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Graham Elliot |
Restaurant Wed Jul 28 2010
Cafe Spiaggia, Redesigned
The newly redesigned Cafe Spiaggia premiered last night, but who has an eye on the decor when amazing small plates are being passed around? The atmosphere was welcoming, but as with any top restaurant, the food takes center stage.
I had an opportunity to sample a few pizzas (prosciutto with cherry tomatoes, baby zucchini, and margherita), as well as their fantastic new focaccia with mozzarella and Taggiasca olives inside. On the less-bready tip, there were some fantastic crostini going around: cured sardine on caper pesto, as well as a smoked trout with parsley and fried capers. But the real highlight on such a humid evening was the gelato. I chose the raspberry and chocolate (grapefruit sorbet was a third option), and I was not disappointed -- the chocolate tasted nothing like chocolate ice cream you're used to, it was like a fine chilled dark chocolate bar. And the raspberry wasn't far behind with chewy bits of fresh raspberry throughout.
The new menu is focused on small plates, and would be a perfect post-work spot for a glass of wine and a bite on the way home, yet larger plates are also on the menu if you have the hunger.
