Bello Off Bedford

WHEN DA SILVANO opened its doors in 1975 on a lonely stretch of Sixth Avenue, radicchio was still a newfangled ingredient and Italian food, in the consciousness of many Americans, remained remanded to red sauce. Owner Silvano Marchetto’s innovation—to bring true Tuscan cuisine to the table—was revolutionary indeed. Thirty-five years later, Da Silvano has become shorthand for food lackadaisical and overpriced, and for a restaurant where the paparazzi are at least as important as the pappardelle. For the last five years, this has been the milieu of Alex Palumbo, who, as manager and Marchetto’s lieutenant, presided over the entire airkiss shitshow. But when his shift was over, Palumbo would head back to his home on North 10th Street in Williamsburg. It is to Brooklyn and beyond, to his Piemontese roots, that Palumbo has returned with Osteria Il Paiolo, his newish and recently liquored osteria.

Though we who live off the Graham Avenue stop are lucky to have both Motorino and Il Passatore, the Bedford area has long suffered from a paucity of very good upscale Italian food. Osteria Il Paiolo seeks to remedy that and largely succeeds. As far as service goes, Palumbo has learned well from the Florentine Marchetto. His waiters are, shockingly for these parts, unmarked by tattoos. Their ties are neatly tucked into pressed dress shirts. They are friendly, knowledgeable and may be over 30.

The menu, meanwhile, mines the rich heritage of the Piemontese kitchen. It’s high-class stuff here, food for when your folks are in town. A meal might start with an amuse bouche of a tender jellyfish-like morsel of burrata topped with a slice of white truffle. An octopus and potato salad ($14.50), a watery grave for so many ambitions, is here texturally a triumph. Osteria Il Paiolo nails the balance between tender octopus and yielding-yet-firm cubes of potato and the whole thing is generously lemon-juiced, imbuing it with a Mediterranean tartness. The pastas ($13.50 to $17.50) are homemade and the polentas ($11.50 to $13.50) are heirloom, though I’m not quite sure what that means. Both are good but I, for one, was blown away by the veal Ossobucco ($25.50), a traditional Milanese dish often offered but rarely well made. Here the braised meat falls off the bone, like a poorly kept secret, with the gentlest prodding. The shank marrow—a helping of bone jelly—is silky with the braising liquid and herbs. Simply put and carefully framed thusly, there isn’t better Italian food to be had this side of Wythe.

One wonders whether in a few years, Osteria Il Paiolo will become the Da Silvano of Williamsburg. Perhaps a forest of tables and chairs will sprawl across the sidewalk while Williamsburg boldfacers jockey for tables—imagine the headline: “Beirut’s Zach Condon Injured in Tussle with Michel Gondry for Two Top!” Perhaps Palumbo will follow his old master into catty comments and mediocre food. One can never tell, but for now, the pappardelle reigns supreme.

>> OSTERIA IL PAIOLO 106 N. 6th St. (betw. Wythe Ave. & Berry St.), Brooklyn, 718-218-7080.