'ino

[cabrales]

I recently sampled 'Ino's Truffled Egg Toast, to which Wilfrid and Suvir had referred in the "Pressed Sandwiches" thread under "Cooking" (unlinked):

Inos on Bedford street is the best.  Glenn has shared my favorites above.  Also the truflled toast and the asparagus bruschetta are just most wonderful.

At 'Ino's, don't miss the truffled egg sandwich.  Sigh.

I enjoyed the Truffled Egg Toast ($7) The toast was nicely thick -- perhaps more than 2 cm. It was square-shaped, perhaps very roughly10 cm along each side. The slight crunchiness of the toast highlighted the runny yolk lodged in a little indented well on the top side of the toast. White truffle oil enhanced the welcoming yolk. The top of the toast (including below the yolk) had melted fontina cheese -- yummy. The green asparagus was cut into small sections, and surrounded the toast on the plate.

Also sampled were:

1/4 Panini -- Proscuitto, bel paese and sweet onion ($2.50)

1/4 Panini -- Chicken, oven roasted tomato, asiago and rucola ($2.50)

Chardonnay Alto Adige, Elena Walch ($9/glass)

Predominant Portion of 'Ino's Menu

-- OTHER PANINI (cibatta bread, pressed), all $8

Three cheese -- crotonese, cacio, grana and truffle oil

Sweet coppa, hot peppers and rucola

Portobello, grana and sun dried tomato pesto

Mozarella, basil pesto and pepperonata

Caccaitorini, goat cheese and black olive pesto

Roasted vegetables and goat cheese

Prscuitto, mozarella and tomato

Soppressata, fontina and rucola

Rucola, sundried tomato pesto, red onion and fontina

Artichoke, fennel and fontina

Bresaola, asparagus and pecorino peppato

Note that a panini with four parts, each with a different selection from the above list, is available for $10. It is called the "Quattro panini". I asked for 1/2 of the Quattro, meaning two selections, each being 1/4 of a "regular" panini in size.

-- TRAMEZZI (white bread, served "cold"), all $6

Egg salad with asparagus

Tuna with black olive pesto

Bresaola with rucola and grana

Mozarella, oven-roasted tomatoes, rucola and lemon mayonnaise

Pancetta, oven-roasted tomatoes, pecorino

Mortadela, red pepper & pecorino

Chicken salad with garlic and watercress

Cacciatorini, red onion and tomato

-- BRUSCHETTA, all $2

Caponata and goat cheese

Basil pesto

Pepperonata and crotonese

Asapragus, truffle oil and paramesan

Sweet onion and cacio

Roasted garlic and rucola oil

Ricotta fresca and oven-roasted tomatoes

Taleggio and sun-dried tomato pesto

Braised fennel with tapenade

Summer tomato and basil

-- Certain snacks - cheese, cured meats, olives, etc.

-- DOLCE

Nutella panino ($5)

Bruscetta with fresh fruit and mascarpone (5)

Seasonal fruit with balsamic and black pepper (5)

Biscotti plate (4)

[cabrales]

A New York magazine article on M Batali's exploration of panini places (posted as its own thread in the NY forum previously) notes that 'Ino spurred the panini craze. It also notes that 'Ino owner Jason Denton is one of Batali's partners at Lupa. Batali is described as ordering the portobello-grana-sundried tomato pesto panino. Batali makes particular note of the lightness of the bread utilized at 'Ino. I forgot to note that an exploration of Italian cheese utilized for panini made me realize how limited my cheese knowledge is (i.e., to French cheese).

Separately, an older edition of New York magazine describes San Domenico as having instituted a tramezzini lunch menu (white bread, not pressed). The sandwiches vary on a daily basis, and might begin at as reasonable a price as $4.50. Examples of combinations are vitello tonnato; Gorgonzola and walnut; proscuitto and fontina.

[Elissa]

Jason Denton, partners with Bastianich and Batali at Lupa, has opened an 'ino (from Bedford) on Rivington and Ludlow. Sweet, homey and bigger than the original with a downhome sophicate vibe.

