December 8, 2011 Restaurant/Bar News
Ristorante Aglio, the reinvention of TriBeCafe, opens tonight. The space is barely different: The big round table in the rear is gone, and if much more has changed I couldn’t tell. That’s not a bad thing, because it was always an attractive room, with exposed brick, bookshelves, and great lighting. Ristorante Aglio (Italian for “garlic”) is a collaboration between B Flat (the bar downstairs) and Greenwich Grill, the “Tokyo Italian” restaurant on Greenwich; the latter is consulting on the menu and front-of-house operation. The food at Ristorante Aglio is described as “Italian without borders,” although it looks like straight-up Italian to me, and about as far as you can get from the quirky Japanese bar food at TriBeCafe. Prices are higher—pastas are $16 to $26, while entrées are $23 to $45—and the service is still relatively formal, as one would expect from an establishment affiliated with B Flat. They will fold your napkin if you get up to use the restroom, and crumb scrapers are in full effect. Disclosure: I was invited to a soft-opening dinner last night, where I received 50% off the bill.
UPDATE: I’m told that “Italian without borders” referred to borders within Italy.
Ristorante Aglio is at 277 Church (between White and Franklin), 212-343-0277; ristoranteaglio.com.
P.S. When you go to Ristorante Aglio—and you should!—share your thoughts on its page in the Tribeca Citizen Restaurant Guide.
Recent New Kid on the Block articles:
• Kutsher’s Tribeca
• Artsee
• Tribeca Tap House
• Cheryl McGinnis Gallery
• François Payard Bakery
• Laughing Man Marketplace
• JEM Café
• Lolë
Comments are closed.
Subscribe to the TC Newsletter