NEW YORK POST

Wednesday, July 24, 2002

IT'S SPOT-ON

By Steve Cuozzo

 Il Gattopardo the leopard crouches in plain sight in bustling midtown.
The stealthiest of good new southern Italian restaurants, it stays under the radar with neither a publicist
nor a gimmick but fall into its lair and there's no turning back.
When the Museum of Modern Art's temporary move to Queens spelled the end of Sette MoMa,
a bunch of heavy-hitters from commercial real estate powerhouse Cushman & Wakefield
couldn't face the thought of lunch without it. So they helped owner Gianfranco Sorrentino launch
Il Gattopardo across the street, with Chef Vito Gnazzo at the stove.
It opened to a trickle of customers last September 18.

 This summer, it's full at lunch and busier than you'd expect at dinner
on a block darkened by the MoMa construction site. It's one of the barest dining rooms in town:
a narrow white rectangle with nothing on the walls except a few slanted mirrors.
A small garden in the back looked so forlorn, my wife called it "a great place for breaking up."
But indoor is oddly cozy. The warm wait staff and rare Italian beers like Menabrea conjure a rustic Italian village
far removed from the jungle gym of steel across the street.
Il Gattopardo's excitement is all on the plate.
Gnazzo commands the vivid cooking of Naples and environs, steeped in olive oil and herbs, with the odd foray north.
First-class, fresh raw materials are prepared with the care this simple, sun-drenched style demands.

Appetizers ($8-$12) are artichoke-and-cabbage heaven.
Thyme, which must be Gnazzo's favorite herb, adds pungency to beef and veal meatballs wrapped in cabbage leaves.
Baby artichokes, smoked mozzarella, tomato sauce and herbs are swirled into an arresting parmigiana.
Unless you're a timid tourist, skip dull scallop and shrimp salad.
If specials include buffalo mozzarella and grilled zucchini, ask if it comes with San Danielo prosciutto,
possessed of a singular sweetness and rare on these shores.
House-made pastas ($15-$20) adroitly cue their particular shapes to the sauces.
Even better are risottos ($22), stirred to a sublime tactility.
One made with artichokes and taleggio cheese is so rich it's best shared.
Although many customers seem to know each other, no one hops tables mid-meal.
Why would they, immersed in poached wild bass sliced thin as veal paillard,
and fragrant with olive oil, thyme, oregano and lemon vinaigrette?
Not every entree lives up to it. But swordfish sparkles under a membrane-thin breading so fine it's hardly there.
Thyme enlivens sautéed veal loin served with the rest of the spears.
There's a good dessert list if you have room.
Il Gattopardo entrées run $18-$32, with many at the higher end.
Your money doesn't buy much of a scene- but most every other way, this leopard hit the spot.

IL GATTOPARDO Restaurant & Catering

33 West 54th Street / New York New York 10019 / Tel 212 246 0412 / Fax 212 246 3332

Reservations are recomended, please contact us at 212 246 0412

Lunch / Mon - Sun, 12 noon to 3 pm /// Dinner / Mon - Sat, 5 pm to 11:30 pm /// Sunday Dinner / 5 pm to 10 pm