Regional

[slkinsey]

Well... don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that I'd go to Regional if it were next door to Lupa. It's clearly not in that league. Nor am I saying that they do everything well. And, yea, part of my interest in Regional is because it's in my neighborhood, which doesn't have many good restaurants. I'm not sure where the closest Italian restaurant is that's any better. Probably Celeste 20+ blocks to the South. For my money, neither Regional or Celeste is a destination restaurant.

But I'd say it's similar in look/feel and cuisine to many inexpensive trattorie I've been to in Italy, and I feel that some of their dishes are very good. Then again, my experiences may be different from yours. Most of the times I've been in Italy I was working in a city, and seeking out "special little trattorie" like a vacationer or student might do was sometimes secondary to finding a convenient and good place around the corner that knew what I liked. I like Regional's bigoli with duck ragu. Bigoli (fresh extruded pasta made with whole wheat flour) are naturally a little grainy. Like any restaurant at this level, not everything on the menu is equally good. I've found that some of their specials try too hard and don't appeal to me, and in general I think their pasta dishes are much stronger than their secondi. That said, I think someone could go there and have the piadina with prosciutto and stracchino as a starter, the casoncelli al burro e salvia or the garganelli al ragu' di vitello or the bucatini alla gricia or the spaghetti alla chitarra con ragu' d'agnello as a pasta, the involtini di vitello as a secondo (the only one I think is particularly successful), porri gratinata or carciofi fritti as a contorno, a bottle of Barbazzale Cottanero Rosso and the ricotta fritters for dessert and do very well.

[Daniel]

Dave, SlkinseY and Pan..

This is how it breaks down.. We are discussing an Italian Place on the UWS. They have adventurous dishes, they have a semi-welcoming environment, and I walked right in with no reservation at 8 o clock on a Friday....

I cook a lot and rarely justify eating in the hood, but again its a cool spot.,. When I go to Italian Places I order like I am in Italy.. I get crostini, or salad, or soup first... Then I get a pasta, then a fish, then a meat.. There is no reason for two people to get the same dish at a table.. These dishes are adVenturous and unique... People should be so lucky to have this as their local...

Edited November 8, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Pan]

You order all those courses in Italy?

[Daniel]

You order all those courses in Italy?    

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At least.. Maybe more.. And the waiters look at me just as strangely as they do here... Come to think of it.. If I am in NYC or at a Taco Stand IN Mexico, I like to space out my courses in a meal. In a road side stand in Mexico, I might want my tire fixed first.. Then maybe move to a head taco, then a pork taco, into say some ceviche... Its ok if you dont sell beer, I have some in my glove compartment from the last place I had a taco... Then maybe a dessert.. But certainly not all at once.. The less food on the table the less food you need to protect from flies..

Edited November 8, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Dave H]

I'm not sure where the closest Italian restaurant is that's any better.  Probably Celeste 20+ blocks to the South.  For my money, neither Regional or Celeste is a destination restaurant. 

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Yes, I think that's exactly right. I'm not wanting to bash the place--what it's trying to do is certainly admirable, and even though I thought it fell short it is still miles ahead of all but a handful of UWS restaurants. And I'm not trying to put myself up as some Italian food expert (although I did know full well that bigoli is inherently grainy; the texture just didn't work out that night).

But I am saying it's very possible to be disappointed with Regional for reasons other than ignorance of authentic Italian food--indeed because of familiarity with it. That plus expectations inordinately heightened by some of the very enthusiastic posts in this thread.