Plado Tasting Bar Awards

Plado Tasting Bar Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: Set on a street studded with small ethnic restaurants, the brick-walled Plado Tasting Bar is lively and inviting with wooden tables and chairs and a marble-topped bar. Chef German Rizzo knows a thing or two about Mediterranean and Italian cuisine. Born in Turin, Italy, and with culinary training in that city, Rizzo honed his cooking skills with the Cipriani group in New York and later at his Vite Vinosteria in Astoria, Queens.

Likes: You’ll want to spend time chatting with the friendly chef and bartenders who make you feel like you’re a guest in their home.
Dislikes: None.

Food & Drinks: The restaurant’s name explains its concept: Plado means “plate” in Esperanto. Diners choose from some 40 dishes that span the Mediterranean among four sections labeled Garden, Board, Butcher and Sea. Rizzo can guide you when it comes to how to arrange your small-plate feast, but don’t-miss choices are the taro gnocchi with oyster mushrooms and truffle cream sauce as well as crispy baby artichokes, ideal for vegetarians; and Wagyu carpaccio drizzled with Dijon mustard and olive oil and complemented by sun-dried tomatoes and green peas, or Kobe tartare for meat lovers. Try the Italy vs. Spain charcuterie, too. All seafood selections are organic and sustainable, with a popular choice the tender charred octopus with a kick of poblano pepper oil. To end the meal, without a doubt the house specialty is the homemade ice cream; we suggest the white truffle version. Happily, desserts are shareable, as you’ll also want to order the striking S’mores & More, a smoky concoction of Bavarian chocolate cream, toasted marshmallows and berries. No hard liquor is served, but the mostly European wine list includes house-made sangrías, wine-based cocktails and ports. Artisanal beers and a Chef’s Tasting Menu with wine pairings are available.