Ringside Seats at Manhattan's Best Italian Restaurant
Apr 05 '01
The Bottom Line Tappo gets my vote as the best Italian restaurant in the city. Become a regular while Tappo is still relatively "undiscovered." Those seats at the kitchen counter are priceless!
It was the strangest scene - a row of diners seated behind a long kitchen counter at one of Manhattan's newest, most promising restaurants, sniffing their fingers and giggling like giddy schoolgirls. What was going on here? Some new kind of recreational drug? Well, that's one way of characterizing it - the dish was quite addictive to say the least. Yes, one bite of Chef Filippo's Gambas a la Sal de Mer (Jumbo Mayan shrimp from Ecuador sauteed with garlic and garnished with rosemary) could easily turn anyone into a Tappo junkie. Last Tuesday night, none of us could stop ourselves from savoring every last whiff of the gambas even when all that was left was the shrimp juice on our fingers.
Manhattan's Best Italian and It's NOT Owned by Batali
For a long time, I did not think any other Italian restaurant in New York City could wrestle my affections away from Babbo, the best restaurant in Mario Batali's Italian restaurant empire. Then last week, my friend and I tried out Tappo, a two-month old fledgling in the East Village, and with one bite, I lost my heart. The gambas were the culprit. They were gigantic and incredibly flavorful, bringing back a rush of memories - cozy, briny-smelling trattorias, overlooking the Mediterranean.
The Best Table in the House is the Kitchen Counter
I rarely choose to sit at the counter for the obvious reasons - stools with no back support, tight spacing, loud conversation, smoke inhalation, etc. But at Tappo, there is nowhere else that I would rather sit than at the counter overlooking the kitchen. First of all, a seat at the kitchen counter virtually guarantees you an audience with the chef, an affable, passionate artiste by the name of Filippo Paoloni. Chef Filippo converses with all the patrons sitting at the counter, introducing you to his favorite dishes and watching with undisguised delight as your face lights up with each bite. Second, if you enjoy watching the Food Channel, the culinary mastery demonstrated by Tappo's chefs will have you swooning in your chairs. My husband and I both watched in rapt fascination as Tappo's sous-chef executed consecutive forward pan flips and backward pan flips with Saturday night's pasta special. Finally, from the ringside seats you can observe a parade of glorious dishes as they are being brought out to the lucky diners. DANGER! You will want to order everything!
The Food
We started off with a covered basket of warm, chewy Tuscan bread and a small plate of organic extra virgin olive oil. The olive oil was so good that we were sopping up every last drop with the bread crumbs. While we feasted on our bread, we watched Chef Filippo at work. He checked every plate going out of the kitchen. Each dish bore his signature. During both nights that we dined at Tappo, he came by to offer his suggestions. Thank goodness - otherwise I don't know how we would have come to a decision.
The Risotto special changes every night. We tried the Risotto with Shrimps and Artichokes ($21), and it was marvelous! Such a creamy consistency, yet each grain of rice was distinct and separate. Rather than using the typical Arborio rice that is being used at Italian restaurants all over town, Chef Filippo uses Canaroli, which has been referred to as the "caviar of rice." It is the highest quality superfino grade (largest grain) rice, and has the lowest yield per plant. No doubt about it - you can really taste the difference. Each pearly grain of rice absorbed and enhanced the flavors of the shrimps and artichokes beautifully.
The Raviolini, like the Risotto, is an ever-changing daily special. During our first visit, we caught a glimpse of the tempting Spinach and Ricotta Raviolini ($21) bathed in a bright yellow saffron sauce. Unfortunately we were too full to try it, so we held off until our second visit. Wild Mushroom and Ricotta Raviolini ($16) in mascarpone and sage sauce was the special that night. In the wrong hands, raviolini can be a dull, pasty, heavy dish. Tappo's raviolini is anything but dull. The fluffy pasta pillows cradling the savory mushroom ricotta filling were irresistibly good. We could have easily eaten two portions of this dish.
What a coincidence that I have been craving blood oranges for weeks now, and lo and behold, I saw on Tappo's menu the Radicchio Trevisano Salad with Blood Oranges ($7). I had never been a huge fan of radicchio before, finding it to be a tad bitter for my taste, but it really works nicely in this salad, complementing the blood oranges and the manchego cheese. I for one would have liked more blood oranges in the salad, but I suppose that's how they hook you.
I nearly jumped out of my chair when I saw Chef Filippo putting the finishing touches on the Polenta Soffice con Ragu d'Agnello ($8) (Polenta with lamb sauce). I love polenta, especially the kind that is spread on the table tops, and I had not seen polenta that looked like that since our trip to the Veneto region of Italy several years ago. Soft yellow polenta pooled on a specially-designed, flat wooden plate (all of Tappo's other dishes were served using clay bowls and plates), crowned with a generous portion of lamb ragu, which didn't taste gamey at all, and a sprig of rosemary. It was nothing less than spectacular!
