From Gramercy Tavern to Craft and Riverpark, I’ve been a fan of Tom Colicchio restaurants. Wanting to support his new Italian adventure, I met a friend for lunch. Vallata is right next to Craft on 19th Street.

We were two of the six people in the empty characterless restaurant. I tried their pasta and wine special for $29 — a real bargain. The housemade lumache with Bolognese alone is $28. And with it, they offered a glass of Paolo e Noemia d’Amico Villa Tirrena from Umbria. The large shell-shaped pasta was nicely firm, yet the sauce was too salty and buttery. And I had to hunt for the meat. Had a server reappeared, I would have mentioned that it was almost too salty to eat.


I would have liked some bread, yet none is served. The only option is the focaccia ($6) topped with heirloom tomatoes.

The tender, juicy chicken ($30) was a much better choice, although the fingerlings weren’t as crispy as alluded to by our server. Tasty, though.

Sadly, I can’t currently recommend a visit.

Vallata
Gramercy/Flatiron
47 East 19th Street
New York, NY 10003
212-461-4300
vallatanyc.com/