My spouse and I dined at Del Posto for dinner on a Saturday
evening in mid-July 2016. Del Posto is open for lunch on weekdays and dinner
daily. The restaurant accepts reservations by telephone or via the Open Table
online reservation system. Street parking is available, or you can park in one
of the nearby parking garages.
Celebrity chef Mario Batali, along with chef Lidia
Bastianich and her son, restaurateur Joe, opened Del Posto in 2004. The group
also owns Babbo and Becco (both in Manhattan) and Lidia's Italian Kitchen (in
Pittsburgh). Although Del Posto is one of only four New York Times 4-starred
restaurants (the other three are Per Se, Eleven Madison Park, and Le
Bernardin), it holds only one Michelin star.
Upon entering the palatial Italian restaurant on 10th Avenue
in the Chelsea/Meatpacking District in the former National Biscuit Company
(Nabisco) factory (along with restaurants Toro and Colicchio & Sons),
guests are wowed by the luxurious and impressive decoration. The space features
high ceilings, tall curtained windows, a grand piano (and pianist), and a
sweeping central staircase lined with flickering candles that leads to the
second floor balcony dining space. Lighting from beautiful lamps, intricate
dark woodwork, and a dark wooden bar contrast with white leather chairs. White
tablecloths and fine table settings indicate that this will be a special meal.
The basement contains space for private events (including dining for up to 300
people). A large bar and lounge area are available for your drinking (and
dining) pleasure.
Del Posto offers two menu options for dinner: a 5-course tasting
menu in which you select the courses, or an 8-course (blind) "Captain's
Menu" in which the kitchen decides what you will eat. (A 3-course
prix-fixe menu is available at lunchtime.) We ordered the more extensive
tasting menu so that we could sample even more dishes. A meal begins with the
distribution of warm rosemary-infused hand towels. Next a server delivers complimentary
“assaggi” (amuse bouche), including mushroom arancini (rice balls) and a sip (shooter)
of the restaurant's famous Matzo ball chicken soup. The amazing bread course
features a mini-baguette/breadstick creation of varying densities/textures,
which you can spread with an aerated mozzarella/creme fraiche/cream concoction.
We would return to Del Posto for the bread and butter alone!
Our Captain’s Menu courses follow:
- Summer Lobster Salad with
lemon aioli, herbs
- Vitello Tonnato with olive
crostone, capers, lime, lemon basil
- Hand-rolled spinach pasta
- Bauletti with sheep’s milk
ricotta and black truffle butter
- Poached halibut with
piselli alla romana, sangiovese, zabaglione, breakfast radishes
- Seared lamb chop and neck with
chanterelles, fava beans, mint yogurt sauce
- Cheese course (three
different ages of pecorino cheese from 2 months to 2 years) with escarole
pie, fruit mostarda
- Torta tenerina with
chocolate crema, roasted apricots, and coffee gelato
Creme fraiche semifreddo with cherries, licorice root, and toasted filone
(Our table captain presented each of us with a different dessert, which he said were his personal favorites.)
After the meal, mignardises arrive in a fancy box that
contains different confections such as chocolate coconut (which tasted like an
almond joy), caramel wrapped in an edible clear-plastic wrapper, and cantaloupe
gelee.
We enjoyed our meal at Del Posto – the food was delicious,
the service excellent, and the restaurant space gorgeous.
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