Dell'anima

I have been meaning to try out this place for a while, back when I found out that one of the co-owners was Joe Campanale, former sommelier at Babbo and owner of L'Artusi, his newer Italian joint. We arrived around 7 and got seated at the bar/open kitchen fairly quickly. The seats were great since the chefs were literally cooking right in front of us, but we soon found the the heat rising from the grills and stoves a bit overwhelming on a hot summer's day. The food, nevertheless, was very hearty and muy delicioso.

Restaurant: Dell'anima
Rating: ♔♔♔

To start off, we had the Bruschette with five different dippings: Rapini Pesto, Lily Confit, Avocado, Ricotta, and Octopus. My favorites were the Lily Confit, which was on the sweeter side (with lily preserves!) and the Ricotta, which was rubbed in pinches of sea salt. The various combinations of flavors complemented each other nicely, and we were glad we succumbed to our gluttony and ordered all five.

This next appetizer, the Grilled Quail with mint, red onion, currants, and chilies was phenomenal. The crispy skin slid off nicely as we dug into the succulent meat. The quail was clearly grilled at the perfect temperature, and the flavor of the currants and chilies added several bright notes to the dish.

Compared to the quail, the Heirloom Tomato Salad (with shaved fennel, summer beans, shallots, and pesto) was much more light and refreshing. The feature of the dish, the heirloom tomato, had a likeable sweetness that differentiated it from other tomatoes, and I enjoyed popping the juices in my mouth. (I know, I should stop that.)

The Linguine below was by far my favorite dish. First of all, the linguine is half made with squid pink. One side of the pasta is black, while the other remains the normal cream color. Not only is the dish visually appealing, but the flavors twist and turn in unexpected ways. The sauce is made with chilies, mint, cherry tomatoes, sea urchin, and colatura di alici, a type of Italian sauce made from anchovies. I was surprised by the level of complexity in the dish, but the spicy chilies were relieved by the cool mint and cherry tomatoes, and I smiled blissfully as I gobbled it up. This, in my opinion, was the must-get dish of the night.

We also tried the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese, which I initially considered to be a bit of a boring choice, until I was quickly proven wrong. Unlike typical bolognese sauce, this one did not have a tomato base. Instead, it used meat juice. When I took a bite of the tagliatelle, all I could hear was the dish was screaming, "Meat! Meat!" The sauce tasted as if the meat had been braised for hours, giving it a buttery richness. I think this dish is best shared, unless of course, if you consider yourself a true carnivore.

After stuffing that last piece of tagliatelle into our mouths, we were convinced that sorbet would save us from the sweltering heat. And so we ordered two flavors - basil lemon and blackberry. Unfortunately, this was somewhat the downer of the night. Both flavors leaned too much to the sweeter side, and I could barely taste the basil in the basil lemon sorbet. The blackberry, while flavorful, tasted more like ice cream than sorbet. I am guessing that the other desserts may have been better choices, but we looked for the coldest one and dove right in.


I will soon be off to Aruba, so expect the next entry to be a special on a romantic Aruban restaurant by the beach. Happy eating and have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Dell'anima
38 8th Ave
NY, NY 10014
(212) 366-6633
www.dellanima.com