Sotto Sotto

Sotto Sotto Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: Riccardo Ullio's Sotto Sotto firmly adheres to the principles of the Italian kitchen. The tiny rear patio makes a lovely, intimate spot in nice weather, and though a high noise level might render the dining room seemingly void of romance, many couples dine here.

Food & Drinks: Authenticity is evident in such starters as the cooked-to-order risotti that come al dente --- try the seafood or the mantecato with its drizzle of good balsamic vinegar. Half portions of risotti as well as of all of the pasta choices make good openers. We like the bucatini with black pepper, pancetta and freshly grated pecorino cheese. Simple capesante (scallops) arrive surrounded by a light bean (cannellini) stew, making a fine small main dish. Whole roasted fish is a study in the simplicity of Italian cooking, and the oak-roasted veal chop is perhaps the best in town. Classic panna cotta, a mound of trembling white custard, comes with a drizzle of aceto balsamico tradizionale, but we prefer the chocolate soup. Sotto Sotto's well-chosen all-Italian (except for the Champagnes) wine list complements the food, and offers plenty of choices by the glass. The Vietti Roero Arneis supports the clams and the wood-roasted fish.