It seemed everyone in the restaurant was ordering the polenta, the gambas and the Seared Tuna with Corona Beans ($12) during my first visit. After our first bite of the seared tuna, we could see why it was so popular. The rectangular slices of mustard-crusted tuna were extremely fresh and tender, and the corona beans drizzled in olive oil were the perfect accompaniment.
The only dish that we were not completely blown by was the Tagliatelle with Mediterranean Clams and Porcini Mushrooms ($19). The texture of the homemade tagliatelle was quite good, but the sauce was a bit watered down. At another Italian restaurant, the tagliatelle might be considered a great dish, but at Tappo, it was completely overshadowed by the bold, vibrant flavors of the gambas, the polenta and even the olive oil.
Most of the dishes on Tappo's menu can be considered appetizers. Tappo's regular menu consists of approximately 20 small dishes (although there was nothing small about the portion of polenta). In addition, Tappo prints up a specials menu everyday, which consists of a few pastas and a few main courses, such as Sauteed Squab with Foie Gras and Dried Fruit in Vino Santo ($25), Grilled Whole Mediterranean Orata ($26) and Fry Rabbit and Fry Sage ($21). For your first visit to Tappo, I would recommend ordering some small dishes and a couple of pastas, and eating family-style, so everyone can try as many things as possible. By the way, the word "Tappo" means "cork" in Italian - it's not the Italian equivalent of tapas although many people have made that assumption according to Chef Filippo.
Truthfully after all that food, I was stuffed. But you know me - I can never pass on dessert. Our server, Leticia recommended the Panna Cotta($9), (the Italian equivalent of creme brulee or flan) which sounded light enough that I wouldn't burst if I ate it. By the time I was done, I wanted another. Strangely enough, I was actually hungrier after consuming the panna cotta. Served in a shallow clay dish, the foundation for this panna cotta is very simple - cream, vanilla, gelatin, sugar. But it was the little extra touches that made it extraordinary. Fresh raspberries and strawberries were mixed in the panna cotta, and balsamic vinegar was drizzled on top. It was such an intriguing contrast of flavors - the mild acidity of the vinegar, the slight tartness of the berries and the creamy sweetness of the panna cotta. Bite after bite, I felt like if I just had another taste I would be able to uncover the secret. And then, it was gone. Gone! How could it be! I felt like weeping.
The Service
If I were being objective, I would have to say that Tappo still has a few kinks to work out in terms of service. But who can be objective after savoring such heavenly food and being brought into the warm embrace of Chef Filippo and the charming Leticia, who, by the way, provides the best wine recommendations. Do we care that we had to wait an extra few minutes to be seated? Do we care that they weren't entirely prompt about refilling our water glasses? Not a chance. I would gladly trade flawless service for the friendliness and good cheer that is so abundant at Tappo. By our second visit, they already made us feel like regulars. Chef Filippo and Leticia stopped by after every course to make sure we were satisfied with the food. How could there be any doubt, we wondered. We only scrapped the plates clean.
The Atmosphere
Style without Attitude. Those three words sum up exactly what you will find at Tappo. Given the East Village location and the fact that Tappo does not have a sign hanging outside the entrance (the hippest restaurants never do), you would expect that Tappo would attract its share of the young and the beautiful. And it does. Especially girls-night-out groups. But it also attracts foodies from all walks of life and a fair number of expats (could it be because Tappo has a large smoking area?). One thing you will NOT find at Tappo is attitude. Everyone from the reservationist to the host to the servers is extremely warm and gracious. This lack of pretension is reflected in the simple decor of the restaurant - faded brick walls, accented by a few select pieces of pottery. A vase of tulips, similar to a bouquet you might pick up at the local grocery store. Dim lighting generated from exposed bulbs. Clay dishes. Bare floors. Nothing fancy. Just a good ole neighborhood restaurant that's worth the trip even if you don't live in the neighborhood.
Address: 403 East 12th Street (b/t First Avenue and Avenue A)
Telephone: 212-505-0001
Reservations: Currently, a week in advance is sufficient, but I doubt that will last. This restaurant is destined for tremendous success.
Attire: Casual but stylish.
Kid Friendly: Not for young children. Maybe teenagers.
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes. We noticed a number of vegetarian pastas and salads on the menu.
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Epinions.com ID:
Epicure
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 88
Trusted by: 100 members
About Me:
I generally avoid temptation....unless I can't resist it.
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