Locanda Verde - Italian food in a French brasserie setting

After reserving a table one month in advance, I was finally able to try Locanda Verde - a favorite of my manager and co-worker alike. I rarely venture down to Tribeca, but after my visit to Locanda I see why people make the trip - this place is truly a unique version of an Italian ristorante. Rather than the typical mundane decor and paper table cloths prevalent in Little Italy or North Beach, Locanda Verde resides in a vast, brasserie-like space with a massive bar, delicious Italian fare and even better desserts (in fact, it just won NY Mag's "Best of" for pastries). Not at all your typical mom & pop Italian restaurant, Locanda Verde is very upbeat vibe, appealing to a younger, better-looking New York crowd and down-towners seeking solid food with their after-work drinks. Loved the vibe...and, really enjoyed the food as well - just wouldn't give it an A for service. My waitress seemed as if she were dodging fire the entire night, rarely pausing to give us a chance to speak. But, I guess that's to be expected when you go to such a high-profile joint like Locanda Verde, which probably turns tables faster than most Tribecan hot spots.

Food was delicious, but not hundreds of steps ahead of the Batali or Denton restaurants I've visited. In fact, its menu is very similar to that of L'artusi and Dell'Anima - a couple of crostini options, a variety of pastas, a choice of sides, and a small range of meat and fish.
One thing that did help Locanda stand out was its bread - rosemary lemon focaccia baked on the premises and served warm. Texture like pillows of dense, perfectly soft bread dough. So yummy. Look at that - the definition of buttery and golden brown!
To start I of course ordered my favorite of any Italian menu - crostini. Locanda is known for its sheep's milk ricotta and the accolades are totally deserved - it was probably the best ricotta cheese I've tasted. Wonderfully smooth texture, accompanied with sea salt and a pocket of amazing extra virgin olive oil, this could be my breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The wild mushroom crostini came in a different form than the ricotta crostini - rather than a pile of topping beside a stack of crusty bread, it arrived as a flatter, thinner piece of crostini with its topping pre-mounted. I'm not sure if I like the inconsistent interpretation of crostini- I prefer that a restaurant take a solid stance on their crostini preparation choice. Anyway, this topping was not my favorite - the mushrooms were smothered with a thick, balsamic vinaigrette which was, while flavorful, quite sour and overpowering. I wanted to actually taste and feel the texture of the wild mushrooms, but that didn't happen (again, missing Frankie's crostinis...).
For my main course, I ordered the Stuffed Mountain Trout with gala apple and pancetta, which was served as a roulade atop a creamy bed of lentils, which I really enjoyed.
The fish was great, but as to be expected with trout, not overly flavorful or wow-ing. I would order it again if I were in the mood for something very simple and light on the stomach.
I have to say, the side of brussel sprouts was probably the star of entree. Served hot in a dish with generous chunks of pancetta and crispy, buttery bread crumbs, the sprouts felt less like a vegetable than a main course, but was a great accompaniment to a light entree. I was also able to try a pasta my co-worker had raved about - the Gigantone with sunday night ragu and provolone picante. I unfortunately forgot to take a photo in my food bliss, but the huge chunks of shortrib were quite noteworthy - a meat lover's pasta fantasy. The gigantone itself - larger versions of rigatoni - was wonderfully al dente and held the sauce just right. I would definitely order this pasta again if I were craving something on the heavier side.

For dessert, I ordered the La Fantasia di Cioccolata, which consisted of two huge scoops of homemade gelato (amazing), a drizzling of warm salted caramel sauce, and a couple mini chunks (wish there had been more) of dense chocolate brownie. This was incredible. And to top it off, they sent us off with two dark chocolate -walnut biscotti upon signing our bill. I definitely left the restaurant as I usually do - rolling. But having been able to experience such a fun and spunky ambience while tasting creative modern Italian food, I was definitely okay with the stomach pains.

Website: www.locandaverdenyc.com
Address: 377 Greenwich St (corner of N.Moore and Greenwich)