“Destination Street,” “Restaurant Row,” “The Hot Block” – those are just a few labels stuck to Clinton Street on Manhattan’s lower east side.
Restaurants began popping up in ‘99; up until then, the area was a hot bed for drugs and prostitution. Truth be told, residents say this libertine activity still exists, it’s just harder to see; but that just adds to the excitement of eating out, yes? If you are in the neighborhood, by all means, grab a table at Falai – Italians in designer clothing eat there, “Sex in the City” girl types toss their “it” bags on the floor and have $900 birthday dinners there, everyone who’s anyone goes there.
Falai, a very cool, redesigned storefront, has a wine rack in one elevated display window, and you can reserve the table situated a few steps up in the other. The long, narrow room is bathed in white with minimal, ultra-chic decor. A handful of tables line one wall and a white marble bar with dangling crystal chandeliers line the other. The focal point at the end of the bar is the small kitchen surrounded by a large, bitchin’ bread oven that helps create the most delightful black cabbage rolls.
Table situated a few steps up in the elevated display window.
In 2001, Chef Iacopo Falai left his native Florence to become the executive pastry chef of Le Cirque. A couple years later he crossed over to the savory side as executive chef of Bread Tribeca, where he was awarded two stars by the New York Times. And by 2005 he ventured out on his own and opened Falai.
Falai takes a “light hand” with “seasoning” and “balancing flavors,” in fact, he rarely uses garlic, which seems unusual in an Italian restaurant. That may give you the impression that his dishes are simple or uninvolved; on the contrary, the menu bursts with creative and complex combinations. The menu is a great read (a real plus for the foodie nerds), but on the other hand, such a menu makes it difficult to narrow down what you want to shove in your gob. (Shove in the daintiest way possible, of course.) For instance: Roasted duck breast with celery-root puree, apricot, broccoli, chili pepper and chocolate infused duck sauce OR Pan-seared foie gras with braised lentils, marsala glazed chestnut, and cauliflower mostarda OR Seared, pickled and pan-fried wild mushrooms, morel dusted slow poached egg, sesame puff pastry and parmesan fonduta. See?
Ricotta & baby spinach gnudi with brown butter, crema di latte and sage
But once again, the principle applies: it’s not what you decide to eat at Falai, it’s just that you eat at Falai. It’s worth waiting for a table, it’s worth the pain of finding a place to park, heck, it’s worth the price of a cab ride. And if you’re a bit shy of cab fare for the ride home, I believe there are at least two ways in the area to make a little extra cash.
Falai
cucina italiana
68 Clinton Street, between Rivington & Stanton
New York, New York 10002
212.253.1960
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