Opening: Natalino’s


Natalino’s is an Italian restaurant that opened yesterday in West Town. It has not received much press yet; just pre-opening blurbs in the TOC Blog and an unusually shilly plug on Daily Candy. To summarize, it’s a “supperclub-esque” homestyle Italian with Chef Martine Perdomo, formerly of Piano Piano (and to a lesser extent, Coco Pazzo) at the helm, and it’s owned by Michael Genovise, who previously owned Piano Piano. We think it’s nice when owners and chefs travel together! It means they have synergy or something.

Anyway, to the menu. It’s pretty solid standard Italian - not much in the way of nuovo. Which is not to say it’s a red sauce joint; stuffed banana peppers with Italian sausage and white vinegar for $9 and organic whole wheat flaxseed penne pasta tossed with cherry tomatoes, fresh ricotta cheese and served in an olive oil & garlic sauce for $17 pretty much removes it from that category. On the other hand, it is possible to order Rigatoni Johnny, Ravioli Alla Tony D, and Farfalle Alla Mikey. These are people we grew up with in Brooklyn in the 1940s, and boy did they love their pastas. And contract killings.

If you’re looking for a hearty entree, nothing is stopping you from getting the Bone-On Ribeye with sauteed portabella mushrooms and a garlic butter white wine sauce for $28, or the ever-classic Veal Saltimbocca, wrapped with prosciutto di parm and topped with melted provolone, sauteed spinach with a roasted sage & demi-glaze sauce ($24).

Why, though, ultimately? Because you can never have too many old-school Italian restaurants, if they provide good value. We eagerly await the reviews.

Natalino’s [MenuPages]
Natalino’s [Official Site]

On the table: Natalino’s [TOC Blog]

Eataly [Daily Candy]

[Photo: their logo, uglified by a fax machine]


By the way, in a nod to the times, Natalino’s menu proudly declares that “all meats are antibiotic and hormone free.” These days, Tony D is an environmentalist.

Opening: Natalino’s