Fall is upon us and with that a plethora of new restaurant openings; some large, some small, some very good, and some awfully bad. This week, thankfully, I had a great experience at the new Italian restaurant Travertine. It quietly opened on Kenmare St. last month after months (and months) of fighting for a liquor license. The décor is sleek and the ambiance is warm and candlelit. In a rare occurrence in the Tomasello family, my sister arrived before me and made the acquaintance of the very hospitable owner and Director of Service while sipping on a great Primitivo at the bar. Their hospitality is reflected throughout every staff encounter.
Chef Manual Trevino has a Batali pedigree, so my hopes for the food were high. Not only were they met, but they were exceeded, especially with the help of the inventive desserts of pastry chef Marisa Croce. The highlights of the meal for me were the garganelli with shiitake, brussel sprouts, browned butter and the greek yogurt pannacotta with black mission figs, prosciutto caramel, honey pepper crostini. As I would say to my friends, this place is definitely legit.
The Travertine at 19 Kenmare Street – http://www.travertinenyc.com/
