En route to see the lovely and talented Vienna Teng at the Living Room (10/20/2005), we stopped around the corner to try out this nice-sounding Italian bistro: Basso Est (Italian for "lower east"), located at 198 Orchard Street. For a difference of approximately five dollars, we had an experience so much different than the one at the Greek restaurant earlier the same week that it was stunning.
A cosy dining room with open kitchens and additional bar-seating with brightly painted walls gave the restaurant a homestyle feel. Each table is served complimentary bruschetta (the tomatoes had a very fresh taste) by the smiling and eager staff.
Main Dishes: I opted for the ravioli of the day, which was stuffed with sweet pumpkin and served in a butter sauce with fried sage leaves. It was, simply put, exceptional. And I tried the Pinot Grigio-Ca’De Mocenigo-2004-Grave-Friuli along with it which turned out to be a well-matched choice. Michael had the papparedelle with wild boar ragout sauce (Abruzzese style). All the pasta is homemade, and it makes one feel extravagant and indulged. (And tempted to buy a pasta attachment for the KitchenAid.)
For dessert, we selected the panna cotta, which was quite rich and tasty. And Michael sampled the house grappa.
Two thumbs up -- even the menus are delicious (according to the two year old at the next table). Definitely worth repeating the next time there's a show at the Living Room nearby.
Posted by Jennifer at October 24, 2005 8:00 PM | TrackBackBasso Est was extraordinary. My papparedelle with wild boar ragout was quite good, with its tender homemade pasta and very tasty sauce, though my bite of the pumpkin ravioli was enough to let me know that you had made the better choice this time around. The panna cotta was delicious too, and I quite liked the house grappa I tried. On top of that, the service was excellent and the prices were good (especially for NYC). I'm definitely looking forward to going back someday.