Can Small Plates Satiate?

where i come from, people are well fed and leave their plates empty. which is why i panicked a bit taking an advance look at the menu for italian/mediterranean newcomer bar luna. the restaurant features mainly small plates and i wondered if i, starving, would end up satisfied or going home hungry.

my friend philomena and i went for a late dinner on the last sunday of summer, walking past the outdoor tables and the long, spacious bar to the brick-walled room in the back. i am a sucker for brick and immediately found the space cozy and charming. we were even seated next to a fireplace, although it wasn't working yet. philomena, however, felt that the brick clashed with the metal accents around the windows and the chandeliers, although she liked the use of black instead of white napkins.

i'd originally wanted to sample a few different areas of the menu, but my plan quickly unraveled. she suggested we share a crostini starter (3/$9), which was going to be one of my standalones. chef jacques belanger (who has worked under the highly-acclaimed tom valenti, most recently at west branch) was also not serving the grilled shrimp and avocado gazpacho that night, which i had been keen to try. we opted to try the fava bean and pecorino, taramosalata and the artichoke and ricotta with our bread. we argued about which was the fava bean and which had the artichoke until our very obliging waitress cleared it up for us. the waitress was also happy to let philomena try the wine before she settled on a fruity glass of gewurztraminer ($8). as a fan of middle eastern food, i loved the taramosalata, but thought the other two didn't have enough punch. philomena, on the other hand, loved the textures of the artichoke and fava bean, and found my favorite too salty. our waitress accommodated our request for more bread, bringing us three replacements, the last two hot. the bread, which we both could have gorged on all night, had to have been "full of butter and other bad stuff," as my dining companion put it.

bar luna has a small selection of entrees, but none struck a chord with me. instead we went with pasta, ordering the raviolo ($13). we both realized when the dishes arrived what the singular version of ravioli is. a touch stunned, philomena asked, "how much are we paying for this bit of food? it's way too tiny for $13." the dish was very simply served with some al dente peas, but it lacked flavor; it would have benefited from some tomatoes, olives or at least some capers. the broth, though, was good for dunking my remaining bread.

for dessert, i'd been looking forward to something decadent, such as a rich gelato or torte, after my somewhat spartan meal. the waitress said they had cheesecake and panna cotta, neither of which i wanted. they did have sorbet, and i picked the blood orange ($4). it was pleasant and cleansed the palate, but not what i'd been craving.

while i didn't go home hungry, i didn't walk out satiated. i would try again, returning on a night when the fire is going, and linger over a glass of wine, some cheeses and a hearty soup. -- bar luna 511 amsterdam ave. near west 85th street 212-362-1098 entrees: $15 to $18