Lavagna

[Pan]

Last Friday, I had dinner at Lavagna for the first time since October (I believe).

I am confirmed in my opinion that it is a very good restaurant, though a bit too heavy on the salt for my taste, sometimes.

I was first to arrive, so I stood at the bar and asked the bartender for a fruity wine, not too dry. Her first suggestion was Moscato d'Asti, but I replied that Muscat wines are really sweet dessert wines (I've had Moscato d'Asti and like it, but I wasn't in a mood for dessert before supper). Her next recommendation was a white Bordeaux which was so good that I asked her to write down its name. It was a Lafite Rothschild Bordeaux, 2001 ($8). It was deliciously fruity but interestingly complex. (My wine descriptions aren't technically sophisticated; I just know what I like when I drink it.) When my friend showed up, he also got a glass of the white Bordeaux and also liked it very much. His mother was late in coming because she was arriving on a plane. The maitre d' was extremely kind and gracious, ultimately letting the two of us share a table for three, even though on a Friday night, that small restaurant was really busy. We decided to go ahead and order appetizers, both of which we split. He ordered the artichoke with white bean paste, a favorite of mine; I ordered the broiled asparagus with pancetta and a creamy sauce (with porcini? I can't remember). The broiling of the asparagus was impressive, really well executed, and the pancetta was delicious. So was the sauce. I ultimately may have still liked the artichoke starter better, just because it was less salty. This situation repeated itself with the primi piatti. He got the rigatoni with spicy ground sausage, a great dish; I got spinach/cheese ravioli with a cheesy (in a good way) porcini sauce. Both dishes were excellent. The sauce for the ravioli was a bit over the top in terms of salt, but still delicious.

My friend's mother was finally in transit to the restaurant when it was time to order secondi piatti, and we ordered one for her - a tuna dish which she liked very much. I and my friend split the special flambeed striped bass for two between us ($38). It was a good unfishy fish, the sauce was delicious, but the part of the fish that had been in contact with the pan was overly salty to my taste. My friend's mother ordered a fairly light red wine - I forget what it was, but it was just a decent vino da tavola to me, though the two of them liked it better.

We all managed to have room for dessert (I had deliberately eaten very little earlier in the day). I and my friend's mother each got the fruit cobbler, which was pretty big. The top of it was delightfully caramelized, the fruit below was delicious, and the vanilla ice cream on top was pleasing. My friend got the chocolate mousse thingy (which I've had before and greatly enjoyed) and liked it very much.

I don't know what the bill was because my friend's mother picked up the tab.

Generally, the meal was very satisfying. I definitely plan on going back, and I do recommend the restaurant. But I still wish they'd be a little more subtle with the salt.

[jeffperez62]

I agree, Lavagna is a good restaurant. The wine list is interesting (if a bit limited) and very well priced. The food is well prepared, the staff is friendly. Well worth the trip downtown.

[marcus]

I've always found Le Tableau, Lavagna's sister restaurant down the block to be significantly better and one of the most successful restaurants at its price point that attempts some level of ambition in its dishes. I'm curious as to how others compare these two restaurants.

[Pan]

Interesting. I'll take a closer look at Le Tableau. I've never been there. What dishes have you enjoyed there?

[DavidJS]

Lavagna is one of my fave Italian restaurant since it's not the typical Italian pasta fare. Took a friend from out of town here for dinner one night. Superb. Yes, their artichoke appetizer is as good as they say. But the ahi tuna dish was one of the best cooked tuna I've had for a long time. The special of the day - fig appetizer is another winner. Although I consider Lavagna one of my secret haunts I'm surprised its catching on. Guess, I'll have to make reserveration the next time I make a visit.

[Pan]

Tonight, after a friend and I saw a concert (great concert of Music from Marlboro at Washington Irving High School which is being repeated on Friday at the Metropolitan Museum), we had the idea of going to a restaurant that normally would be hard to get into on a Saturday night. Our first stop was Il Bagatto, which was as crowded as usual in spite of the continuing heavy snowfall - 20- to 30-minute wait for a room downstairs! So we went to Lavagna. It was my friend's first time, and she was impressed. She liked the location, with a lovely view into a snow-bound garden.

