A Case for Crudo

Remember Bar Tonno? When Scarpetta chef Scott Conant opened this crudo-centric restaurant in 2004, he wasn't sure if New Yorkers would take to his exquisite Japan-meets-Italy raw-seafood dishes back when few knew what crudo even meant.

He never found out; Bar Tonno closed just a few months later. Now, Conant is bringing some of his favorite dishes back---like silky chu-toro tuna with sea-urchin vinaigrette, plump lobster "susci" with caramelized shallots, and mackerel with salmon roe--on his "Tonno-Style" late-night menu at Scarpetta (available until Labor Day from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., Tues. through Fri.).

Next, Conant plans to open another enoteca devoted to crudo. Now that more NYC chefs have embraced the joys of this simply prepared raw seafood, his timing might be ideal. Until then, become a crudo convert at one of these spots:

Marea Sit at the "crudo bar" up front and watch chef Michael White and his staff prepare gorgeous compositions like geoduck clam with olive oil, chive blossoms and pepperoncini; fluke with lemon thyme and basil oil; and sweet Santa Barbara shrimp dressed with black sea salt and chiles.

Esca Conant credits chef Dave Pasternack with first bringing crudo-style preparations to New York, and Pasternack still serves some of the best versions in town, including plump diver scallops with tangerine-pressed olive oil and Mediterranean snapper with Portuguese sea salt.

Accademia Di Vino This UES restaurant offers a lunchtime crudo flight, where selections might include amberjack with pickled lemon and grated horseradish.

SHO Shaun Hergatt At this Zen-chic restaurant in the Financial District, Australian chef Hergatt puts an Asian-Pacific spin on crudo, creating inventive pairings like salt-pressed Tasmanian trout with kalamansi dressing and peekytoe crab with Santa Barbara sea urchin.