off your coat at the Guardaroba. Actually I become concerned because I thought I was once arrested by them. Across is the ascensore. We ate on the balcony which we ascended gingerly since there was no escalator(ito). The friendly and numerous staff were knowledgeable and attentive but not intrusive or fawning. Only one person had a glass of wine and, when someone in our group made a comment about it, the second assistant sommelier gave her a little taste. One friend had a Dubonnet, which turned out to be $20.

The amuse bouche, ( I am sorry I do not remember the Italian phrase they used) included a dollop of a barley/ chocolate soup which was more intriguing than satisfying. There is a variety of homemade breads which were good and the focaccia exceptional. It was accompanied by butter and lardo, which is crushed pork fat, garlic, butter, and salt cured for 6 months. Ours I think was only cured for five months. The savory lardo was a foil to the sweet butter; once again it was more intriguing than satisfying.

Del Posto only allows the tasting menu if all everyone at the table acquiesces. (The Mussolini factor.) For $95 a person, you get an antipasto, exactly two tastes of pasta, secondo, e dolci. For antipastos, we opted for the mozzarella with beets, sunchokes with walnuts, lobster salad fra diavola, and goose liver with figs. (I asked for a copy of the menu, so I could report with accuracy.) Far and way the best dish was the lobster with its different flavors.

We passed the plates around the table, as if it were the Italian version of speed dating. We were allowed two pastas to taste and we chose the ravioli with black truffle butter and oreccchiette with lamb’s neck sausage, carrots, and caraway. While the three ravioli looked lonely on the plate, the best dish of the evening was the orecchiette. The different flavors blended well for an excellent result.

For the main courses, we ordered Arctic chard, wild striped bass, duck, and cacciuccio, an Italian bouillabaisse. None were outstanding. They, of course, were well prepared but none were memorable.

For desserts, we chose the chocolate ricotta tortino with olive oil, torta with parsnip gelato and a buckwheat crepe with pumpkin, apple, and crème fraiche. These were the highlights of the meal. The chocolate ricotta was rich and creamy. There had been some debate on whether we would survive the parsnip gelato but the final decision was a firm “What the hell.” The parsnip flavor was delicate and the torta was delectable. The buckwheat crespelle could have been the best with a perfect compliment of ingredients.

The check is an 8 x 10 piece of paper. And as the restaurant filled, we felt like it was more of an eviction notice. (Cheap joke, the staff was implacable and never rushed us.)

We have eaten at Lupa ( a few times), Casa Mono (a few times), and Esca but not Babbo. This is best restaurant of his at which we eaten and clearly the most expensive. Mario Batali remains an over-rated and over-extended chef in New York. The press has reported that the restaurant cost $10 million to open and they tried to cover the nut in one night. Of course, we did not see Mario Batali roaming the halls, but I was grateful for I was fearful he would be wearing his customary AC/DC shorts and orange crocs.

Aduchamp1 - i think I just decided to enjoy your review (so nicely written btw) rather than ever dine at Del Posto. In that price range, I want memorable. It also sounds a little bit too pretentious for me which Babbo and Esca are not. I can't imagine your tab if everyone had had cocktails and wine. Btw, we had a celebratory dinner on Friday and the best part (besides not picking up the tab) was that Hugh Jackman was at the next table!

Happy Celebration!

Thank you for the compliments.

I am glad you had nice celebration. One question, does Hugh Jackman eat with his mouth open?

Better to see all those straight white teeth!

I couldn't agree more with you Aduchamp about your take on Batalli. I enjoyed your review of Del Posto.

Thanks Andrews 8. I have an acquaintance who is a buddy of Batali and tells me Batali is s genius and that I misjudge him.

We all have our defintions of genius and mine usually revolve around theory, the arts, and invention that is mechanical, societal, or otherwise.

<i>and the best part (besides not picking up the tab) was that Hugh Jackman was at the next table!</i>

Oh my god....the food is secondary!

Aduchamp1 - forgive me for the highjack!
Jean-Georges Vongerichten was chatting with us, but FLED (as in he dumped us) when he saw HJ and ran to his table. How do you like that? Meanwhile HJ is GORGEOUS!!!

Not a problem. This is not the first time I have been tossed aside for Hugh Jackman.

You are so gracious! (not to mention too funny!)

Warren, I agree with you about Del Posto. Good, not great, and very expensive. At least the music (usually live piano) isn't deafening, as at Babbo. And, you can dine at Del Posto more moderately in their cafe to the left of the door as you enter. Still, in all, it's one of those places we'd return to only if asked, especially considering the City has so many other choices.

Querido Sen~or Adu-I am intrigued by several of your phrases. For example, "more intriguing than satifsfying' and "Well prepared but none were memorable". I have a hypothesis. It is this. Many people, esp. posters on boards like chowhound, eat in so many good places that somewhere along the line the dishes served top out at a level of excellence above which no chef nor restaurant can improve it or "top it". So even if it's a place w/ a great rep. we taste and say "good/great, but doesn't knock me off my chair"> In other words, maybe, we are spoiled. I hope I have explained myself.

