Well, since it seems to be the subject du jour, here’s Laren
Spirer’s take:
Mario’s cherished lardo, which is nothing more than pork fat, was served
in a china dish on a silver tray next to the butter, a fabulous example of
the dichotomy of the evening — the hearty, rustic Italian cuisine served
on delicate china with an ultra-formal flair. We thought our pastas were wonderful,
particularly the papardelle with wild boar ragu and the chestut puree ravioli
over roasted pigeon and myrtle. They were, however, hovering around the $25
price point, which we felt was primarily funding the enormous, hotel-lobby-like
space.
I would have to disagree on the "nothing more than pork fat" comment.
Mario’s cherished lardo is cherished for very good reason, and is actually the
result of a laborious process involving salt, garlic, and curing for at least
six months.
As for the prices, well, yes. If a restaurant costs $10 million to open, then
it’s going to need to make that money back through the cost of the food. And
$10 million is a lot of $25 pastas. The key question is not whether diners are
paying for the cost of the space – they always are. Rather, it’s whether
the space is worth it. It’s easy to think of a more-or-less Italian three
star place where it certainly is. But at Del Posto the general impression
seems to be that you go for the food more than the grandeur. Does anybody actually
like the interior?
True — I totally agree with you on this one. Should have worded that differently, as it is quite tasty and does, as you point out, involve a great deal of process and care. It sort of inadvertently ramped the contrast up a bit, though. See what happens when you write in the wee hours?