NEW YORK CORNER : MAREMMA

 

MAREMMA

228 West 10th Street

212-645-0200

By John Mariani

Cesare Casella has always been one of New York's most ebullient and energetic chefs, perhaps because he is always sniffing the aroma of a sprig of rosemary he always has in his breast pocket. Author of three cookbooks on Tuscan cuisine and owner of the very popular Beppe on East 22nd Street, Casella has now headed west, both geographically and philosophically, adapting the food of the southern region of Tuscany called Maremma to his affection for Sergio Leone's "spaghetti westerns" of the 1960s.

This marriage is an honorable one, the decor of the new restaurant lots of fun,

including steer horns and serapes, and Casella himself

may get duded up in cowboy garb as part of the gag.

Or is it a gimmick? I ask because the food is so good here that I don't quite see

the point of the theatricality, which includes goofy-sounding menu items

like "Sloppy Giuseppe" and "Earn Your Spurs," backed by a loop of

"yee-ha!" western music I bet

Cesare's mamma never sang to him back in Lucca.

But it's really of no consequence because whatever the derivation of

the flavors here, they click wonderfully well and show Casella at his hearty,

most generous best. My friends and I ate and ate and ate--way too much but very,

very happily--starting with a dip of Casella's beloved Tuscan beans laced

with olive oil and good country bread. There is a daily selection from the "bean bar."

"Big Blue" was a nicely fried bluefish with spinach and chickpeas, and

"Coyote Flapjacks" were neat little Tuscan crespelle with a basil-walnut pesto

that went quickly at our table. That silly-sounding "Sloppy Giuseppe"

was indeed a form of Italian Sloppy Joe--shredded, well-cooked,

caramelized meat over fettunta, a form of toast with olive oil and garlic.

"Mess Kit" (somebody stop this man!) is grilled Maremma-style sausage and

caramelized onions (from Texas, 'natch), while Tuscan chilies (more beans)

were dotted with bacon crumbles and fresh chilies. Our appetites now roaring,

we dug into tiburzi, a pork pot roast with Castegneto vegetables, and

"Earn Your Spurs," a mess (now I'm doing it) of slowly cooked short ribs

with stone ground grits, otherwise known as polenta.