Locanda Verde

377 Greenwich St., Tribeca, NY

8.3

map & more

Neighborhood
Tribeca

Cuisine
Italian

Nearby
City Winery

212-925-3797

Official Website

By Chris Stang
July 8, 2009

Much like other recent openings (see Minetta Tavern, DBGB), Locanda Verde has been a hot topic among food critics and writers of late. Those who faithfully read these reviews will surely come away able to tell their friends all about how Robert DeNiro is still involved, as is an up and coming New York chef, Andrew Carmellini. And they will surely let everyone know how much better Locanda Verde is than Ago was, even though the Ago in LA is fantastic. How nice for them.

Luckily, you come to this site for the real deal (and also because you are awesome), so here it is. Locanda Verde is a very good restaurant, and it is so because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. What does that mean exactly? The space is nice, but you’re not going to be sending your friends pics from your blackberry. The wait staff is pleasant and well versed in the menu, but they aren’t going to make you want to drop a thirty percent tip. The wine list is nice, though ordering by the glass seems to be the way to go. Most importantly, the majority of the food on the menu is very good on its own, but if you order correctly, the entire meal will be a fantastic experience and you will need a forklift to get your fat ass out of there. Take each individual aspect, add it together, and you have a pretty great dining experience, one that is actually quite deserving of the recent praise. Kudos to Bobby D.

Food Rundown:

Marinated Beets with Pecorino and Walnuts
A great beet salad that, along with everything in this food rundown, is perfect for two to share.

Sheep’s Milk Ricotta with Sea Salt & Herbs
This is a very simple but incredible ricotta that comes with grilled bread and is drizzled with a delicious olive oil and sea salt. Imported from Italy, the ricotta is a must order and you’ll have it at your table for the entire meal. Ask for extra olive oil on the side.

Calamari Ripieni with Polenta and Chorizo
Probably the least impressive plate on this list, these are stuffed, grilled calamari. Something about the polenta seems a bit out of place.

Lamb Meatball Sliders with Caprino & Cucumber
Sliders are pretty popular these days, and these are a great rendition of the trendy little bastards. The Caprino (goat cheese) tops them off and makes most other sliders pale in comparison.

Fettuccine Verde with White Bolognese
The superstar dish of the evening. This homemade green fettuccine is delicate and absolutely incredible, the pork and veal bolognese out of this world. Another dish not to be missed.

Wood Fired Broccoli Rabe Sausage with Fagioli Stufato
Buyer beware, this is not for the light eater, and probably is not the best way to finish a long meal. That said, it’s a very tasty bowl of sausages (the broccoli rabe ground in) and large white beans.