Anella’s bestselling meatballs. / Photo by Daniel S. Burnstein
THE LONG LIST of qualities Anella deserves praise for begins with propitious timing.The new rustic Italian venture from former Chanterelle chef Michael Sullivan (and investor Blair Papagni) has arrived in Greenpoint just when the restaurant scene here badly needed reviving.
Never exactly a culinary mecca, the neighborhood lost two of its best dinner options—Paloma to fire, and Queen’s Hideaway to rent increases—in the span of a month late last year. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth accompanied those closings, but in the understated Anella, Greenpoint has plenty to celebrate.
Taking over the old Queen’s Hideaway space, Anella proves a more than capable replacement, succeeding in ways the previous tenant never did.That restaurant after all was inventive but erratic, known as much for its idiosyncrasies—hodgepodge décor, a handwritten menu, churlish staff—as the quality of its cooking. Soft-spoken where Queen’s was ostentatious, professional where Queen’s was proudly DIY, Anella maintains the casual vibe but breezily refines it.The menu, which favors classic rustic Italian with a few tweaks and updates, could be more adventurous. But in Sullivan’s sure hands, the kitchen executes consistently, turning out uncomplicated dishes full of subtle, finely balanced flavors. And the friendly, on-point service is a refreshing elevation of the north-side Brooklyn standard.
Designed by No. 7’s Matthew Maddy, the space has a low-key charm.Wroughtiron doors give way to two long, narrow dining spaces, separated by a wall.The former Queen’s Hideaway dining room is now taken up by tables. A bar dominates the other space. Riddled with scores and pockmarks, the massive wood slab was once a workbench at the Steinway factory in Queens. Piano innards, hung like sculptural pieces, adorn the walls leading to the patio.This partially enclosed outdoor space feels intimate but is still roomy enough to accommodate several tables and a garden that supplies fresh herbs to the kitchen.
Those herbs show up often at a meal here, and in different guises. Fresh thyme gave an aromatic lift to the deliciously rich truffle oil white pizza ($15), while a dense, dark load of basil helped a rich pesto anchor a terrine of sweet, creamy goat cheese and oven-roasted vegetables.That terrine was the first dish I tasted and its deliciously simple blend of flavors and textures was telling, highlighting Sullivan’s disarmingly straightforward approach.
For the most part, the chef’s preference for classic flavor combinations over novel ones proved effective.There were a few missteps, like the over-salted greens that came with the terrine. More disappointing was the piccolo fritto misto ($10), a plate of lightly fried vegetables and seafood with lemon aioli. Zucchini, cauliflower and bitter lemon wheels crowded out a meager portion of shellfish, and the light, bland batter really needed help from the aioli.
These kinks aside, Anella offered much to applaud.The brick-oven pizzas were consistently outstanding, with thin crusts that were yielding but blistered and crispy on the bottom. And they offer tastes of yeast and olive oil, a perfect complement to the menu’s three white pizzas.The truffle-cheese version mentioned above was the best of these, its sharp, nutty cheese and sweet, toothsome onions given an extra-rich and aromatic finish by the thyme and truffle oil. Another white pie featured clams marinated in a white wine ($14) that added oaky notes to the mineral salinity of the clams and the rich bed of asiago and mozzarella cheeses.
Pastas and entrees succeeded admirably too. A house-made spinach taglietelle (normally a papardella) with bacon and amatriciana sauce ($15) offered a robust, earthy flavor leavened by fresh basil. Pan-seared wild salmon ($14) was tender with a slightly crisped edge.The characteristic unctuous flavor of the fish made a perfect foundation for the burst of brightness in an accompanying relish of pine nuts, currants, red peppers and basil. Sullivan again blended sweet, salt and savory to delicious effect in the baconwrapped pork loin with fruit mustard ($17). Moist throughout, the loin brought massive pork flavor that hardly needed the extra salt and smoke of the bacon (though it didn’t hurt). And, helped by a taste of port wine, the figs, currants and golden raisins of the mustard were rich and jammy enough to stand up to the pork but not obtrusively sweet.
Desserts ($6), like a fresh, custardy house-made tiramisu and a mousse-rich chocolate terrine with vanilla crème anglaise, stick to the straight-ahead program. Like most of the menu, these dishes won’t surprise you but are nonetheless superb. Don’t mistake this willingness to tread familiar ground for fustiness. Rather Anella serves as a reminder that in the hands of a good chef, a restaurant need not deal in the exotic or be wildly creative to succeed. Sullivan and company offer a welcome dose of culinary maturity, and for serious eaters in Greenpoint, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
> Anella
222 Franklin St. (at Green St.), Brooklyn, 718-389-8100
