259 Bleecker Street (corner of Cornelia St.) 212-255-1234 www.bakernco.com
Italian. At Baker & Co., they’ve solved the equation for a laid back night. The dishes are casual, the service mellow, the space all exposed brick, white tiles and filament. I began with a pizzetta – buffalo mozzarella, concentrated tomato, arugula – the incredibly fresh greens piled high, nearly levitating above. Their lamb sausage skewers are accompanied by cannellini bean ragu, olives, capers and an outrageous amount of forethought, so creative and tasty is this combination. Baker’s Mac and Cheese “Cacio e Pepe” is deep dish, delicious and proof positive that, when you know what you’re doing, from simple cheese and pepper comes greatness. Also brilliant, the branzino (Brussels sprouts, hazelnuts, arugula, calabrian chili).
So how do you cap a meal whose every ingredient is in such sync? For me it was the caramel budino, a custard creation of salted caramel gelato, crème caramel and salted wafer. That’s two caramels, two salteds and a world of happiness. It doesn’t make a difference what you select, everything adds up at Baker & Co.