Legend has it, that in the ancient city of Pompeii there was a woman named Asellina who ran a tavern/brothel. In present day, Asellina located in the Gansevoort Park Hotel is the sexier sister restaurant to the New York establishment STK.
Dark woods, dimly lit candles and a spacious lounge area are the first things that hit you when you enter Asellina. The atmosphere is not typical Gramercy. With being located in a hotel, there is a smattering of tourists, albeit sophisticated in addition, there is a masculine aura of power brokers and also a smattering of ladies looking for a sponsor. Still, Asellina is a dining establishment that is nice on the eyes.
With a new chef, Andrea Montobbio a native of Northern Italy, Asellina's menu is slowly being revamped. I was privy to a slew of savory appetizers that showed the influence of the chef's native land. The Margherita pizza was heavy on cheese light on sauce and had a cracker thin crust. The smoky flavored mozzarella, hits all the right notes and portion size was excellent for sharing. Other menu highlights include both the Prosciutto and Boscialo the latter having some of most intensely flavored fontina in the city of New York as well as the deep fried calamari, and the veal and parmesan stuffed Cerignola Olives.
I passed on the specialty cocktails and stuck to a well flavored and pleasing house white wine as to not conflict with the onslaught of food. As I ate, drank and chatted up others in the bar area, the dining room filled up rather quickly with a stylish crowd that had that perfect New York look, of not trying to hard, just trying to have a great meal in a great area.
Recently turning three, Asellina lights a spark in the Gramercy area and gives the Gansevoort Park Hotel an excellent anchor dining establishment. Chef Montobbio might be new to the Big Apple but, his menu has the right amount of old favorites. I'm welcoming this hot spot to my list of favorite places to dine, Asellina where is the motto is "Happiness Dwells Here."
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