126 West 13th Street (between 6th and 7th Aves) 212-691-4886 www.gradiscanyc.com
Italian. How can you tell a place has fresh pasta? Behold the woman (for the sake of argument, let’s call her mama) rolling tortellini at a table nearby. I was fortunate enough to experience the results of her labor (aka magic) through the tortellini in brodo (meat filled rings of perfection in a ridiculously tasty broth). It’s as much an ordinary bowl of soup as panzanella di calvorfiore is a simple salad. This composition of cauliflower bread, heirloom tomatoes, sweet tropea onion and cider vinaigrette is a parade of color, flavor and unrivaled perfection.
If you’re feeling less vegan, you’ll undoubtedly find happiness in the beef and pork meatballs with herb tomato sauce. I regretted not a bite of the thoroughly delicious creation. This was equally true of their grilled domestic lamb chops (broccoli, grilled heirloom tomatoes) which was a special – so outstanding, it should be added to the menu nightly.
Given all that had come before, it seemed lunacy to leave without indulging in dessert. I chose the tortino di cioccaloto (warm flourless valrhona dark chocolate cake, Chantilly sauce). It’s no spoiler alert — the evening ended as deliciously as it began. Their Chantilly is about the freshest whipped cream ever to pass my lips. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that was mama’s work too.