Sportello

Corner diner stools for four. Meal was poor, wine was good waitress was nice. We dine out a lot, travel a lot and the atmosphere was what is was....diner like 2009 however that is where the similarity ends. Apps were poor and skimpy. The boring Italian bread served with a dollop of mascarpone cheese, olive oil, and a plop of jam... however, with out a knife you either got the entire piece of jam , left it or took out the spoon to hold it while you tried to taste it...oh and it was much like a cream cheese and jelly sandwich.Artichoke was so dried out from perhaps waiting to be served? That the once filled leaves were basically dried. We got 4 apps to share among four...oops knives are not placed until the entree. The "salads" were so boring and small (you can get away with amazing and small but not boring and small) and shared 4 ways never saw cracked pepper.....Then the pasta, no extra cheese offered, So bland, and non descript, If I had to choose one....risotto was the better but again split four ways we each got only a modest spoonful. Expensive, and no wow factor. Oh BTW I go to Italy often so when they say the food is country Tuscan... ahhhh no. The wine was good did I say this? Ok so they use stemless glasses I will overlook this as it is "trendy". The bread became the main meal for the guys as they were hungry and looking forward to the entrees. Ahhh the chicken (cooked under a brick... very Tuscan) was missing more meat perhaps part of the chicken was left under the brick... truly four bites so 1 bite for 4 people... thank goodness we got the knives at this time. Then the "veal chop" with a few decorative blops of perhaps spinach? The fat was still white? and looked like lard. The large bone made it like a T Bone... the lack if grilling made it just white on the outside red in the inside... unable to cut with the knife so it was ripped....only one ate it even though 4 were hungry.... The nice waitress took it off the bill. So 200$ for not good and skimpy (I guess trendy )food, stools, and 2 moderate but good bottles of wines. Too bad, great location, interesting idea but food needs a wake up call for repeat customers.

If you care about seeming chic and think small but good portions at steep prices are worth sitting on a stool, then go. Tepid water, no ice. Tiny bread slices with a dollop of marscapone, oil and salt. $22 for an appetizer or split-sized pasta Bolognese. $30 for an 8 oz steak. $10 broccoli soup. $10 for a small piece of mozarella with a few strands of chard. Very limited parking, wine in a water glass, and a decor suggesting a white diner. Cool