It’s hard to imagine now, but just a few
years ago, Seventh Avenue was the only game in town when it came
to Park Slope dining. No one was thrilled with the uninspired
restaurants, but if you wanted to eat in the neighborhood, you
worked with what was available.
Then Fifth Avenue started its restaurant renaissance, drawing
diners westward.
In May, Giovanni Tafuri stepped up Seventh Avenue’s game when
he opened Sette Enoteca e Cucina, a trattoria and wine bar that,
unlike the pedestrian establishments nearby, aims higher than
the middle ground.
Tafuri – who owns Sapore, a trattoria in Greenwich Village –
transformed this Slope site from a sporting goods store into
a modern, yet convivial, eatery. He placed the talented Amanda
Freitag, the former chef de cuisine at Manhattan’s ’Cesca, in
the kitchen, where she’s putting a twist on homey Italian fare.
To enhance her rustic cooking, Tafuri installed a wood-burning
oven that turns out smoky, thin-crusted pizzas, and even dessert
crostadas (free-form tarts).
To keep the mood light, there’s the "venti per venti,"
or list of 20 Italian wines for $20 each.
Sette (which is Italian for "seven") is one large,
square room. Wooden beams crisscross the ceiling; tables that
are placed inches apart can feel cozy – or too intimate – depending
on your take; and a small bar sits on the side of the room. Like
the seating, the lights can be seen as too dim or pleasantly
romantic. Amusing fixtures made of wire mesh that resemble bug
zappers – without the shiver-inducing "tsst" sound
– cast a warm, ambient glow atop the bar and into portions of
the dining area.
On a recent Saturday evening, with every seat taken and diners
waiting at the bar, the din was remarkable, but steps have been
taken to remedy the situation. (If you run your hands under the
table, you’ll feel several inches of foam padding that absorb
some of the sound. If Sette continues to be this popular, it
will need more of it.)
If you look at Sette’s ambience with an optimist’s eye, you’ll
see it as a happy place: loud with good cheer, its darkness conducive
to intimacy. You’ll need to evaluate the cooking with the same
"glass is half-full" approach, which isn’t difficult
when so much of the food is appealing.
To begin, several long sticks of chewy, slightly salty, pizza
"bianco" (no sauce) are served in tall, mesh cylinders.
I would have enjoyed a piece dipped into the olive oil that comes
with a bowl of olives, but the bread was unpleasantly cold.
One glitch that appeared early in the meal was underseasoning.
A dish that sounds as gutsy as sardines, topped with herbed breadcrumbs
and baked in the wood-burning oven, should pack a wallop of flavor.
These two large fish are dense and briny, their topping crunchy
and delicately lemony, but after a couple of bites, I longed
for a ramekin of sea salt on the table. (And this request shouldn’t
be seen as demeaning to the chef.)
The "orecchiette" ("little ear"-shaped pasta)
is tossed with a bland, grainy pork ragu that cries out for seasoning.
And if crisp pancetta is included in the dish – as it’s described
in the menu – I missed it.
Yet crisp, salty circles of pancetta add just the right hit of
saline to a subtle starter of roasted asparagus in Parmesan "fondu."
The fondu (not to be confused with "fondue," the thick
cheese or chocolate dips for bread or fruit) is a thin, cream-based
sauce flavored with the cheese that sets off the nuttiness of
the spears.
Next came an entree that showcased the chef’s talent with elan.
The dish is the oven-baked whole "bronzino" (sea bass),
its center filled with slices of lemon, red onion and sprigs
of lemon thyme and topped with an unusual partner. Atop the fish
– and it’s one of the freshest, sweetest, examples of this variety
you’ll find anywhere – Freitag places a mound of room temperature
arugula tossed with capers and garlic, chunks of fingerling potatoes
and slices of garlic. Over everything she drizzles an intensely
lemony, herbaceous dressing that unifies the ingredients. It’s
a masterful mix of textures and temperatures that make for fine
eating.
Desserts are beautifully executed and delicious. Freitag uses
mascarpone (Italian cream cheese) for her cheesecake and it’s
superb. Lighter than American versions, it has a slightly nut-like
taste enhanced by its almond-flavored "amaretti" cookie
crust. Beside it is a mound of quince poached in wine and a bit
of vanilla. The fruit possesses a texture that’s silkier than
a pear with a floral flavor that complements the velvety cake.
The gelato comes from well-known Il Laboratorio del Gelato in
Manhattan. I tried three scoops – a delicately flavored pumpkin,
a pungent espresso and a creamy hazelnut. Each was unbeatable.
The gelato is offered with a buttery, house-baked biscotti that
rivaled its partners.
Right now, Sette Enoteca e Cucina’s patio is enclosed and heated,
its temporary plastic enclosure strung with twinkling white Christmas
lights. In the spring, when the tarp is removed, its diners will
sip their Italian wine outdoors, feeling like they’ve traveled
a great distance from Seventh Avenue.
Sette Enoteca e Cucina (207 Seventh
Ave. at Third Street in Park Slope) accepts American Express,
Discover, MasterCard and Visa. Entrees: $15-$24. The restaurant
serves dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Brunch is available on
weekends from 11:30 am to 3 pm. Closed Mondays. For reservations,
call (718) 499-7767..
