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Review by Ryan Sutton
May 20 (Bloomberg) -- How casual can a fancy restaurant be? At Manhattan's Bar Milano, the $160 wine-paired tasting menus come with a side of noise.
The bar room is packed. It's so loud you have to shout. Drinkers slur their speech. A hammered patron asks if I like to party. A bottle-blonde wants flavored vodkas. (There aren't any). Then she requests Stoli vanilla.
So you're surprised when the waiter recommends three courses before dessert. And all of a sudden your hand feels wet. Someone spilled a $13 cocktail. Twice.
Would you sit through an elegant dinner in such an environment? Certain people, myself included, just might. Owner Jason Denton knows how to draw a crowd. He's the guy who brought us Lupa, the affordable Roman osteria beloved for its affordable prices, reviled for 90-minute waits and famous for larger-than- life partner, Mario Batali.
But Milano is more refined than Lupa, and the fare is more expensive. It wants to be destination dining, on a par with Babbo -- another Italian spot famous for serving truffles with a side of Eminem.
Inconveniences aside, Milano's food can be astonishingly good. Tagliatelle is al dente with a mahogany slick, the color coming from an achingly rich Bolognese forged out of hanger steak. Mop it up with chewy, crusty, perfectly salted bread. The noise seems to fade away.
For a more sedate experience, make a reservation in the formal dining room. It's a tad quieter. Windows are shaded. Floor-to-ceiling wine cabinets accent the marble walls.
Bachelor Pad
The raucous bar room has better looks. The rug is sea-foam green (very 1970), the walls are chocolate brown (very ski lodge), the patrons are gorgeous, and the windows are so mammoth and clear it's as if you're eating al fresco. It's very Italian playboy.
This all comes in an unexpected neighborhood: a corner of East 24th Street where Gramercy Park meets Murray Hill. The area is better known for hard drinking than fine dining. As such, Bar Milano attracts a bar crowd.
That explains the serious cocktails. Tony Abou-Ganim is responsible for the ambitious libations. Try the 323: rosemary gin, basil, strawberries, lemon, balsamic. It's spicy, pungent, fragrant, strong. Use it to cut the richness of an egg yolk- filled potato ``crepe'' -- a stunning appetizer.
Chef Steve Connaughton knows how to balance powerful flavors. Raw scallops, sweet and briny, aren't overwhelmed by fragrant Meyer lemon and heady, luscious uni. Quail terrine (too salty) surrounds foie gras (pink and luscious). Toast and jam on the side brings everything in check.
If It Ain't Broke
The octopus beats Babbo's hands down. Mammoth tentacles -- pleasantly chewy -- sop up creamy lemon preserve and citrus vinaigrette. Radicchio adds a kick of bitter; fennel gives a hint of anise.
Manhattan's best vitello tonatto -- veal with tuna, Italian surf and turf -- was once served here. The atypical riff paired ruby-rare tuna and creamy white sweetbreads: Coriandered fish and funkified organs. The visual contrast was stunning. The silky duo oozed in your mouth. White bean sauce tamed the intensity. Capers cleaned things up with a kick of bitterness and brine.
Sadly, the sweetbreads are no more. They've been replaced with something more traditional: veal breast. The new combination tastes okay, but lacks the shocking originality that brought its predecessor to the edge of greatness.
Pastas are impressive, if not consistently excellent. Lobster risotto was dreadfully overcooked and soupy.
Where's the Beef?
Osso buco dumplings were too soft; breadcrumbs helped alleviate the texture problem. Hand rolled noodles were better. They bathed in an oceanic broth with sepia and razor clams. Firm buckwheat wrappers covered nuggets of soft potatoes. Speck added salt, smoke. A sublime study in earthiness.
Entrees needed work. Never saw such a tiny squab. About four bites of tasty, tangy breast, a few knobs of heady pigeon sausage. Fried rabbit was moist, unremarkable. A veal chop was juicy, lacked heft. Monkfish and foie gras (more surf and turf) featured mealy fish and overcharred liver.
Drink your dessert. Astringent hot chocolate, spiked with espresso, wakes you up. Mascarpone souffle and goat milk gelato are also excellent. You taste more fromage than sugar.
Then the check appears. Did I mention the tasting menu is $10 more than Babbo's? Bar Milano is an eager, expensive competitor to Batali's flagship, but far from an equal.
Rating: **
The Bloomberg Questions
Cost? Most entrees are under $30. Tasting menu is $85, $160 with wine pairing.
Sound level? Like when Italy won the World Cup.
Date place? The new Murray Hill-Gramercy pickup scene.
Inside tip? Learn Italian if you want to read the wine list. Otherwise, the sommelier will help. Many selections are under $50.
Special feature? Old fashioned glasses must weigh ten pounds each.
Private room? No.
Will I be back? I'm already a regular at the bar.
Bar Milano is at 323 Third Ave at 24th St. Information: +1- 212-683-3035 or http://www.barmilano.com.
What the Stars Mean: **** Incomparable food, service, ambience. *** First-class of its kind. ** Good, reliable. * Fair No stars Poor.
(Ryan Sutton writes about New York City restaurants for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)
To contact the writer of this review: Ryan Sutton in New York at rsutton1@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: May 20, 2008 00:01 EDT
