New York City: Locanda Verde

05.29.09
There are three major problems with the new Locanda Verde. One of them is deciding what to eat. Andrew Carmellini (late of A Voce, and before that Daniel) has a talent for writing appealing menus, and faced with a choice between garlic chicken roasted in a wood fire or fettuccine verde with white Bolognese or porchetta della casa, ordering can take a long time. Especially when the prices are so reasonable; portions are generous and nothing costs more than twenty-five bucks. My advice: Don’t miss the little fava bean crostino, or the amazingly fine wood-fired shrimp, and definitely go for the chicken. The pastas were all wonderful, too. The other problems? For one thing, the restaurant is so cramped that, wriggling into my seat, I nearly knocked the water off my neighbor’s table (he had similar issues as he made an exit). All that crowding does not exactly make a quiet room; this is not the place for a soulful tête à tête. But if you’re looking for a deliciously buzzy evening (Robert De Niro owns it after all), this may be exactly what you’re after.

Locanda Verde 379 Greenwich St., New York City (212-925-3797)

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