Straw To Gold

Our town, already renowned for its pizza and bagels, is now also awash in pasta, and this season, it seems as though every new restaurant is carbo-loading.

Chef Shea Gallante, formerly of Cru, has made his entry into this semolina war at his new Flatiron restaurant, Ciano, with dishes like a bright cortecce pasta studded with braised octopus and pancetta ($20). But it's the non-pasta parts of the menu that has us most captivated.

Like a culinary version of Pygmalion, Gallante manages to turn the most homely and hearty of dishes into things of elegance. Lamb ($33), sourced from Pat LaFrieda and served over braised Swiss chard and fennel, boasts a tenderness and integrity of flavor that suggests the use of sous-vide. But the chops are roasted perfectly the old-fashioned way–a testament to Gallante's comfort in this genre.

Against our better (and meatball-fatigued) judgment, we ordered the single sphere of veal ($18)–and thank goodness for taking the chance in spite of our cynicism. With just the touch of a fork, the veal melts and is caught by a bed of the richest herb-and-truffle-flecked polenta this side of the Atlantic.

Although the service is still catching up to the food, wine director Jon Slover has assembled a serious list of bottles, some of which are available through a half-bottle program similar to the one he created at Bar Henry.

Ciano, 45 E. 22nd St.; 212-982-8422 or cianonyc.com