Sometimes great discoveries come later in life. And I’m not talking about Labubu. In a city where Italian food is an embarrassment of riches, its easy to fall under the radar, especially when you are in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The last time I dined in Ft Greene was at least 5 years ago at Miss Ada by the Israeli-born Tomer Blechman who since opened Theodora, one of the toughest tables in NYC these days. I’m still trying.
Larina, approaching its 10th year, is much easier to reserve than Theodora. But you wouldnt know it while walking around a very packed house on a Thursday evening, and seeing the slew of people waiting for a table outside, all speaking Italian. Its owned by 3-5 people depending on who you ask. At the helm is “Top Chef” contestant Silvia Barban.
Silvia’s Italian inspirations is hard to pinpoint. She grew up in the north, spent summers in the south, and cooked with some of the best of them, like Giancarlo Perbellini in his two Michelin star in Verona. She was roasting potatoes by age 6 with her grandma, and cooking entire meals by age 10. When I was 6, I was smoking cigarettes and getting into all kinds of trouble, and by the time I turned 10 I was sneaking into country clubs. Not only I cant cook but its a miracle I’m still alive.
Silvia described her signature Smoked Spaghetti as her life in a bowl. Elements from the north, south, and even NYC (the smokiness). But pretty much all of us came out of the meal with a life in a bowl dish. For my butcher friend it was the steak. For another it was the Lasagna. My friend had a Ratatouille moment when she tasted the Intingolo. And for me it was, what else, pasta perfection from Piedmont. The dish rundown…
Prosciutto di Parma with Mozzarella di Bufala – Your typical high end Prosciutto, though I personally prefer San Daniele over Parma. Mozzarella in this case a little less successful.
Octopus – Not sure it can be cooked any better than this. Spot on flavor and texture, nice complimentary sauce made with uncooked tomatoes among other goodies.
Intingolo – Like a chunky Hummus made with green chickpeas, with shishitos and pumpkin seeds. Goes well with their excellent bread basket (first one free). This was the Ratatouille moment for my friend, reminiscing about her grandma making this dish as a child. She dropped her makeup kit when she tasted it.
Rapa Gialla – Yellow beets and peaches covered with smoked stringy Stracchino. Good though got boring after a few bites. More of a side dish.
Smoked spaghetti – Simple ingredients, sensational flavors. She smokes the spaghetti before cooking, and that smokiness comes through very well. The only thing, maybe related to the process, is that it gets cold quickly. So… mangia mangia.
Lasagna – Looks very messy but tastes like an above average Lasagna. Made with spinach pasta sheets.
Agnolotti del Plin – This is it. the creme de la creme. Better than anything we had in NYC (including at high end places like Claud) and even some places in Piedmont. Braised beef and chicken filling, sage, and butter mixed with the meat jus. In Piedmont many places, even the notable, add only butter, some a lot of it. But the jus adds some oomph, as we learned in Turin. I thought I found a good version in San Carlo in West Village a few weeks ago, but this blew it away.
Steak – Expertly cooked base on the small piece I had.
Tried just about all the desserts and they were all great. Usually I can pick a winner but not in this case. Proper Tiramisu, excellent Panna Cotta with Strawberry compote and almonds, and more. Go!
LaRina Pastificio & Vino
387 Myrtle Ave (Ft Greene, Brooklyn)
Recommended Dishes: Octopus, Intingolo, Smoked spaghetti, Lasagna, Agnolotti del Plin
Eating With Ziggy 