Edited July 9, 2003 by lissome (log)

[jeunefilleparis]

I thought that his brother Joe opened the new ino downtown? I am pretty sure that they are at least partners in the new place......

anyone eaten there yet? when i escape the moutains next monday i shall check it out and report back!

[VivreManger]

To escape a downpour we ran into the Ino around the corner from the Film Forum in March. It had an admirable collection of wines by the glass, excellent coffees, and a range of good-looking dishes. Since we were about to go to Jewel Bako for dinner, we ordered no food, but it definitely is worth a return visit. The table next to us ordered some lovely looking and smelling dishes.

My only complaint was that at the bar they were grinding something for the evening dinner time and it made a terrible racket. The place is tiny.

[jeunefilleparis]

I stopped into Inoteca today for a glass of wine. The place is absolutely beautiful. I was so shocked at the size of it compared to Ino!!There are large windows on two sides that allow lots of great light as well as summer breezes in. Dark wood floors and furniture give it a chic yet casual feel. The staff is very friendly and the menu offers a couple of nice new additions. I ll be there tomorrow for dinner, report to follow

Lauren

[weinoo]

Eaten here 3 times now, and like it a lot...more extensive menu than 'ino, with the usual Denton/Bastianich/Batali excellent wine list. Loved the suppli (deep fried rice balls), great meatballs (Rocco's mom, eat your heart out!), and the (as usual) excellent panini. AT last visit, wife and I had salad, frito misto, meatballs, panini of bresola and arugula, and a carafe of rosato - bill came to under $50, which is not bad in my book.

And if anyone read the review in NY Press, and anyone can tell me what the reviewer was talking about, I'll bite.

[effrontery]

I ate at 'inoteca on Thursday--I'd never been before, but I'd heard good things, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I was disappointed. Beautiful room, good service (and reasonably priced), but I felt for what I had, the quality was disappointing.

Maybe my expectations were a little too high? Anybody else had that experience there?

[weinoo]

No, never been disappointed with the food or the wine. Especially at these prices, though they have gone up a bit.

However, sometimes the place is so bloody crowded, there's no way I'll wait for a table!

At last visit, a week or so ago, I had an unbelievable brisket panini topped with an Italian salsa verde...it was a take-off on the famous boiled beef sandwich from Nerbone, in the mercato centrale in Florence. When I mentioned how good it was to Joe D., he said his sous-chef had just spent some time in Florence, and wanted to try out a similar sandwich here. It wasn't yet on the menu, but was a special that night.

Edited June 19, 2005 by weinoo (log)

[ulterior epicure]

No, never been disappointed with the food or the wine. Especially at these prices, though they have gone up a bit.

I can see why, weinoo, more than two years later, the food's still good and the prices (I can't imagine they've gone up that much since your posting) are decent.

I dropped in a couple of Sunday mornings ago with a friend for a quick pre-brunch snack (well, it was his brunch, but I was meeting friends immediately after for more food across the street at Blue Ribbon Bakery Cafe).

Truffled egg toast was simple, but really good. It's something that I could easily replicate at home (kathryn actually sent me the recipe from the 'ino cookbook).

The bruschetta were all nice - I only tried two, the white anchovy (special for the day) and the roasted garlic, which I liked better. Those are some fat little cloves.

I got my serving of leafy greens for the day with a rucola salad with fennel and goat cheese. It was nice to see more than a couple of strands of fennel on my salad, for once.

The place is small, but we went early - so we were really the only people. I can see how, given a crowd, the place can be quite cozy... and loud. Next time, when I have a bigger appetite, I'll have to return for their panini.

You can see all the pictures here, on my flicker account.

[Nathan]

it's always been one of my quick bite go-to's...especially in the winter...on perhaps my favorite street in NY.

[ulterior epicure]

it's always been one of my quick bite go-to's...especially in the winter...on perhaps my favorite street in NY.

I've remembered ever since you pointed it out on our little crawl through the lower west side ISO Montasio cheese.