"Not much has changed at Fausto since it opened in 2017. The little gem salad, the cauliflower loaded with currants and pine nuts, and the braised pork and kale orecchiette are still on the menu. The same orange glow bathes the same portraits of friends and winemakers that line the back wall of the dining room. Nothing has changed at this Italian restaurant in Park Slope except, if you’re a regular, you. At its core, Fausto is a neighborhood restaurant where a devoted and recurring cast of characters marks the passage of time: new jobs, new apartments, new babies. It’s polished enough for dinner with discerning parents, but not too intimidating for a merger of new partners and friend groups. Most nights, you probably won’t notice the music. You will, however, likely clock a consistent background hum of celebratory squeals of excitement at a respectable volume, and the three-beat thud of someone’s dad patting someone else’s dad on the back as they meet for the first time. photo credit: Liz Clayman The food at Fausto is by no means an afterthought. This is a subtly serious Italian restaurant that serves very good pasta (which isn't surprising, considering both co-owners come from L'Artusi). But everything about the experience feels engineered to keep your eyes and ears on the people you’re with. Servers convincingly apologize for the interruption before dropping rosemary focaccia the size of a personal pan pizza, or silently slip the wine list back in front of your place setting if they see you’re mid-conversation with an almost-empty glass. And while it’s a great place to celebrate one, you don’t need to save Fausto for a proper special occasion. Use it to dress up any old weeknight with a meal at the bar. Who knows: You might even get pulled into a toast by the group sitting next to you. Food Rundown photo credit: Liz Clayman Little Gem Sure, you can get a little gem just about anywhere. But at Fausto, it’s not just a filler green for the sake of adding a vegetable. It’s tossed with creamy feta, wildflower honey, and almonds, and it’s worth getting excited about. photo credit: Liz Clayman Cauliflower OK, yes—you can get a gussied-up cauliflower starter anywhere else, too. But there’s a reason this one’s still on the menu, and it has everything to do with the currants and pine nuts. They make a bowl of cruciferous vegetables far more interesting than they have any business being. Fettucini The fettuccine with tomato sauce and calabrian chili is a punchier version of the fusilli, also in tomato sauce, that used to be on the menu. We were sad to see that go, but forgot about it pretty quickly—this one’s better. Orechiette If your goal is to order the heartiest pasta on the menu and leave feeling almost-stuffed, get the orecchiette. It’s beefed up with fennel-braised pork and some kale, which, after a good mix, delightfully also tastes like pork. Roast Chicken You really don’t need to order an entree at Fausto, but if someone in your group deems it necessary, go with the roast chicken. It’s simple, juicy, and an easy crowd-pleaser. Olive Oil Cake Get it, ideally with an amaro." - Tiffany Yannetta
