234 Spring St. (between 6th Avenue and Varick St.) 646-952-0828 www.altroparadiso.com
Italian. I love cheese. I just never realized how much until dining at Café Altro Paradiso. Whether a hint or focus of the dish, what they do is absolute wizardry. Take their salami and parmigiano-reggiano. No seriously, take it. I don’t believe tastier cheese has ever passed my lips. The pacchieri di grano arso with chicken and olive ragù offered another opportunity to indulge. This perfect pasta made even more compelling by just a subtle accent of formaggio. The kitchen is equally pesce profound as proven by the seared octopus with chickpea salad and their swordfish (summer squash, pesto trapanese). Every flavor I encountered was a gift, unexpectedly ideal and outrageously captivating. Even the dessert (chocolate and walnut torta with whipped cream) exceeded any possible expectation. The space is unique and inviting, done up in blonde wood and an abundance of curves. The staff moves seamlessly and intuitively throughout, guaranteeing an evening as striking and unforgettable as the perfect piece of you know what.