We started off by sharing my favorite appetizer, the Carcioffi al Forno, which was as good as always.

Both of us skipped primi and ordered secondi. My friend ordered the pork chops, which she was delighted with. They seemed to me an adaptation of Austrian pork with red cabbage - definitely not what I'd call an Italian dish. The dish was good though a little too salty to be optimum for me. [Edit to add that there were also delicious slices of butternut squash in this dish.]

My main dish was a special - venison, rare and already sliced for me, on top of polenta, with a few halves of brussels sprouts and a inverted miniature casseroleful of garlic flan. The venison was just a little gristly, but otherwise, the dish was great in all particulars. Again, I wouldn't call this an Italian dish, but more a sort of nouvelle cuisine dish.

Both of us were happy with the wines by the glass that we got. My friend got Malbec, a good fruity wine. I asked for a recommendation and chose a Southern Italian wine that was described as full-bodied and a bit spicy. It had interesting complexity, though some of the taste seemed to be from oak barrels. Anyway, it pleased me. I can't remember its name - something like Amara (but that can't be, as it means "bitter").

For dessert, we got wine and biscotti (to be precise, we got one order of wine and biscotti and got another glass of wine for $5). I was expecting Vin Santo and was surprised (though if anything pleasantly) that the wine was sweet and tasted like Muscat wine. Again, it was called something else and was fizzy (Sicilian, I think). The biscotti and butter cookies were excellent.

My friend said we wouldn't have had a better dinner at Il Bagatto, and I agreed. I think it would have been equally good but different.

We ended up being their last customers, but they didn't rush us out, and service was pleasant as usual. One especially nice thing was when they put an empty table next to us and moved the bread onto that table to give us more room. We left an appropriately generous tip. The bill was just under $74 including tax, and we left $90.

Edited January 9, 2004 by Pan (log)

[jeffperez62]

Lavagna was one of my favorite casual spots for a decent meal but I have not been there since the chef went uptown to 'cesca. Any reports??

[Pan]

When did the chef leave? Who is the new chef?

[jeffperez62]

I think she has been the Chef d' Cuisine for Chef Valenti since day 1 at 'Cesca.

Edited December 7, 2004 by jeffperez62 (log)

[Pan]

About how long ago did 'Cesca open?

[juuceman]

Lavagna was one of my favorite casual spots for a decent meal but I have not been there since the chef went uptown to 'cesca. Any reports??

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they've had a few chefs in there over the past few years.. early on there was a woman in there, don't remember her name offhand, but i believe she was the chef at il buco before lavagna?? that's going back a few years though..

i haven't detected much of a change in the quality.. they've maintainted most of the front of house staff, and as long as the sublime rigatoni with fennel sausage, peas and cream remains on the menu, i'll long continue to patronize it.. without a doubt, my favorite east village italian..

it just all comes together for me.. it's crowded without being obnoxious about it.. the staff is genuinly thrilled that you've chosen to eat with them, as opposed to the bitchiness i've encountered when showing up at other east village italian spots that have been coasting by with crowds for years.. the room is warm and for some reason they manage to make me feel like they're there to make me happy, as opposed to the pack 'em in, slop it out, get 'em out attitude that's all too prevalent at this price point..

the food is great.. although i generally stick with the pastas these days, having tried most of the menu on repeated visits, i've yet to have a dud.. and those artichokes.. oh man..

[Mulcahy]

About how long ago did 'Cesca open?

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'Cesca opened a little more than a year ago.

Amanda Freitag is the chef de cuisine there. She was the chef at Lavagna.

[Pan]

I believe I've been to Lavagna within the past year, and couldn't detect a change in the quality of the food, so I guess I agree with juuceman on that score.

[Stone]

I was there early in the summer. I think I had papardell bolognese or something of that ilk. It was excellent.