Abboccato

Abboccato’s menu reflects the true appetites of Italy. Owned by The Livanos Family, owners of three-star Oceana and Molyvos, New York’s newest Italian restaurant will serve food to people who have traveled to Italy, loved what they have eaten, and then come home looking for the same experience here. Some of the food prepared by chef partner Jim Botsacos and chef de cuisine Jake Addeo will be courageous and unfamiliar, as in the renaissance dish Vaniglia e Cioccolato, where vanilla plays a flavor note in the braised veal cheeks, which are served with soft polenta and chunks of wild boar braised in red wine with spices and bitter chocolate. Some dishes, such as the Affettati Misti, sliced meats of five different regions imported from Italy, will seem like old friends. The all-Italian wine list and charming, rustic atmosphere invite diners to linger over cheese course and dessert.