Centralparkgirl-
Fisrt I was discared like ribbish for that Brad fellow, now it is this Jackman clown. I am sure I will be humiliated again in the future by someone who is still grade school.

Bspielman-
And if asked, I would be assured that they were paying.

Sobster
It is quite possible we are spoiled. But, for me at least, as the price rises, so does the expectation. We eat like this once a year and otheerwise seek meals that offer value and quality. There I more forgiving.

I do not post on chowhound. I find only half the people know of what they speak.

I have posted a list elsewhere on these boards of inexpensive restaurants to which we enjoy returning. They are clearly not fine dining but in many ways more satisfying.

I know that does not directly address your hypothesis but I hope it clarifies how I approach restaurants.

Been looking forward to your report as Del Posto was at the top of my wish list .. now it will have to be w/a benefactor!

Centralparkgirl - ah, you are one lucky wench!!!

Thanks for the review. I haven't been to Del Posto yet but several friends also agree that it is rather expensive which detracts from the food, which they agreed was very good. In addition, I was advised to go there for business lunch/dinners because the palce is so big.
As for Batali - I like his restaurants a lot. I'm one of those who's a fan of Babbo, Lupa, Esca etc. I give Batali credit for taking Italian to a new level in NYC... he started many years ago & while there are several other very good chefs today, I still credit him for raising the bar earlier than most others.
Casa Mono was the same. As early as 6 years ago, it was impossible to find good Spanish food/tapas in NY. While Casa Mono is expensive & has several non-traditional dishes, it still raised the bar significantly... introducing NYers to refined Spanish food as well as non-Rioja wines & so on.

And just to clarify, Casa mono is not my fav Spanish in the city now. There are several newer spots like Boqueria, Tia Pol, etc. which do a great job... but again, Casa Mono was early on the scene & I suspect that there are more NYers (who hadn't been to Spain) that appreciate Spanish food today than they did before Casa Mono did its bit.

Casa Mono is far too fussy to consider itself tapas resaturant. I find rather go on a tasca crawl in San Sebastian where I find superior Spanish cooking.

When we want to introduce someone to tapas as close to the way it is done we go Xunta. Tia Pol is quite good with a blend of tarditional and experimental as Bar Carerra. We are behind in testing Boqueria and a few of the others.

Appreciate your insights, Aduchamp. And I agree; nicely written. Wonder if you (or anyone else) might have some advice for me!

My wife and I will be in NYC next week, chaperoning a bunch of high schoolers, but can probably break away for one decent meal, most likely a lunch. We've been to Lupa (geez.... over six years ago, now), and thought we'd try Babbo, but probably can't fit it into our schedule (or it fit us in). So we're now thinking Casa Mono... or Lupa again. Doesn't have to be Batali, but he's a known, and we do like the style of his restaurants and food, which kind of matches our Pacific Northwest casual preferences. Anything to recommend? In the mean time, I'm off to check out Esca.

Great restaurant review Aduchamp1. your review was pretty much in line with my thoughts. we have dined there twice and I don't think we will ever go back. It was very good, not amazing, and teh prices were out of control for what you get.

Thank you all your compliments.

Beachbum-
You will limited somewhat by eating your decent meal for lunch. Others will jump me I am sure but here a few.

Tia Pol( in lieu of Casa Mono)-small tapas restaurant with traditional dishes and wonderful experiemtts like chorizo with chocolate. Beyond casual.

I Coppi-genuine Tuscan fare wehre they bake their own bread in the traditional manner without salt

Balthazar-I have other favorite French bistros but they are not open for lunch. Bistro fare includes moules frites, steak frites and their bakery is exceptional. Casual and moderately priced.

Aquavit Cafe-wonderful scandavian food with a light touch. One of our favorite palces.

Nice report. I've only been once, to a PBS dinner with Lidia (and about a thousand others!) so can't really comment about a dinner experience. But the pretentious factor sounds really high and that alone would turn me off.

I hate the music at Babbo but the food is really good and it is pretty low key and casual.

I LOVE Casa Mono but have not been since Chef Andy Nusser left. It may not replicate the experience of eating in Spain, and the chairs are uncomfortable, but every dish I have had there has been good. I've not been to TiaPol or Quinto Pino yet and would like to go soon...but can you sit down and eat at those?

Thank you.

I've not been to TiaPol or Quinto Pino yet and would like to go soon...but can you sit down and eat at those?

I have not been to Quinto Fino but yes you can sit at Tia Pol.

Have you been to a tapas restaurant in NYC where you cannot sit?

No, but then I've not been to many tapas places in NYC!!

Boqueria, Mercat--that about completes my list as far as I can remember!

Bookmarking

How was Esca BTW? I looked at their menu and it looked wonderful.

I have been looking at some menus (Del Posto, Esca, Abbocatto etc) and have singled out which dishes sound wonderful.....Abbocotto's menu looks divine. Anyone tried it lately?

I agree that Chowhound is rather shallow. For knowledgable reviews, etc. its eGullet.org.

