Cuisine:

• Others
• Italian

Falai Description:
Former Le Cirque pastry chef Iacopo Falai has a mini downtown restaurant empire, with two eateries on the Lower East Side and one in NoLIta. But his flagship restaurant happens to be his best. Clad in trademark white, Falai is a casual-meets-refined Italian venue with creative and elevated, but not stuffy, cuisine. In fact, Falai's offerings tip-toe for a fine balance: elevating Italian cooking can be tricky, since the cuisine itself was never meant to take an haute route. But Falai does a masterful job of doing so. Thyme pappardelle in a mushroom ragù with a fig purée still sticks to its roots, despite its complexity. Polenta Bianca is layered with flavors---from chicken liver to dates. The monkfish two ways---seared and fried---is accompanied by a supporting cast of bold scallops and wading in a pool of tomato-saffron broth. The wine list, all Italian, could be less expensive, but with food this good, it's easy to talk yourself into splurging a bit. Service is relaxed, but professional.


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