Domenica

Domenica, John Besh's Italian restaurant in the Roosevelt Hotel, opened today. I was informed of this fact by a small bird who appeared to me in the form of my partner John. I thought it was odd that John, who is more of a hamster than a bird, would appear to me in this manner, but it could also have been the cold medicine I have been drinking lately.

Anyway, I stopped by Domenica after work this evening and sampled a few items from the antipasti menu. The restaurant is the latest in Besh's empire, and is helmed by Alon Shaya, who most recently was in charge at Besh Steak, in Harrah's Casino. Shaya spent a good bit of time in Italy last year, getting ready for the restaurant's opening, and it shows. While the food on the plate is definitely what you'd expect from a Besh property, it's also, at least from what I've seen, authentically Italian.

I did not bring my camera this evening, so you'll have to wait for your food porn. I also left my notes, taken on a menu, at the restaurant. More on that in a bit.

The restaurant's dining area is dominated by a single, huge room, separated by massive square columns, and with a ceiling that's 30 feet high if it's an inch. It's a cavernous space, and combined with the hard surfaces used to line just about every available surface, it can get a little loud. The place was a good 3/4 full tonight, and while I wouldn't put the noise at "Galatoire's Friday Lunch" level, it's the type of place where you'll be leaning in to follow a conversation. There's also a marble bar, raised above the dining room on one side, at which you, or I as it happens, can dine.

I started with the Sicilian meatballs, which are served in a dark beef broth garnished with a rough brunoise of vegetables, and flavored with thyme. The meatballs had a very light texture, cooked until just pink in the center, but with a bit of crispness on the outside. It's a very simple dish, and carried off very well. As with all of the antipasti, and also the pasta dishes, the meatballs are available in small or large portions, with a corresponding difference in price. As I did not bring the f*cking menu home, I can't be sure about the prices, but I believe the small portion of the meatballs (3 meatballs, if you're interested) was around $7.

After that I tried the carpaccio of octopus, which is served with fregola and a citrus salad. The octopus is sliced very thinly, and arranged in small, circular pieces around the plate, with the pasta mounded in the center, along with "supremes" of orange, fresh herbs and thinly sliced onion. The pasta, which is basically the Italian version of "Israeli" cous cous, had a pretty serious bite from some dried red chile in the citrus juice and olive oil dressing. Another excellent dish. I think it was $8 for a small portion.

After that, I had fried squash blossoms stuffed with a mild goat cheese, and served over diced roasted red peppers and a dressing of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. There is an art to frying squash blossoms, judged mainly on the lightness of the result. The squash blossoms at Domenica get an "A," both for the almost dainty hand employed in the frying, and because the goat cheese used to stuff the blossoms was mild, and did not distract from the overall dish. Shaya's touch with herbs is similar to Besh's, and the squash blossoms were garnished with more diced red bell peppers, herbs, and baby greens. I think the small portion of the blossoms was $8.

At this point I was no longer hungry, but for you, my children, I ordered dessert. Fig fritters served with a lemon zabaglione. Five or six rich, tender, golf-ball sized fritters, dusted with sugar, and served with an airy, lemon-flavored sauce. There are five or six items on the dessert menu, and this dessert is third on the list. I didn't get past it. I do recall that there's a hazelnut-chocolate mousse, and a fresh fruit "minestrone" that looked pretty darn good. All of the desserts are $8. Unless they're not. Which is possible.

It's far too early to judge Domenica, but everything I tasted this evening was outstanding. I didn't have a chance to taste the pastas or the entrees, to say nothing of the pizzas or the salumi and other charcuterie, but it's clear that this is a serious restaurant. While, again, it's too early to judge, from where I'm sitting it looks like the best Italian restaurant in New Orleans.

Now I suppose we'll see what Adolfo Garcia has to say about that, when he opens his new place in the Warehouse District...