Photo by Daniel S. Burnstein
To enter vutera, the reworked and newly named restaurant in the basement of Williamsburg’s Rose Live Music, you walk through a hall that opens into the club, then down a flight of steps and yet another hall. There are signs at every turn, but still I felt, when I finally reached the dining room, as though I’d uncovered something hidden.
There is a disarming appeal to this low-ceilinged space, which manages to be intimate without feeling crowded. True, the standard-issue rustic trappings—ex posed ceiling joists, rough-hewn wood tables, mismatched chairs, dishes and cutlery—are nothing new. But there are candles everywhere and dangling pendant fixtures that circumscribe pools of light on each table, and the music never plays too loudly. It’s the kind of room you want to retreat to when the weather gets nasty.
Siblings and Rose owners Gina and Carlo Vutera had served food here informally before re-launching in March with a new name and an expanded menu cour tesy of Molly Del Monte, a Little Giant alum. They also brought on Hugh Crickmore, a sommelier and one-time coowner of Mas, to manage and to assemble a wine list. On first impression it seems the Vuteras made all the right moves. Crickmore’s reasonably priced wine list is, like the place itself, appealing on a modest scale, offering an array of choices from Italy, Spain and the south of France. Everything on the list is served by the glass or quartino (prices vary), a move to encourage grazing from small plates like the deliciously briny boquerones, white anchovies served on toast points with olive oil ($6).
Once the kitchen got involved, however, the results were less certain. Del Monte’s menu is fairly brief and straightforward. The dozen or so starters and entrees touch on a variety of southern European influences and offer occasional sparks of personality while generally hewing to tradition. Among the starters, airy, richly creamy and Brooklyn-made Salvatore ricotta ($8), was a standout, served with oil and salted toast points. Chilled asparagus soup ($7), one of the few seasonal dishes, was bright and refreshing and lent texture and depth of flavor by goat cheese and toasted asparagus tops, these last slightly crisp and tasting almost nutty. Hands down the best entrée was a by-the-book braised lamb shank ($18). Caramelized and fork tender, the massive shank came soaked in a red wine reduction and resting atop a mound of deliciously rich, creamy polenta.
Effective in these dishes, the keep-itsimple approach was hindered elsewhere by uneven execution. A leek-and-cauliflower gratin ($6) was oily and salty enough to drown out the leek flavor but still not rich enough to justify the indulgence. Pan-seared day boat scallops ($19) were hearty and nicely browned, but they lacked the electric freshness that elevates shellfish to greatness, a deficiency helped only a little by a chimichurri-like salsa verde. The scallops were served on farro-pea risotto that also hit the right flavor notes but without inspiration.
The market fish, a branzino, shared a similar fate. Also pan-seared, the fish was fresh and well cooked but apparently seasoned with little more than salt. Flavor-wise, it too failed to stimulate, as did the sides—slightly burnt dandelion greens and sodden smashed potatoes— that accompanied it.
More disappointing were the dishes that promised a more distinct perspective. Served with pickled onions and grapefruit, the mackerel escabeche starter ($10) was actually over- complicated, crowded with flavors and textures that never came together. The mackerel’s full-bodied spice rub knocked heads with the bright, sweet citrus and sharp vinegar flavors, while house-made croutons were tasty but simply got in the way. Parsnip gnocchi ($12) were rich and flavorful but lacked the supple, toothsome bite of their potato-based cousins. The accompanying beet-green pesto proved an even bigger problem. Where I’d hoped for a taste of spring, I got so much salt that the dish was hard to eat.
Del Monte’s best dishes struck a deep, rich note, one that belonged to a colder season. Perhaps it’s the influence of the dining room’s hearth-and-home, farm kitchen vibe, but I got the impression the chef prefers winter cooking. Still, the charms of the space itself, the wines, the ricotta and boquerones were enough to justify a return trip, even while the weather’s still warm.
> Vutera
345 Grand St. (betw. Havemeyer St. & Marcy Ave.), Brooklyn, 718-388 8451
