This past weekend I was invited to dine at ‘inoteca at Rivington St, in the Lower Eastside. From the outside it was very swank and “sceney.” However, our table was downstairs in a little room that resembled a wine cellar. The lights were low and if it weren’t for the parties in the other table, it would have been a cute intimiate atmosphere.
The waitstaff was very friendly, attentive, with a good grasp of the menu. The menu, on the other hand, was different Italian fare than just pasta. It was dedicated to tapas sandwiches and other bread stuff. Seriously. The way the menu was broken down to me was as follows: Small Toasts, Big Toasts, and Pannini. When I thought I ordered something not resembling toast, I was wrong. I ordered the polenta with a poached egg, bitter greens, roasted tomato, pine nuts, gorgonzola, and pancetta. What came out was a beautifully done polenta crisped into the shape of a toast (and really, carbs is carbs, right?) topped with delicious ingredients. The whole thing was superb. The Pannini with any cold cut is delicious. They did have a cheesy deepfried risotto, but I actually got quite tired of having bready fried food. The octopus salad was tart with bitter greens like arugala, which paired well with everything else and added the much needed variety. The wine menu is superb and they will help you pair with any food you get.
The price is to be expected. It’s trendy and a little pricey, but the food is pretty substancial. I still like a place like Bar Stuzzichini better. They have a vareity of delicious food simply done. I would much rather get one bread dish, like bruschette, and get other things like grilled sardines, cheese balls, and meatballs.