We've been to Abboccato a number of times; it is very convenient for pre-Carnegie Hall dinners. We initially liked it a lot, but food and service lapses left us with the impression that we might not go back. And, we haven't for probably a year now. There are just so many other choices.

Thanks Adu~ We spied Del Posto while walking the High Line and had a moment of wondering. We ate at Babbo two trips ago and were way underwhelmed. We decided to forgo Lupa this time for a smaller neighborhood place: Dell'anima. We very much enjoyed it.

I am not a big fan of Mario Batali. We went to Del Posto because another couple wanted to go there.

We have eaten at Esca, Lupa, and Cafe Mono and I do not get it. We have not been to Babbo.

Adu - you may be missing Mario Batali's place in New York cuisine. He has brought authentic regional Italian cooking to this town. Prior to that it was mostly red sauce southern Italian or "northern" Italian ( for the higher class clientele). But there are all sorts of regional cuisines with their own character. Mario brought that and understood that. My first experience with Babbo was quite a few years ago and it was outstanding - and to say the least different. Maybe that original success has resulted - over the years - in some deterioration - that happens a lot. And certainly what is inexcusable is to have loud music and thump thump music. If Mario allows that he should be forced to eat in Little Italy for the rest of his career.

jroth, I'm sorry but the idea that Mario Batali brought authentic regional Italian cooking to NYC is misinformed at best. Just off the top of my head, in the mid '70's and 80's restaurants like the Focceria on 1st Avenue, Puglia in Little Italy, Romeo Salta in midtown and Alfredo Viazzi in the West Village all nudged the understanding of Italian cuisine further for a general audience. And I'm sure there were more, those are just ones I was aware of and can remember. Yes , I really like Batali's restaurants, but what I think he does in NYC are interpretations of regional Italian cuisines - he is certainly not a stickler to authenticity. And I love the music at Babbo.

Oh, and I agree w/ Adu's (amusing, but full of malapropisms) assessment of del Posto, which is 3 blocks from my house - we went once, early on, enjoyed it, spent 3 months recovering from the sticker shock, and have never been back. But that's true of all three of the places on that block - Craftsteak, John Dory (now closed) and del Posto. Very good food, very high cost. Not for us this year or probably next year, either! We've always wanted to go to SF - we go to taste of Tribeca every year, SF serves a wonderful little bite of pasta, we all say, let's go there sometime, and we never do . . . too many choices, too many calories, too little $$$$

Adu - what a fun read and I've learned about all sorts of other restaurants I'll never be able to afford

Ok so which Italian mid town would you all choose? Along the Esca, Convivio type. I have a terrible craving for crispy calamari salad from Abbocatto....hmmm.

Judy, price point?

Well not too expensive, no more than 100pp with wine. Would be better if a little less ;-).

Does it have to be midtown? If not I would say Scarpetta on W. 14th St . . I know people who swear by Insieme, on 7th and 51st St., Or maybe the new A Voce in Columbus Circle?

mp - agreed that Mario was not alone in bringing regional Italian cuisines to town - but he was a leader especially with his early TV shows that put these cuisines on the map. BTW - Puglia in Little Italy can hardly be called leader in anything - although it was very popular way back in the 50's and 60's - when we would go there - quite a bit.It wss like other Little Italy spots - popular New York style Italian cuisine and certainly nothing like the cuisine we encountered when we spent a vacation there a couple of years ago and it remains one of the great undiscovered cuisines of Italy - try a Primitivo wine for an e.g. And music? - ok - we all have our like and dislikes especially when it comes to music in a restaurant while dining - thump thump can be appropriate in some settings but not in a restaurant.

Several Midtown Italians offer prix-fixe dinners, usually three or four courses, in the $35 to $60 range. Once you add a couple of glasses of wine or a bottle and coffee, then tax and tip, you're at about $100 per person.

For example, the hot new Michael White restaurant, Convivio, on the East Side in Tudor City, successor to Scott Conant's L'Impero, has an outstanding $59 four-course prix-fixe. http://www.convivionyc.com/menus.html

Another of Michael White's places, Alto, at 53rd and Fifth, has been awarded two Michelin stars. Its $79 prix-fixe dinner might be worth the splurge. http://www.altorestaurant.com/dinner.html

At the other end of the price spectrum, surprisingly, is Lidia Bastianich's flagship, Felidia, on East 58th, which offers a $29.50 prix-fixe lunch menu. Although others here seem to disagree with me about this place, I think all would agree that it is a solid, if not glamorous, Italian, with a great pedigree.

On the West Side, a place that might command your attention is Piano Due and Palio Bar, my friend Michael Cetrulo's Midtown outpost in the space formerly occupied by Palio on West 51st. There's a $40 pre-theatre prix-fixe, and, although I'll admit a personal bias, I think you'll be impressed by his cooking. You reach the beautiful second-floor dining room by elevator from the Palio Bar, a two-story tall room highlighted by the spectacular four-sided mural of the Palio race in Siena, Italy, created by Sandro Chia a number of years ago for the original restaurant and retained by Piano Due. http://www.pianoduenyc.net/index.html

I've merely scratched the surface here, of course, since NYC offers such an amazing variety of places. Feel free to ask further.