Dining out
Italian with style
These places offer lots more than spaghetti and pizza
Thursday, November 01, 2007
ONE VERSION OF the story goes something like this: As a young starlet, Sophia Loren was asked by a reporter about her famous figure, since she was born into poverty and brought up skinny.
Becky Stein/SPECIAL
Valenza in Brookhaven (serving carpaccio, above) says most of its menu represents the northern regions of Italy, but some of the pastas and other selections can be all over the map. Valenza is in the former M!x location next door to Haven.
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“Everything you see I owe to spaghetti,” was her purported reply.
She’s not alone. We all owe a lot to spaghetti, and Parmigiano Reggiano and Sorrento lemons and ravioli and bruschetta and gelato and gnocchi and mozzarella and osso bucco. A list of the types of pasta could take up an entire section of the newspaper. Wine. Formaggi. Salumi.
The claim that most European cooking has roots in Italy is highly debatable, but one thing can’t be disputed — Italy’s contribution to world cuisine is prolific. Italian food is perhaps the most loved across the globe, and often the most misinterpreted beyond Italy’s borders.
Nowhere is that more evident than Atlanta, where save for a handful of local old-school favorites like Alfredo’s and Nino’s the city’s population has been reticent to embrace the cuisine of the country shaped like a boot. Interpretations here range from Chef Boyardee-ish embarrassments to cheesed-up pasta palaces. Standout exceptions are Sotto Sotto, Antica Posta and Ecco.
But presto! All of a sudden, Italian joints are popping up everywhere across the city, each with its own take on cucina Italiana. Here are three.
VALENZA
1441 Dresden Drive, Suite 100, 404-969-3233, www.valenzarestaurant.com. 
The owners of Haven in Brookhaven, Michel and Tonya Arnette, have replaced their clubbish M!x (next door) with a cozy, comfortable Italian eatery. If you were one of the many people politely bellying up to M!x’s bar for the latest version of a vodka creamsicle, you’ll notice an easy presto-change-o set change — from a brooding bar backdrop to earthy tones, weathered wood and candlelight.
And the menu, from young chef Matthew Swickerath, is rewarding. No retro-fit switch here — this is Italian on a budget, but well worth the time and dime. The young staff works hard to provide, even if most of them don’t know the difference between cappellini and carpaccio.
Molto bene: The restaurant claims most of the food represents the northern regions of Italy, particularly Piemonte in the northwest, where white truffles and risotto reign. The many pastas on the menu, as well as burrata (from Puglia — Italy’s heel) are proof not in that pudding. Still, the offerings have the homey, precisely seasoned goodness of the dishes of Northern Italy. Agnolotti is filled with tender meat from short ribs, seasoned with the natural juices from the pan and shavings of grano padano. The risotto, made with the Cadillac of rice, carnaroli, is creamy and luxuriant with ample mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. Fritto misto has the perfect mix of batter and brawniness, with calamari, lemons, fleshy bits of halibut and capers sprinkled about for salty seasoning. And the rabbit, served with tomatoes, mushrooms and olives, is a true standout — tender meat with a succulent, indulgent flavor served over a dreamy polenta. The wine list, short but sweet, has some beautiful offerings — and save but for a few sparklers, is all Italian.
Poco male: Desserts such as the panna cotta and peach crostada are too sloppy and lack real flavor; more like culinary school failings than something, after such stellar courses elsewhere on the menu, I’d come to expect from this kitchen. Burrata is a nice addition to any menu, but here lacks the creamy insides of this incredible cheese from Puglia — it’s really more like eating a very soft mozzarella than a true burrata. Still, with fresh tomato and micro basil, it’s hard to beat.
VIA
262 Pharr Road, 404-214-5404, www.viarestaurant.net 
The sweeping accents of blue and white throughout this mod restaurant seem more like Greece than Italy, but the menu, from Richard Roettgen, is a modern, flexible interpretation of all things Mediterranean, too, so go figure. Roettgen has worked briefly with some of Atlanta’s finest chefs, including Shaun Doty (who consulted on Via’s menu), and Guenter Seeger, and their precise approach is evident. Follow through is sometimes an issue — what sounds exquisite on the menu doesn’t always make it to the table that way.
Fresh and simple is one of Roettgen’s calling cards, and most of his dishes, even when flawed, possess a simplicity that is usually the mark of the much more experienced. Service is flawed in the same way; the staff lacks solid knowledge, but is earnest and unendingly polite. The place looks more like a bar than a restaurant, with high-definition televisions glaring and head-thumping techno music blaring.
Magnifico: Roettgen’s shrimp and grits are happily interpreted Italian style with plump, pop-in-your-mouth shrimp over creamy, well-seasoned polenta and a spicy coppa jus (think spicy, oily stuff). Something as uncomplicated as a Caesar salad is fresh with the flavor of pecorino and bits of pancetta and tiny slivers of olives are buried in fresh leaves of romaine. Ricotta gnocchi runs the gamut from too mushy and undercooked to unfortunate gumminess, but the Gulf shrimp, baby carrots and Brussels sprouts leaves tossed into its fray are worth it. Desserts here are engaging, with a rich chocolate mousse topped with an espresso creme anglaise and a tiny quenelle of chantilly cream flecked with vanilla bean. And zeppoli (Italian doughnuts) are almost too fun to eat, but force yourself — they’re light, pint-sized and perfectly fried, even better when dragged through chocolate and strawberry sauces.
Negativo: Pizzas taste as if the crust came from a back shelf in the freezer; the quattro formaggi is a muddy mess of mozzarella, ricotta (why?), pecorino (double why?) and taleggio, the woodsy flavor of which is unrecognizable under the mantle of cheese and red sauce.
KEY TO RATINGS
Outstanding: Sets the standard for fine dining in the region. 
Excellent: One of the best in the Atlanta area. Very good: Merits a drive if you’re looking for this kind of dining. Good: A worthy addition to its neighborhood, but food may be hit or miss. 
Fair: The food is more miss than hit.
Restaurants that do not meet these criteria may be rated Poor.
Pricing code: $$$$$ means more than $75; $$$$ means $75 and less; $$$ means $50 and less; $$ means $25 and less; $ means $15 and less. (The price code represents a meal for one that includes appetizer, entree and dessert without including tax, tip and cocktails.)
