When in Italy, and you’re looking for the best meatballs in the city, ask a local, any local, and the response is invariably the same: “My mama/grandma/uncle’s house! Just go around the corner and ask for Giorgio!” Or Maria. Or Giuseppe. Thus was Ask for Luigi born, this year’s Best of the City winner for Best Italian.
It’s a brilliant concept from chef/owner J.C. Poirier and his partners. Everything is made fresh daily, including the excellent pastas. There’s even a gluten-free option, also made in-house, as well as a good selection of vegetarian dishes.
Starters, pastas, and desserts comprise the whole menu, but it’s a menu that still garners line-ups more than a year after opening. Simple in presentation, but complex in execution, it’s full of lovely surprises, like the famous anchovy, egg, and caviar dish that has become a much-loved mainstay, or the bone marrow and escargot. Ricotta ravioli with fried eggplant is so lush you’ll forgive it for being meatless. And now brunch is also an option, with dishes like pork belly with fried egg and salsa verde, frittatas with pancetta and potatoes, Monte Cristo sandwich with prosciutto and soft-boiled eggs, and waffles with apples, hazelnuts, and tiramisu cream.
Complementing the food is the excellent wine program. By the glass offerings are plentiful, leaning towards whites which best match the food. Prefer something from the bottles list? Commit to two glasses, and it’s yours. And, while Luigi is just a figment of the owner’s imagination, everyone here is a Luigi at heart.
