Maialino

Danny Meyer’s Maialino is one of those restaurants that seems to have it all: a great location (opposite Gramercy Park); an inspired design that manages to balance chic and cozy; a cool downtown vibe that keeps scensters entertained and a menu that’s interesting enough to draw the foodies. Meyer has said that Maialino was inspired by an old-fashioned Roman trattoria, but the David Rockwell-designed space, with a nice bar-café area up front and airy dining room in the back, feels decidedly new-world. The menu, too, infuses classic Italian cuisine with innovation; meals kick off with antipasta, which may include insalata di bottarga (celery root served with a soft-boiled egg and mullet roe), lamb sweetbreads with radicchio or fried artichokes drizzled with anchovy sauce. Carnivores will be happy with all-things braised (lamb), aged (steak) and hearty (oxtails) while sweet-tooths will surely find something to please on the dolci menu. There’s a fabulous bar area, so even if you cannot score a coveted dinner reservations, cozy Maialino is a nice spot for an aperitiv and some cichetti.