'inoteca, The Sequel

Stopped by the new 'inoteca last night.  You know, the one that used to be called Bar Milano, until the economy hit the skids?  I wanted truffled egg toast, sure, but I'm not eating white flour, and also, for the next few weeks the kitchen is only doing cold apps between 1 am and 3 am (I arrived at 1:30).  

I had a rocket (read: arugula) salad with shaved pecorino and pickled red onions.  Pecorino is a bit more gentle than its cow's milk cousin, parmesan.  That was a good thing.  The salad needed a bit of softening.  It came dressed in lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper, but with all those onions it was a little too acidic.  I found it tasty but a bit pucker-inducing. 

The chef sent out a panna cotta, topped with cinnamon and fresh pomegranate seeds.  I talked to him about it myself and learned that he used inverted cane sugar rather than refined sugar in the recipe, so I didn't feel bad eating it.  The bar tender sent negronis, per the generous Joe Denton, who even more generously remembered speaking to me when I had lunch at Milano over the summer.  Also on the comp tab: healthy dosages of amaro, topped off even when they shouldn't have been.  

The wine list is predictably Italian and not of much interest to me.  I had a declassified nebbiolo that lacked any characteristic tar-and-rosiness, from my perception.  

No matter.  The Denton brothers have made good in Murray Hill, securing 200 covers a night, minimum.  Economy be damned: people still need their truffled egg toast, I guess.  

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'inoteca

323 3rd Avenue

New York, NY 10010

212.683.3035