While many mourned the passing of 16-year-old
neighborhood stalwart Cucina restaurant in Park Slope, many more
were pleased to discover that chef Michael Fiore has remained
at the location to start anew.
Fiore and two partners opened Tempo restaurant in the same location
in September, and while Cucina may have been pigeonholed as a
special occasion restaurant, Tempo’s team is determined to make
the eatery a place that Brooklynites will want to return to again
and again – in the same week.
Although Tempo still inhabits the large space on Fifth Avenue,
the interior renovations – earth-toned walls and wooden floors,
tables and chairs – make for a sophisticated yet comfortable
bar and two dining rooms.
"’The lady needed a new dress,’ as Robert says," co-owner
Michael Elliott said, paraphrasing partner Robert Amato.
According to Elliott, they "kept the bones" of the
restaurant but her attire is all new, as is the menu. While the
management has achieved an elegant effect, Elliott pointed to
his own jeans to emphasize that Tempo is, first and foremost,
a casual, neighborhood restaurant.
Tempo’s sexy banquettes – and flattering lighting! – enhance
a romantic dinner for two, but there’s plenty of elbowroom for
a Sunday dinner with the whole clan.
While Fiore’s new Mediterranean-inspired American menu is heavenly,
what most impressed this reviewer is the down-to-earth – yet
impeccable – service from everyone from the waitstaff to partners
Elliott (who also serves as the maitre d’) and Amato, who doubles
as wine director.
Service at most owner-operated restaurants is generally above
par, but at Tempo, three owners with superb credentials are on
duty.
Amato, who has worked at the River Cafe, JoJo, Coco Pazzo, Jean
Georges, Babbo and Ilo, is on a mission to infect diners with
his own very contagious enthusiasm for wine and to help diners
get the most bang for their wine bucks. He offers about 200 wines
from around the world, with a focus on "affordable, esoteric
wines from the Mediterranean."
A dozen wines are available by the "quartino" – a third
of a bottle, or 250 milliliters – enough for two to enjoy with
a single course. The benefits are many. Among them, diners have
the option of ordering a different wine with each course; therefore,
without the pressure of committing to an entire bottle, they
might take the opportunity to experience a wine for the first
time.
Tempo also offers tasty seasonal cocktails. The apple martini,
instituted in the fall, is made from slivers of fresh New York
apples steeped in vodka. It had my dining partner so smitten
he attempted his own at home, but sadly, not with Tempo’s results
– an outstanding tango of tart and sweet ingredients. Hot buttered
rum has been added for the winter. Big hunks of artisanal bread,
amber bowls of sea salt and olive oil hinted at the hearty, generous
meal to come.
Fiore’s duck pastilla – like phyllo – roll served with a side
of greens and a shmear of Moroccan-inspired barbecue sauce (flavored
with cinnamon and sugar) made us glad there was a chill in the
air. We battled for the last flakes of this cousin of the eggroll.
Even more unusual and equally delectable was Fiore’s improvement
on that old standby, a cast iron pot of mussels. At Tempo, the
fresh, steamed mussels "cataplana" are flavored with
white wine, garlic – and most surprising – cubes of scrumptious,
hearty chorizo sausage that gave weight to the light mollusks.
Even the salad – made with the Tuscan grain, farro – was made
more substantial with a generous addition of "caciocavallo,"
a southern Italian cheese made from cow’s milk.
For main courses, diners can choose from a list of pastas (many
are housemade), panini sandwiches and traditional meat and fish
entrees. The bucatini with Sicilian pistachio nut pesto is a
terrific impersonation of a cream-based pasta dish – without
the cream. Fiore explained that he mixes natural rich oils with
pasta water to achieve the luscious sauce, while the nuts add
crunch to the combination of chubby spaghetti-like pasta and
string beans ("fagiolini"). A little of this heavy
dish goes a long way.
The pappardelle with ragout of wild boar is the Italian version
of beef stroganoff. The rich, thick stew, enhanced with slivers
of pecorino romano and basil, is a complex masterpiece.
Fiore’s "roasted whole orata" fish is served, as the
name implies, in its entirety, on a platter surrounded by a pretty
assortment of yellow and red cherry tomatoes. The fish was then
whisked away for de-boning and quickly returned for devouring.
Flavored with white wine, Stella Cadente Meyer lemon olive oil,
and the robust tomatoes, this dish inspired my New Year’s resolution
to try more of Fiore’s other fish entrees.
His tangy pan-roasted duck breast with sour cherries is served
with a satin parsnip puree and a contemporary flourish of crunchy
strips of parsnip; the memory of this dish still makes me salivate.
Order a side of Fiore’s chick pea fries to absorb every last
bite of his sauces.
To end the meal, there is a selection of whole leaf teas from
which to choose, as well as robust coffees and housemade sorbets
and gelatos. Another eyebrow raiser, this time on the dessert
list, is the "sticky date and toffee pudding." A British
treat on this Mediterranean menu might be unexpected, but it’s
just as welcome a visitor. Like a pecan pie without the pecans,
it’s served with creme fraiche and warm toffee sauce.
Truly, from the meal’s beginning to its end, from the restaurant’s
front entrance to its farthest curving banquette, the Tempo team
has achieved the restaurant trifecta – great food, stellar service
and a welcoming ambiance – that will have you looking for excuses
to return again and again.
Tempo Restaurant & Wine Bar is located
at 256 Fifth Ave. at Carroll Street in Park Slope. Entrees: $10-$27.
On Sundays, in addition to the regular dinner menu, a whole truffle-roasted
chicken-for-two is carved tableside for $38. Tempo is open Tuesdays
through Sundays for dinner. Closed Mondays. Tempo accepts American
Express, MasterCard and Visa. For reservations and more information,
call (718) 636-2020.
