Last Night: 'inoteca

The quest for an LES birthday dinner spot had me considering Pho Grand, Casimir, and Schiller's. The final decision brought us to a downstairs table for 3 at 'inoteca - Birthday-Girl requested Italian.

We started off with a bottle of wine suggested by 'inoteca's wine director. We asked for medium-bodied red with an earthy taste and notes of spice. He brought an interesting selection - Caniolo. The Caniolo is a grape used mostly for blending chianti's, but it stood on its own in our bottle, which met our requests perfectly.

'inoteca serves Italian mezze courses. Meats + cheeses, bruschetta, panini, verdura, and some entrees. The antipasto sampler included a variety of rich and spicy olives, spicy sauteed broccolini, provolone picante, copa, sauteed endive, and - my favorite - an assortment of delicous farm-fresh pickled veggies.

We kept the meal generally light following the antipasto. A grilled octopus tentacle was tasty but not as awe-inspiring as those at my favorite greeks (periyali). Grilled mushrooms over arugula with shallots was well enjoyed and the Bruschetta sampler (black olive, butternut squash, white bean, porcini) was presented well on nice, big crostini but lacked real depth and flavor.

Dessert was the highlight. An affagato kicked ass and the chocolate panacotta was a rare find. Little Nutella sandwiches dipped in poached grapes were also a hit (with the ladies).

I'd do it again, 'inoteca. The experience was enjoyable - knowledgeable and helpful staff, impressive wine list. I'd shoot only for the downstairs though. Upstairs was noisy and cramped, the wine cellar room below was calm and dark. Perfect for romance or friends and few bottles.