Inventive Italian
Traditional and Contemporary "Together” at Insieme
by John Mariani

It would easy enough to yawn at the opening of yet another Italian restaurant in New York, but when you have such a number doing such fine work, distinguished from the pack, I can't wait to tell you about them. Insieme is very much a place unlike its competitors, not only for its strikingly sleek design, by Bentel & Bentel, which did The Modern, but for its curious bisected menu, with traditional—but unusual—dishes on one side and more contemporary and personalized items on the other, hence the name, which in Italian means "together."

Insieme is the second restaurant of Marco Canora, whose Hearth is a delightfully rustic spot in the East Village. Insieme is a much swankier place though in no way formal. It follows the current pattern of having naked tabletops, but here it seems like a true design element rather than a cheap way to save money. The rectangular room is at the ground floor—actually a few steps down—in The Michelangelo hotel, whose last restaurant tenant was Limoncello, and it is smack in the Theater District. The designers have used travertine marble and white oak, and I love the alcove-like seating on one side. I also liked the fact that the decibel level is entirely conversational, which is near impossible at Hearth.

We started off with a light fritto misto of offal—calf's liver, sweetbreads, veal, veal tongue, and asparagus—lightly fried to a golden brown crispness, the meat tender and diverse in flavors and textures. Calamari ripieni are stuffed squid, which came with shrimp, sweet white asparagus, ramps and a little touch of orange that gave them a Southern Italian tang. Canora, with chef de cuisine Edward Higgins, does some Italian sushi, crudi, that might include salmon belly, yellowtail, Barron Point oysters, or big eye tuna in three variations. They also do a spring bream carpaccio with sugar snap peas, a puree of ramps, and pepper leaves—a burst of springtime on the plate.

Pastas at Insieme are every bit as lusty as at Hearth, beginning with one of the best lasagne alla bologneses I've had outside of Emilia-Romagna, made with spinach pastas suffused with a besciamella and a ragù as rich with vegetables as ground meat. Culingionis are Sardinian ravioli, filled with potato, favas, fennel, and mint—another spot-on duplication of authenticity and seasonal flavors. Another dish rarely seen here because it is difficult to get the ingredients right, is risi e bisi, a seemingly simple mess of rice (not a risotto) and spring peas laced with Parmigiano. Insieme hits it squarely, making a humble dish sublimely satisfying, with a touch of prosciutto and celery to perk it up.

For main courses there is a correctly made cacciucco with shellfish and fish adrift in a sweet tomato sauce sparkling with lemon and peperoncini, in the style of Viarreggio. I always order bollito misto when it's on the menu, and here it is a generously proportioned plate of boiled meats with a salsa verde, horseradish cream, and mustard fruits, just as you'd find it in Modena.

If I have sinned more on the traditional side of the menu, it's because that side had irresistible dishes on it, whereas many of those on the right side seemed strained with disparate flavors—Tasmanian king salmon (why go to Tasmania for salmon?) with tarragon and salmon caviar, and beef broth with wagyu beef and star anise, which strikes me as wasting very expensive beef when a lesser cut and grade would probably be better in a dish that sounds more Chinese than Italian.

Desserts at Insieme are very, very good, from a really well-made ricotta cheesecake with a hint of orange to a devilishly rich gianduja bar with pistachio-hazelnut cream and orange sauce. Pastry chef Amadou Ly even does a creditable cannoli, spiked with a rhubarb confit. There are also six cheeses available, at $3.50 each.

Insieme would seem to be in a perfect neighborhood to do great business, though its neighbors are not in its class (Pizza Hut is a neighbor), but then again, Le Bernardin, Bar Americain, `21' Club and Anthos are right around the block. So, I think it should do great pre-theater business and attract a crowd that truly loves authentic Italian food in a snappy new setting.

John Mariani is well known for his frank and poignant writing in Esquire, Wine Spectator, Diversion and the Harper Collection. He is author of The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink and co-author, with his wife, of the Italian-American Cookbook.