This post is adapted from a review I originally wrote for The Forum West


Neighborhood: Middle Village, Queens





Uvarara, an eight-month-old Italian wine bar near St. John's Cemetery, gets so much right. The space is intimate, comfortable, and reflects a clear commitment to detail on the part of the owners. A pair of restored gothic arches divides the room, and candles flicker from recesses in the exposed-brick and stucco walls. A tile floor and rustic wooden bar and tables are simple and homey touches. The employees—whether explaining the restaurant's philosophy of food and wine pairing, or proudly recounting the extensive renovations that preceded opening—exude the sort of enthusiasm and belief in the place that usually portend an awesome meal.

The food, however, does not always rise to expectations, veering from excellent to merely good to (occasionally) perplexingly off the mark. It does seem to be improving, which—especially with such a young restaurant—makes me hopeful that the missteps are just growing pains, and that Uvarara will mature into a more consistently satisfying, go-to place.

The all-Italian wine list, arranged by region, is the focus here, and about five reds and five whites are available by the glass or carafe on any given night. The people at Uvarara are eager proselytizers of the vine—just mosey up to the bar, and you'll get a thorough explanation of each offering and perhaps a taste or two.

The menu's emphasis is on panini, salads, and "piattini," described as "simple, rustic, and intensely flavored small dishes." Entrées are listed on a chalkboard near the door—a smart system that allows the kitchen to change things up frequently.

I loved the Carpaccio di Manzo—thinly sliced raw beef topped with arugula and shavings of Parmigiano. Perfect in its simplicity, this dish brought me right back to Italy. Roman-style gnocchi, supple cheese-stuffed dumplings in sage butter, are decadent and intensely flavorful. Polpettine, savory little meatballs stewed in tomato sauce, earned a spot in my personal meatball hall of fame.

Polpo Caravaggio is octopus salad with celery and potatoes, simply dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. On my first visit, I was surprised to find the star ingredient unpleasantly chewy; on a return trip, it was tender. A hardcore anchovy fanatic, I was excited to try the anchovy, onion, and olive pizzette, which is something akin to a plump, bready, deep-fried empanada. I felt so let down when it arrived sans the little fishies. I wasn't the only disappointed person in the room: when I told our server, a guy a few tables over said "My pizzette is missing the anchovies too!" The waitress disappeared into the back, argued with the chef, and returned with the somewhat awkward explanation that he had decided to omit this vital element because "most people don't like anchovies." A close cousin to the pizzette is the faggotini, fried dough stuffed with mozzarella, tomato, and basil. Think deep-fried pizza ball.

In addition to the more familiar focaccia panini, Uvarara offers "piadine," hot sandwiches on a tortilla-like flat bread in the style of Emilia-Romagna. We ordered the version with speck, radiccio, fontina, and truffle oil. Oozing with cheese, the sandwich was tasty, but a bit on the leaden side—especially if you intend to try a variety of dishes. (It would, however, make a fantastic binge snack after a night of drinking.)

Uvarara doesn't always get it right. So why is it that I think nothing of making the hour-plus walk from my apartment for a meal there? (Note to self: research bus routes for winter.) It's simple, really: the place has passion and heart. And that will keep me coming back.





UVARARA
79-28 Metropolitan Avenue (at 80th Street), Middle Village, NY 11379
718-894-0052
http://www.uvararany.com
For directions, visit http://www.hopstop.com


Technorati Tags: queens, middle village, uvarara

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