al di la

I have yet to be disappointed by a meal at al di la.  It's everything you could want in a neighborhood eatery -- delicious food that you probably wouldn't cook for yourself at home, no attitude, and a tab of around $30 per person for two courses, tax and tip.  Everything was stellar tonight: the melt-in-your-mouth Australian grass-fed (read: non-mad cow) beef carpaccio with anchovies, capers, and a generous tangy shower of parmesan shards; the summery market salad of cooked beets, crunchy radishes, blanched green and yellow wax beans, sugar snap peas, tender garlic scapes, and sunflower sprouts tossed with a mild home made red vinegar; tagliatelle with meat ragu; and of course, my favorite, the genie pillow casunziei with fuchsia beet ricotta filling, glossy clarified butter and the subtle crunch of poppy seeds. 

The man sitting next to us said, "I swear to God, these are the best ravioli I've ever had.  I always order them.  They just transport you to a different place."  That's the perfect description for what I saw happen to my friend Matt as he bit into the butter basted pocket for the first time -- he leaned back, closed his eyes, smiled as he chewed, and held his hand up to put the conversation on pause.  Hey, anything that can even make me shut up has got to be special.

al di la
248 Fifth Ave. at Carroll St.
718-783-4565
closed on Tuesdays!