San Pietro

We don't want to sound like their p.r. agency, but what we expected to be a pleasant dinner turned out instead to be one of the best Italian meals we've eaten in New York. Possibly it happened because we were guided through the stellar menu by Geraldo Bruno, co-owner. No doubt most of what comes out of the kitchen tastes wonderful and everything we sampled, beginning with roasted vegetables and a fresh anchovy, was glorious. Next came small tastes of their sublime special dish, sea bass, baked to perfection in a salt crust. Another inspired course, homemade ravioli filled with salmon, was napped with creamy herb sauce. Entrees of lamb chops and veal scaloppini were excellent. Add to that some great breads, wines and desserts. Service was smooth and the setting, a cross between a Tuscan farmhouse and a Mediterranean villa, couldn't have been more charming.

San Pietro, 18 East 54th Street, New York, NY 10022. Tel. 212-753-9015. Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Moderately expensive. www.sanpietro.net

Spring 1997