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By Barbara Penny Angelakis
Via dei Mille
357 West Broadway
New York City, NY 10013
www.viadeimilleny.com
In the heart of SoHo, on West Broadway between Broome and Grand Streets, in what could be considered restaurant row for off-off-off Broadway, is a little bit of a culinary conundrum. Via dei Mille, is only one of the many restaurants that line both sides of the street, but it is the only one that feels more like a French boîte or an Italian trattoria than a New York City eatery. Via dei Mille definitely keeps the focus as a gathering place for Italian and French expat yuppies, although all are more then welcome. In fact, there were a few families, including very small children, enjoying Sunday Brunch the day that we were there.
The white tiled bar along the wall is the showpiece of the long rectangular front room with tables on the opposite wall spilling into the back room, ending in a DJ station. A long banquette fills the other side of the wall under an oversized mirror perhaps ten or twelve feet long. Cut-crystal chandeliers in both rooms and large contemporary paintings on the walls complete the simple but sophisticated décor. Service is European casual, in other words, the multi-lingual wait staff does not rush your order in an attempt to vacate the table quickly or push you to order extras while you are still seated, but is respectful of your time and space, a very refreshing and appreciated attitude. The background music is continental modern and a bit loud until the room fills-up, and then it sounded just right. The Italian/French DJ is the center of the action from 3 to 6 on Sunday and if you are interested in eating I suggest you arrive earlier to complete your meal before the lively socializing gets under way. Individual drinks are available but the bar caters mostly to the bottle crowd, again a very continental approach. Most of the wines and spirits on the list were of top quality. The list included amongst others a Rosé Perrier Jouët Fleur de Champagne, a 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Fattoria Sopone, a 2001 Barbaresco Marchesi di Barolo, and a great variety of vodkas, such as Grey Goose, SKYY 90, Stolichnaya, etc. We ordered glasses of Terra Serena Prosecco, and the sparkler met our desire for a lively libation.
The dinner menu is international chic and I expected the same interesting array of goodies available for Brunch. I must admit however that the Brunch menu was a bit on the thin side as it lacked enough interesting selections. Available were the usual egg choices with appropriate accompaniments, a number of panini with Italian fillings, and a few entrees from the dinner menu but in general it did not have the verve accorded the lunch or dinner offerings. Nevertheless, the fried calamari with baby artichokes and shrimp with spicy Marinara sauce was wonderful. Made with fresh calamari, popcorn shrimp, and the terrific addition of quartered baby artichokes all dipped and deep fried in a crispy coating and served with a nicely spiced sauce. Manos ordered a spinach, onion and goat cheese frittata that was served with fresh field greens and tasty roasted potatoes, but the omelet was a little shy on fillings. Outstanding were the deserts of Tiramisu, an exceedingly fine example of this ubiquitous treat, and crepes filled with Nutella – chocolate hazelnut spread - with a side of ice cream crowned with a perfect strawberry. The espresso had the proper amount of crema. The prices for Brunch were extremely reasonable and the quality of the food made Via dei Mille a good value, and pleasurable weekend outing.
© February 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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