Domenica

The buzz around town is that John Besh opened a new restaurant in the Roosevelt Hotel called Domenica. And that is partially correct. A more accurate statement would be that Alon Shaya has a new restaurant in the Roosevelt called Domenica. This is not to take anything away from Chef Besh, but Domenica is Shaya's restaurant. And although it needs some improvement, in a few months I suspect this will be one of the top restaurants in New Orleans.

Domenica is Chef Shaya's place because you see the general concern in his face as he walks over to your table to ask how your meal is going. When you tell him the pea risotto was salty, he says, "That is something I will fix." Alternatively, when you tell him how marvelous and stunning the octopus carpaccio is, he responds, "We love that dish, and we are glad you did too." Notice the difference?
The menu is such that appetizers and pastas can be ordered either in half-size or full size. This allows you to try a bunch of options without stuffing yourself or draining your wallet. With a large, and ever increasing selection of house cured meats, this also would not be a bad spot to pop in for a cocktail and a plate of prosciutto before heading out. The watermelon basil bellini was impeccable with the herbacious basil, sweet watermelon, and bubbles of prosecco creating the profile of the classic aperitif in a modern drink.

That octopus dish is worth the trip alone. Thin disks of octopus, each one like an ancient mosaic coin of purple, brown, and white, are topped with a light and refreshing salad of thinly sliced fennel and juicy segments of orange. Upon taking a bite, you are immediately transferred to a beach in the Mediterranean. Breathe deeply. There is the salty, oceanic air. You sip on a pastis while smelling the citrus groves. It is a beautiful dish.

Other admirable starters include the delicately fried squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese and the aforementioned house cured meats. The bresaola comes fanned on the plate and crowned by a nest of arugula and Parmesan - a dish which can be shared and enjoyed by the entire table.

Another favorite was the stracci pasta. Triangles of spinach pasta are tossed with slow cooked oxtail ragu and topped by a few nuggets of fried chicken livers. You expect the dish to be heavy and cumbersome, but a barely imperceptible hint of acid washes across the palate. "That is a shaving of lemon zest," says Shaya. The lemon lightens the dish, creating a harmonious bite of savory, rich, salty, and sour.

The gnocchi, no bigger than a thumb, pack a wallop of flavor in the density of a cloud. The anolini pasta are more like nonpareils stuffed with mushroom, topped with pecorino, and a delight to snack on, but maybe too much cheese on top. The fazzoletti pasta could have been a tad thinner, but there was no denying that the rich burrata cheese added an amazing depth of flavor. The salty risotto is likely the result of combining peas blanched in salted water and adding rendered pancetta on top, but the concept is there.

Some of the other pastas were a little salty as well. Often when a restaurant cooks a lot of pastas, throughout the night the pasta water evaporates leaving a saltier solution than would be desirable. By properly monitoring the pot, and refilling with water, this can be avoided. These are the hiccups which will hopefully be fixed with time.

The menu also has a selection of pizzas and mains. Those pizzas can suffer when the place gets busy. The center came out slightly undercooked and soggy on a busy Friday night. Management told me people are sending back pizzas that are crunchy, blistered, bubbly, and black in spots because they are "burned." Personally, pizzas like that are a delight. On a busy night, redoing 20-30 pizzas would destroy the kitchen, so they anticipate a problem and adjust. So if it's busy, mention to your waiter that you will wait for the pizza to be cooked properly. The best of the pizzas is the Calabrese with capers, olives, and spicy salami strewn across the crust.

The wine list at Domenica is broken down by region, with a handy map on each page pinpointing the exact location of the region. The prices are reasonable enough to allow one to casually order a bottle or two with dinner, while there is just enough variety and depth to keep a wine geek occupied. Order the tart, vibrant Bastianich Sauvignon Blanc for your apps and pastas. The 2007 Marcani Dolcetto D'Alba is a great match with the pizzas.

For the sweet portion of your meal, go for the ricotta and fig fritters with the muscadine sabayon. So delicate, so flavorful, and exotic, yet so similar to those beignets from 'round the corner. One order can feed a squad of five comfortably. With a glass of nocello, limoncello, or grappa, your evening is complete.

Some have often said the interior is smart, handsome, and stylish. Considering as how my interior decorator skills tend towards posters of John Belushi, zebra print chairs, and a coffee table to put my feet on, I will defer to others.

On the two separate occasions we went, we have enjoyed good service, at times great food, and had a lovely time. Will you have the same experience? I hope so. Domenica is not perfect, likely never will be. But it is getting close to being Shaya's perfect restaurant.

Domenica - Too early for an official ranking, but second visit was in the birdie range.