Tasting the Hype at Giada's Very First Restaurant

Here now, the very first legitimate review of Giada from Al Mancini, who visited the very first restaurant from pint-sized Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis at The Cromwell. He forewarns diners that some dishes are "large" and others are "tiny," although there's no way to discern which is which. "And nothing is cheap. So ordering enough food to fill you up can be a pricey endeavor."

That aside, he tried some of the antipasti such as the orzo meatballs, miniature peppers, broccoli rabe, bacon-wrapped dates and a pizza bianca, which he liked.

Of the pastas, he says all "were delicious, only lightly sauced so the pasta flavors are able to shine." Standouts include the lobster ravioli and tortellini with a pea pesto sauce.

As for entrees, he recommends the mustard-crusted lamb with spinach, but "was unimpressed by a massive veal chop saltimbocca that was disappointingly bland." He also didn't care for the sweet corn and spicy sausage side dish ("the disparate tastes fighting for attention rather than complementing each other").

He also notes that reservations are still one of the toughest tickets in town. Open Table shows the first available reservation on July 23 at 7:30 p.m., although lunch does start on July 9.
· Giada Lives Up to High Expectations [VS]
· All Coverage of Giada De Laurentiis [~ELV~]
· All Week in Reviews [~ELV~]