|
By Joel Levin
New Jersey Newspaper Group.
IL PUNTO (Pan-Italian cuisine)
507 9th Avenue (West 38th Street), Manhattan
(212) 244-0088
weekend brunch commences at 11:30
Il Punto is the reincarnation of Osteria Gelsi, Tony Pecora’s classy, pioneering restaurant in the up-and-coming Manhattan neighborhood of Javits East. And this change is for the better.
A new chef, a new menu, and the same solicitous but unobtrusive service that has kept the predecessor popular for two years make Il Punto a place to try – and come back to.
In 2007, Pecora, proprietor of the long-running Ciao Europa and Letizia, broke new ground with the only serious restaurant in an area strategically located equidistant from the Javits Center, Penn Station, and Port Authority Bus Terminal. It’s also within a few blocks of an explosion of spiffy new condos and rentals.
Okay, that’s why Il Punto is there. Now here’s why the ristorante is still there:
- The recipes of Michele Orsino – baby octopus crudo (Italian sashimi), wild mushroom
- ravioli, focaccia crusty on the outside and tender inside, simply grilled meats, fowl, and
- seafood, and fresh-as-today salads.
- The chef has been with owner Pecora for twenty years, formerly running the kitchens at Letizia and Ciao Europa. A friend of the owner since their childhood in Italy, he has cheffed for more than 30 years since training at Instituto Alberghiero Distato.
- The original Gelsi emphasized Apulian cooking, but the two old buds have broadened the scope of the place to cover many of Italy’s regions in order to appeal to more palates.
On a recent weekday evening, the place was noisy and exciting, as the round, musical sounds of native-spoken Italian mixed with the harsher tones of Five-Borough residents and New Jerseyans. Servers and runners scurried, and the bartender affably coped with a fusillade of orders from the waitstaff as well as from bar standers.
What recession?
On another date, a snowy winter afternoon, parties of two to eight blew in for early dinner, portending a busy evening – this on a Monday, traditionally the dining scene’s slowest day. Viewing these happy diners made me ask myself:  What recession?!
Quality starred from the moment a hostess took our coats, to the prompt delivery of a warm bread basket, through the quick and precise espresso service. Speaking of breads, they are all baked in house. Likewise, the desserts and all pastas are made fresh.
One doesn’t have to try everything on the menu to know that ordering at Il Punto will satisfy time after time. Any kitchen that takes such care with doneness and plating will most likely carry that standard of creativity and precision throughout.
That’s the formula – simple but always right, like an Italian Le Bernardin.
Luxurious coziness
Like the menu, the décor doesn’t break ground, but it satisfies. In fact, it succeeds because it doesn’t intrude. Low-key colors, a combination of large Italian tiles and dark oak floors, tasteful paintings, classic arches, quality napery and china, solid and comfortable seating, and a relaxing human scale add up to a luxurious coziness.
The carpaccio di manzo (raw cured beef) was shaved to a sheer translucence, and arrayed around crispy fresh radicchio. The flavor was experienced in a brief  burst of melting warmth. This is not an appetizer to rush through; it’s meant to be enjoyed languidly as the taste of the slices was as evanescent as their appearance hinted.
The insalata misto featured seppia (baby calamari) that were succulent but to the tooth, scallops like Neptune’s candy, and one off-note – shrimp that were flavorful but a tad dry. The arugula accompaniment couldn’t have been fresher if it had just been picked from a backyard garden.
Another night had us trying seppioline (tiny squid) two ways – as crudo and crusted and baked. They were both nice but couldn’t compare with the sweet tenderness of polpino (small octopus) crudo in a light lemony dressing.
Cheese tortellini were average (meaning good), but were lukewarm. Admittedly, without a heavy blanketing of sauce, the little things have to struggle to stay warm, so think of them as a room-temperature treat.
As we glimpsed the antipasti and insalate on neighboring tables, it struck us that someone in the kitchen has the sensibility of an upper east side florist: an eye for color and proportion, but never spoiling the plating with preciousness and fussiness.
 The overstuffed wild mushroom ravioli spoke of handcrafting. The pasta had a rustic look; its part-whole wheat/part-semolina covering was heavy, hard-hitting, hand-rolled and hand-cut. Best of all, its savory, meaty funghe burst out luxuriantly when forked.
A thing of beauty
The veal chop was a thing of beauty, Frenched (lollipop-stick bone) and sauced to perfection. The pale flesh was witness to its milk-fed youth, but this veal must have just undergone its growth spurt, with sufficient avoirdupois to necessitate a doggy bag.
The mashed potatoes it nested on were creamy but coarse, meaning that they had avoided the curse of the Cuisinart. And after all, nobody’s nonna or bubbe had a food processor, and Chef Orsino says that he cooks “glorified food of the countryside.” In any case, this is another case of doing every little thing right. I could have downed a few more mounds of the mashed if not for a tightening belt.
For the red snapper, I applied my “why eat out?” test, asking myself if I could have done a better job cooking it at home. Well, my crust would have been on the soggy side and I could easily have overcooked it. It also wouldn’t have been so neat and intact as Il Punto’s kitchen turned it out.
Desserts: Serviceable pastries but not a strong point. For a more satisfying meal on the same budget, skip the tiramisu and cheesecake and order an additional appetizer…but don’t skip the barista-brewed espresso and variations.
The current wine list is merely serviceable, but we look forward to a new list promised shortly. Note that in addition to the expected Italian labels, the bar shows some imagination in upper-shelf choices, with a library of grappas as well as cognac and armagnac.
As of this writing, for an online presence the restaurant is making do with the outdated Website from Osteria Gelsi, gelsiny.com. An update is expected, but in the meantime, diners are cautioned that there is only some overlap between old and new menu entries.
Among dishes that intrigued but we did not indulge in are Il Pinto’s signature timballo, a large pretty disc comprising layers of wide ribbon pasta, béchamel and beef ragu capped with Parmigiano Reggiano – and ossobuco di tacchino, an organic turkey ossobuco.
Three courses will usually run from $40 to $60, but it would be possible – and greatly entertaining – to linger over the most expensive antipasto, soup, salad, pasta, entrée, and dessert for three hours and drop $100 without wine.
Ordinarily, we like to return to a restaurant a third time to validate earlier impressions, but we wanted to give you an early heads-up – even before the transformation from Osteria Gelsi to Il Punto is completed – so you can catch this class act before the real crowds start packing the place.
JOEL LEVIN, food & wine columnist, also covers entertainment, automobiles, and travel.
© April 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
|
