<< previous   next >>

the buzz

“L'Impero becomes Convivo”

L’Impero, Chris Cannon’s elegant Tudor City Italian restaurant, has become Convivio. As you’ll recall L’Impero was first put on the map by chef Scott Conant, and last year was transferred to the capable hands of chef Michael White. The new name and concept offers chef White a truly fresh canvas to work with. As Convivio, the restaurant will be more of a neighborhood place (though still with white table clothes) and White will focus his attention on the lusty foods of Southern Italy.

White’s menu, which is served a la carte or as a $59 four course prix fixe ($49 at lunch), starts off with Sfizi (snacks, $4-5) like roasted fennel, sea salt and lemon, artichokes with mint and pecorino, fried bread with cured pancetta, and raw fava beans with caccicavalo cheese. A veritable feast is listed under antipasti ($12-15), including bufalo mozzarella with sliced figs and rosemary oil, crispy sardines, warm pig’s feet vinaigrette, and grilled quail skewers in vin cotto. There are two separate sections of pasta. The first is Primi de Mare ($18-24), and it contains seafood pastas like Malloredous—Sardinian saffron gnocchetti with crab and sea urchin. The second column of Primi ($19-21) is all laced with rich meats, like his spaghetti with pancetta, pecorino, egg and black pepper and his rigatoni with tripe, sausage and wild fennel. And then of course, there are secondi ($25-$28) of fish (swordfish with tomatoes, mint, garlic, red onion and egg), and meat (sucking pig with braising greens and pork cracklings).

Convivio is now open at 45 Tudor City Place, (212) 599-5045.

<< previous   next >>

Posted: July 13, 2008 - 8:34 pm

Share !