Gusto 101
Beyond the garage-door-sized windows, this trattoria is rocking by 7 p.m. Inside, local design firm Munge Leung obviously had fun; industrial lighting and tilted mirrors lord it over a long leather and flannel banquette. Old license plates on cinder-block walls refer to the space’s past life as a body shop. Classic southern Italian fare flies from the open kitchen with its wood-fire grill. Crispy wild mushroom and fontina rice balls ($9) disappear quickly; ditto the kale salad with currants and pine nuts ($12). Roasted grape tomatoes kick up a flank steak arugula salad ($16), and delectable Moroccan-spiced Brick Chicken ($18) is bolstered by buttery Swiss chard. Reds and whites by local winery VintageOne are siphoned from barrels in the basement and available on tap ($1 per ounce). If you want to eat alfresco, there are two options: rooftop or streetside.
By Doug Wallace
Photos by Naomi Finlay
