Neighborhood: West Village, Manhattan
Go for: Don Angie, but make it seafood
The seafood-heavy sister restaurant to the inimitable Don Angie was the hardest table in town to book well before it opened. If you are fortunate enough to elbow your way into a Resy, or walk in to snag one of their wooden bar stools, take your time. Start with a cocktail. We did negronis and note-perfect dry martinis, finished with a thick peel of lemon, just like they are on the Amalfi. The space itself recalled the fabled Italian coastline, with warm, sunny yellows and pops of Mediterranean blues, but an impressive bar with hand carved stools and leather booths make the place feel every part of an upscale West Village restaurant. And then, the food. After stints at Torrisi and the helm of Don Angie, chef Angie Rito knows a thing or two about Italian-American cuisine, which is how San Sabino classifies itself. Though here, she reinvents it even further. Contrary to red sauce norms, the menu is heavy on lighter dishes, like exceptional salads (the tricolore Sabino is their take on a Caesar) and crudos (the spicy tuna with broken arancini was my favorite bite of the night) and a smart, tight selection of pasta dishes. I resisted the urge to get meatballs and Sunday sauce manicotti and went full fish, because, when in Amalfi…. The crab-filled farfalle was delicate and wonderfully sauced as was the lobster triangoli. We had to order the restaurant’s viral dish, the shrimp parm, with heads popping out from layers of red sauce and cheese, sizzling on a silver platter. Risking backlash, I will say that it was good, but it’s not a can’t-miss. Instead, opt for an additional dish of what Rito does so exceptionally here – the fresher, lighter seafood (another crudo, or perhaps the halibut). And if you (like me) still need that fix of more on-the-nose Italian American, it is nice to know that Rito’s meatball spiedini—deliciously seasoned, served on a skewer—can be ordered with any dish, on the side. —Erin Florio, global features director
