Ainslie

Ainslie Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: If you’re looking for a fun evening that includes enjoying solid Italian fare, Ainslie from John DeLucie is your go-to. This is a venue that allows guests to choose their experience: relaxing in the lounge or on the rooftop (in warmer weather); inhabiting the slightly quieter dining room; or opting for the more raucous beer garden/wine bar with a retractable roof (so you can pretend you’re outdoors). The cavernous setting, beautifully retrofitted into a former wire loom factory space, also has three bars, not to mention DJ music on the weekends. A variety of seating conforms to couples seeking to cozy up in a booth, or friends gathered at long tables or marble high tops.

Likes: Fun, inviting restaurant with solid Italian food.
Dislikes: Can be very noisy and crowded on weekends.

Food & Drinks: The environment as a whole may seem like it will guarantee a good time, but it’s really the food that’s the attention-getter. DeLucie (Empire Diner, Waverly Inn) keeps it all straightforward, for the first time in his career finding a home in Brooklyn and drawing on his Italian background. Together with master pizzaiolo Erasmo 'Mino' Lassandro from Puglia, DeLucie offers up a menu that encourages the sharing of small plates, pizzas and mains. Using the pizza oven to maximum effect, rosemary chicken wings, beets and other veggies are deliciously wood fired. Particularly notable is the saltimbocca pizza, with just the right amount of prosciutto and sage adorning the melty cheese and thin crust. New York strip steak, grilled in the open kitchen, is a beauty with an ideal char on the exterior and a pink moist center. Pastas are featured; among them lasagna with Bolognese sauce and linguine vongole are particularly enticing. For dessert, go for the banana bread pudding with homemade whipped cream. Pick from 16 local craft beers on tap, 20 wines by the glass (and four on tap), ciders and cocktails. Not surprisingly, the international wine list skews Italian.