Today at 5 p.m., Sojourn alum Stanton Du Toit will kick off his latest project: a “wine restaurant.” “We are trying to get away from being a wine bar or just a restaurant,” he tells us. So at Tolani (South African slang for “too good”), he’ll serve dishes representing regions all over the world and varietals to match. “Think Tuscany and carbonara with a Barbara or New Zealand and a bright Sauvignon Blanc with mussels,” he says. The menu of $9 to $21 dishes (rotating on a weekly basis depending on what’s in season) will be handled by David Rotter, formerly of Campo and Pampano, with Le Cirque executive chef Craig Hopson consulting. This week’s featured items: A green-papaya-and-cucumber salad with peanuts and crisp rice, grilled quail with dates and bulgur wheat, tiger prawns with peri-peri, garlic butter, and chorizo rice, and a Greek salad with grilled octopus. Check out the menu below and the 150-person space in our slideshow; a 40-person garden is also under construction.
DINING ROOM
COLD
Green Papaya & Cucumber Salad with Peanuts & Crisp Rice 9
Greek Salad with Grilled Octopus 9
Shaved Pear with Fennel & Pecorino Salad 9
Artichokes with Marinated White Anchovies & Zucchini 9
Grilled Quail with Dates & Bulgar Wheat 13
Chicken Liver Crostini with Capers, Caramelized Onion & Brandy 9
Robiola Cheese with House made Orange Honey & Crisp Country Bread 13
Big Eye Tuna Tartar with Blood Orange, Fennel & Avocado 16
Seasonal Raw Bar Platter 22
HOT
Gruyere Cheese Souffle 14
Tiger Prawns with Peri- Peri, Garlic Butter, & Chorizo Rice 21
Carbonara with House Made Pasta, Berkshire Pork Pancetta, Organic Egg &
Parmesan 14
“Cuban Style” Roast Pork Loin with Apple, Rosemary, Garlic & Plantains 16
Fresh Ricotta Gnocchi with Squash, Swiss chard & Wild Mushroom 13
N Z Green Mussels with Kaffir Lime, Coconut Milk & Curry 12
T-Bone Steak- Brazillian Style 26
Pan Roasted Bronzino & Greek Salad 15
Halibut “Bacalao style”, Basquase & Romesco Sauce ?
Goat Curry & Mango Rice 18
Cod Cheeks with Malaysian Peanut Satay Sauce 17
Duck Pastilla & Pea Shoot Salad 18
Baby Brick Chicken & Roast Potato Puree 18
Chickpeas & Harissa Vinaigrette 9
Collard Greens & Grits 12
Grilled Seasonal Mushrooms 14
Roasted Butternut Squash with Apple, Sage & Brown Butter 12
BAR
Meats & Cheese
Any 3/18, 5/23, all 29 would like to make fresh Mozzarella Cheese
BAR BITES
Crispy West Coast Oyster Rolls with Napa Cabbage Slaw & Soy Lime Sauce 12
Carbonara with House made Pasta, Berkshire Pork Pancetta, Organic Egg & Parmesan 12
Croquettas & Harissa Aioli 8
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce 8
Gruyere Cheese Souffle 11
Baked Ricotta with Roasted Peppers & Herbs 10
Hummus Plate 13
Shrimp & Zucchini Fritters 12
Large Meatball & Whipped ricotta 12
Stuffed Olives with Mortadella, Pecorino and Roast Tomato 10
Lamb Merguise Sausage Sliders with Grainy Mustard & Feta 14
N Z Mussels with Kaffir Lime, Coconut Milk & Curry 13
Grilled Seasonal Mushrooms 14
Lettuce Wraps with Chicken, Peanuts & Soy 12
Big Eye Tuna Tartar with Blood Orange, Avocado & Fennel 14
Steak Tartar with Caper Berries & Crisp Potato 16
DESSERT
Chocolate Soufflé 10
Blood Orange Panna Cotta &Candied; Fennel 10
Small frozen House made Yogurt Cones (Assorted Flavors) 10
Zeppolis & Orange Honey 10
Stanton’s Malva Pudding 10
Cookie Plate (for Tables) 10
Tolani, 410 Amsterdam Ave., nr. 79th St.; 212-873-6252