Eat Me

What is it with the Italian restaurants in this city? Can't they be a little more symphonic? My three most recent meals (all one-time visits) proved the following:

Excellent foccaccia bread to be found at Osteria del Circo—and dry-dry-dry wild boar stew, and a tacky Happy Valentine's Day sign projected on a picture wall. Should I mention the bass-heavy music? If this is the Maccioni's idea of a circus, I suggest they hop to tending stew. Still, excellent focaccia bread. The panna cotta was good, too. (120 West 55th Street)

Good, plain pasta is to be had at Lupa Osteria Romana (170 Thompson Street). Truly al dente.

Col Legno (231 East 9th Street) serves excellent tiramisù (this cancelled my disappointment in the overcooked tagliatelle). I have no idea what they did to the savoiardi but I think they should do it some more. And the cocoa dusting was right. Col Legno also does something wonderful with white beans but the tiramisù is a standout.

Via Quadronno (25 East 73rd Street) has an excellent risotto Milanese, and they make these bread fingers that are delicious (and pack them in foil-lined bags for take-away.) Some of the wines are their own. The acoustics, unfortunately, are such that tables next to each other are in the same audio pocket. And the lighting is a little twerta; I can't explain. Or rather, I won't right now.

Thing is, wouldn't it be nice to have all these things going right in the same restaurant? One place, one meal, one symphonic experience on my tongue? Have I ever had one? Maybe . . . . I think the closest I ever came was at The Quilted Giraffe and at Lutèce. Yes: not Italian.

The bad news is that those meals were served long, long ago. But they were so very good, I've never forgotten them. At least I know I've dined, even if I never do it again.

Next time: How Westville surprised me a little.