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By Barbara Penny Angelakis
 Accademia di Vino
1081 Third Avenue at 64th Street
New York City
212-888-6333
As American’s taste for wine increases, the opportunities for imbibing the fermented juice of the vine in appealing venues keeps pace; which brings us to the newly opened Accademia di Vino, an Enoteca, Ristorante, and Pizzeria, all packed into a handsome electric setting on Manhattan’s fashionable Upper East Side.
Restaurateur and wine expert Anthony Mazzola, with Executive Chef Kevin Garcia as top toque, and the charming John Fanning as General Manager, has created a sure winner in the unconventional Manhattan restaurant scene.
Accademia di Vino loosely translates to academy of wine, and what better setting then a cave or cellar to accentuate the positive. Although you enter at street  level and there is a bar at the entrance, you must descend a staircase to enter the main bar area and restaurant. The sophisticated décor is courtesy of Jack Baum of Tree House Design who brought his design skills to evoke a non-traditional, visually inviting, user-friendly wine cellar. Kudos to Mr. Baum for taking into consideration the purses, briefcases, umbrellas and bags, female as well as many male New Yorkers carry, and choosing seating that has a lower shelf for holding such objects. Also for placing hooks under the bar at each stool to free up both hands and safely hang items out of the way, and for the considerate plastic bag dispenser available at the entrance to enclose wet umbrellas. These little touches convey thoughtfulness for the comfort of the patron that is missing from many other trendy establishments.
As you would expect in an enoteca, the wine list is extensive and well rounded, about 500 wines,  with moderate (from $28) to highly priced and prized offerings, many available by the glass (from $8 to $25) as well as the bottle. With the exception of French Champagnes, the rest of the list had offerings from most Italian winemaking provinces and in some cases there were 5 to 7 year verticals from some of the better producers. We were impressed by the extensive variety of very good Barolos, Barbarescos, Dolchettos etc. from Piedmont, and Chiantis and Brunellos from Tuscany. Manos saw bottles in the wine vaults from Alto Adige (Südtirol) that he has been coveting for a while as well as one of his favorite Brachetto D’Acqui sparkling dessert wines, Ca’ de Mandorli.
And now to the food! Simply stated Chef Garcia is brilliant. He has put together a  menu that is as comprehensive as it gets. From the designer grilled pizza selections to the traditional “Secondi” or entrée course, with an entire page of mix and match antipasti choices, and mouth watering “Primi Piatti” in this case pasta, it is a challenge to the patron to make a decision. We began with a most unusual combination of Watermelon, Olive, Goat Cheese and Mint pizza for $14. The paper thin crust had paper thin slices of watermelon and the other ingredients strategically placed over its surface and although Manos was not convinced, I thought the pie was a refreshing alternative to the more usual coverings. As the pie cooled, the flavors became more integrated and I had a hard time letting that last piece remain on the plate, but our appetizer course was ready.
Out of the literally dozens of choices we selected Baccala Fritters accompanied by Herb Salad with Roasted Lemon Vinaigrette and a Tuna Tartare with Onion, Radish, Pignoli Nut and Salsa Verde, both for $12. The two Baccala cakes were cooked to perfection and the vinaigrette, more  reminiscent of a garlic and lime aioli, offered a tangy counterbalance of tastes and textures. The finely chopped tuna mixed with the other ingredients was sublime although I thought the Salsa Verde made too harsh a statement against the mild tasting tuna. The couples dining at the next table raved about their selection of Mixed Mushroom with Old Chatham Sheep Cheese pizza and Gnocchi alla Romana with Five Nut Ragu antipasti. New Yorkers can be quite expressive when faced with exceptionally good food and in fact, the entire room exuded a high level of energy and friendly exchanges between tables. The level of service too was very pleasant, with the exception of the course delivery being rushed. I made a point of asking the waiter not to rush us through the meal, as we would be ordering several selections and wanted time to digest a little before the next course. He assured me that he would pace the orders to the kitchen but each course arrived while we were still working on the one before. In one case I had to grab the plate for the last bite before it was whisked away to make room for the next course. Since the Accademia di Vino opened only a few days ago I am hopeful that the chaotic and discombobulated kinks will be worked out and the wait staff will develop a cooperative flow and ease that is currently missing.
The main course was split between Bucatini alla Carbonara with Guanciale, Cracked Black Pepper, Scallion and Egg for $18 and Veal Chop Spezie Forte with Oven Roasted Summer Vegetables and a sprig of Rosemary for $35. Since the menu employs traditional Italian terms for many items, a convenient glossary is on the last page of the menu for the non-Italian speaking patrons. The Bucatini was properly cooked al dente. The cracked pepper accented the dish and Manos thought the peppery taste married well with the salty pork. The veal chop was nicely spiced, perfectly cooked, and beautifully presented.
All desserts are $10 and the two we tasted were definite winners. Passion Fruit Crème Brulee(sic) served with  Raspberry Sorbet and Molten Chocolate Cake accompanied by Dry Fruit Chutney over Hazelnut Ice Cream. The Brûlé was rich and creamy with just a hint of passion fruit flavor and topped by the usual crunchy coating of caramelized sugar. The sorbet was tart and fruity and a wonderful counter to the sweetness of the Brûlé. The chocolate cake was a doughnut shape of intense chocolate flavor, more the consistency of mousse then cake, with the center hole containing a warm velvety liquid. The ice cream covered the dry fruit, was delicious, and again there was a good balance of textures.
And, very important, the espresso was properly drawn with the right amount of crema. When Manos asked for an espresso coretto, the waiter knew exactly what to bring, a term we had to explain in a number of other upscale New York Italian restaurants.
Scheduled for the fall are wine programs that will include tastings, lectures, winemaker dinners and food and wine pairing sessions. But whether you attend a wine program or stop in for a pizza and glass of wine you are sure to be delighted by this very welcome addition to New York’s restaurant landscape.
© September 2007 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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