Resident Restaurant Review

Rating: RRR (Terrific)

The intimate dining room is quietly perched in a brownstone overlooking East 53rd street. The warmth of a exposed brick wall (Adorned with a small Mona Lisa) is balanced by the freshness of a pale yellow-tinted paint on the other sides.   When the menus are opened, expectant diners are plunged into a plethora of dishes from both northern and southern Italy. 

The cheese in La Vera Caprese appetizer is flavorful and escapes the chewy or almost chalky fates of some other noncommercial mozzarellas. As per penne, the creamy-pink vodka sauce is phenomenal, clinging thickly to the slightly al dente pasta, bringing burst of mildly cheesy flavor to every forkful. The appetizer are particularly pleasing-heavy on grilling and heavy on vegetables. A favorite is Torretta di Melenzane, made by grilling ultra thin vertical slices of eggplant, wrapping them around goat cheese, seasoning them with melted mozzarella and sautéed tomatoes. Another tempting selection is a raw swordfish, thinly sliced and marinated in a lemon vinaigrette with arugula and  poppy seeds.

The Pasta selection are inspired, incorporating a lots of fresh vegetables and extra light sauces. A house specialty is Cavatelli Fagioli and Cozze, a spoon able combination of cavatelli pasta, mussels and cannellini beans(a specialty of "Salerno" on the Amalfi coast).

As dessert make room  the almost paper-thin crepes filled with rich, creamy chocolate sauce or for an even lighter ending, opt  for the Tiramisu`.

And when the check arrives, the only discrepancy is that it doesn't seem  like you have paid for all you have received-a pleasant change of pace for this extravagantly priced little island.  .