People who have lived in New York long enough remember the days when the only restaurant of note in the TriBeCa area (it stands for the Triangle Below Canal, a major cross-Manhattan thoroughfare) was The Odeon, a pioneering French brasserie that was the hub of the late 80s party scene. These days you can barely walk a block without stumbling over a Michelin-starred eatery or a notable chef.
A recent addition to the neighbourhood is Robert De Niro’s Locanda Verde, a fresh, seasonal take on northern Italian cuisine. The chef is Andrew Carmellini, formerly responsible for the ever-popular A Voce in the Flatiron district, which served some of the best Italian food in the city, and Locanda Verde is equally successful. Standout starters include a sheep’s milk ricotta pepped up with rock salt and fresh herbs, and blue crab crostini that melds creamy crab meat with a pleasant hum of jalapeno. The primi don’t disappoint: My Grandmothers’ [sic] Ravioli is wonderfully light and flavourful, and the Lemon Risotto with Calamaretti and Chorizo bold and zesty. The lamb chops served as a secondi are sublimely tender and juicy.
While the menu has a largely rustic feel, the space is Northern Italian farmhouse meets New York industrial with an open kitchen. In the summer, try and grab one of the seats outside on the pavement or at least make sure you’re seated away from diners who insist on spending most of their meal on their mobiles — the transformation of TriBeCa has attracted plenty of people searching for the hot scene rather than good eating. Either way, make sure that you’re not seated at table 304. It’s directly behind the greeters, meaning that should you be unfortunate enough to be seated there, you’ll spend your evening with your face inches from the host or hostess’s backside. Food of this quality shouldn’t have to compete with such distractions.
377 Greenwich St (corner of N. Moore and Greenwich), New York (+ 1 (212) 925-3797, locandaverdenyc.com/)
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