Borgo

"Longtime Brooklyn restaurateur Andrew Tarlow has opened his first Manhattan restaurant, and in a likely nod to his roots, he’s named it Borgo — Italian for “village.” Tarlow’s Brooklyn spots are located in some of the borough’s most charming neighborhoods, and played a role in shaping them, starting with the opening of Diner circa 1998 and its impact on a corner of Williamsburg. A handful of restaurants and 25 years later — following Italian restaurant Roman’s in Bed-Stuy, Achilles Heel bar in Greenpoint, She Wolf Bakery (mostly at farmers markets), Stranger Wines, and so on — Tarlow has brought his Brooklyn sensibility to Manhattan in a storied space that was home to Italian mainstay I Trulli from 1994 until it closed in 2022. The vibe: The restaurant at 124 E. 27th Street, at Park Avenue South, seems to attract a local arts-and-letters set; there’s lots of standout eyewear around the room. It’s a contrast to, say, the Corner Store, with its throng of tourists, suits, and fashionistas. This is the kind of space you want to hang out in for the night. It’s stunning but understated, and the vibe starts with groupings of actual candles in candlesticks scattered on tables around the room. That fire theme is reinforced in the wood-fired oven and logs flanking a mantel. White tablecloths are dressed down with a layer of butcher paper marked by the name of the reservation written in cursive across the center. The sloped ceiling feels like the inside of a wine cave and yet there’s plenty of light, particularly in the back of the main dining room, near a garden with a waterfall. The food: This isn’t Tarlow’s most interesting menu, but it’s a crowd-pleaser for this part of Manhattan. Steered by chef Jordan Frosolone, the dishes are Italian but don’t adhere to a particular region, with items like timballo de Anelletti ($32) from Abruzzo with braised beef cheek and ricotta salata — a variation of the dish from the Stanley Tucci classic Big Night — and focaccia from Bari, for example. The timballo is the go-to order, but if you’re here solo at the bar or in general not looking for such a grand-gesture dish, consider the collection of small rice balls, suppli ($16) with flavors that change — currently it’s a spicy Amatriciana. Another good choice is an order of skewers, the beef-heart spiedini ($22). Then I’d recommend a double umami dish like the linguine with clams and bottarga ($31) or the extremely rustic fava puree with marinated greens ($18) that feels like it stepped out of a Paula Wolfert cookbook. The service: As a Tarlow regular might expect, service is very good here. It’s clearly a team effort per table, and there’s likely something to prove coming with the group’s first Manhattan location in a grand room with 140 seats. Word on the street seems to indicate it’s one of the most difficult restaurant years since 2009, which means service is tighter all over — because it has to be. What to know: The room can get loud the way restaurants used to be pre-pandemic. If you’re with a group, try to get a table by the glass doors to the back garden: It’s the best spot for people-watching. If you don’t want to pay for a Sicilian Frapatto from Occhipinti (though $108 is not bad for a restaurant price), consider the less expensive wines by the glass or bottle from Umbria or Campania (there are French and American pours, too). In short, Borgo is also a good restaurant to explore Italian wines." - Melissa McCart