(photo by Nicholas Franzen)
Tweaking is as important to a serious new restaurant as tuning is to a violin. So, after an opening two years, Costata is now a better restaurant for the changes that have been made to the three-story premises, which include better lighting, more colorful artwork, and a far more affable service staff.
Costata is very much in the tradition of the New York Italian Steakhouse, a genre pioneered in 1926 at the first Palm (now undergoing a "major facelift"), whose raffish atmosphere, barebones look, and menu of steaks, lobsters, tomato salad, a few pastas, and cheesecake defined the idea, replicated at its nearby competitors Christ Cella, Colombo's, Pietro's, Joe & Rose's, and Bruno's Pen & Pencil. That template is still in effect on scores of contemporary steakhouses, although these days new entries tend to be far more swank, and Costata falls into that category.
The new artwork is by London-based artist Nasser Azam, with sixteen installations including large abstract paintings and prints on aluminum and mirror. Hardwood floors are buffered by softer elements, and it's good to see double tablecloths and good lighting (though they dim it mid-evening). The music, though unnecessary, is not all that invasive.
The 36-page wine list is exemplary though pricey: a Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Emidio Pepe 2007 by the glass is $36; a bottle at the store is $65. But the number of older vintages of top labels makes this screed very impressive indeed.
Costata is part of Chef/restaurateur Michael White's Altamareagroup empire, which now extends to Marea, Morini Trattoria, Morini Ristorante, Ai Fiori, and The Butterfly, all in NYC; Due Mari in New Brunswick, NJ, two Nicoletta pizzerias; Bedford Post Inn in Bedford, NY; Chop Shop in London; and Al Molo in Hong Kong. Costata is something of a homecoming for White who first established his rep as chef in these same Soho premises when it was Fiamma.
The menu is not dissimilar to the majority of the steakhouses in NYC, except that Costata's pastas are among the very best in the city, as they would be anywhere: Fusilli with a pork shoulder ragù, pomodoro, and robiolina cheese ($22) is lusty and rich in every morsel, the pasta impeccably al dente; pansotti are bulked up with ricotta and mascarpone filling, corn purée, red wine-laced sugo ($22); and garganelli alla fiamma studded with prosciutto and English peas in a lush truffle cream ($24) is irresistible to the last bite. By the way, while the pasta portions are quite generous, they don't look less so in the kind of bowls they're served in.
The menu is shorter than it used to be--no more American "caviar" and no lamb chops. For starters White reprises several of his hits from other restaurants, including a selection of crudi (above) like lustrous amberjack dolled up with Calabrian chilies and pickled cauliflower ($19). A half dozen East Coast oysters served with mignonette and spicy arrabbiata cocktail sauce ($18) were good and briny, and a each species in a fritto misto of calamari, halibut, shrimp, artichokes with Calabrian chili aïoli ($19) was perfectly cooked, crispy and hot. Beef tartare with sauce gribiche, pecorino, capers, and thin croutons ($16) was well seasoned and very good though the portion was a little smaller than elsewhere in town.
Among the seafood items, a branzino of very meaty quality with sweet heirloom tomato, charred corn, and sopresatta ($35) all came together well, but the medium-sized langoustines à la plancha didn't justify the price of $19 a piece.
The way to go here, of course, is with the 40-day dry-aged, 44-ounce costata cut, in the U.S. often called a tomahawk steak ($126 for two--or more--people)--priced well below the $145 côte de boeuf at Minetta Tavern. We also enjoyed a 15-ounce New York boneless strip ($43). The black Angus beef was very good though I've had better marbleized steaks in NYC and the char on the outside could be darker on the costata.
Side dishes are all $9, and sauces are extra at $4 each.
(photo by Anthony Jackson)
As with the pastas, Costata's desserts, by Robert Truitt are far above any of its competitors', including a first-rate crème brûlée ($12), mascarpone torta with mascarpone ($12), and affogato of strong coffee poured over vanilla gelato with a shot of amaretto ($10). Gelati and sorbetti (three for $9) are also delicious.
Your chances of seeing Michael White on premises are, given his far flung empire, pretty slim, which is understandable but disappointing because he is a very ebullient, spirited fellow who imbues his restaurants with his presence. Lacking that, Costata has a very affable staff--our waitress Mary was terrific on all counts. So, while there is no strong personality up front to fill White's chef's clogs, this is now a much better, more inviting steakhouse than when it opened in 1913 and a clear evolution of the New York Italian steakhouse. Even if you just had a bowl of pasta here, you'd think it was one of the best Italian spots in town.
COSTATA
206 Spring Street (off the Avenue of the Americas)
212-334-3320
costatanyc.com