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There’s a
small ristorante a Roma, not so far from the
Hotel de Russie, a short walk from the
Spanish steps. A ristorante you discovered
your first time to the Eternal City. You
were given its name on a slip of paper by a
member of the American Academy in Rome. Only
locals dined there; no English was spoken by
the waiters. And that meal you enjoyed that
night—the arancini, the fiori di zucca, the
risotto—has fueled your culinary fantasies
ever since. Alas, you’ve misplaced the
address and on subsequent trips to Roma,
you’ve searched in vain…
And then, one early spring night, you find
yourself entering a small ristorante on
Fourth Street in the East Village in New
York—and suddenly, you are transported back
to your first love affair with the Eternal
City. The restaurant is called Aroma Kitchen
& Winebar and its warm, inviting ambiance
envelops you as soon as you cross the
threshold. A cozy space with a rustic birch
wood bar (perfect for dining alone or a
due), illuminated by softly-glowing
chandeliers and candles, Aroma feels like
the romantic country home of an urbane and
sophisticated gourmand—and the convivial
atmosphere immediately makes you feel a
welcomed guest.
In opening Aroma Kitchen & Winebar in March
2005, owner/chef Vito Polosa (originally
from a town south of Naples) and his wife
Alexandra (a native of Malta) fused their
childhood memories of Mediterranean cuisine
and culture to create an Italian sanctuary
marked by fresh local food matched with
excellent Italian wines—in a setting both
relaxing and stimulating. With a background
at some of New York’s most well-reviewed and
popular restaurants including Da Silvano and
Fiamma, as well as a stint as wine rep at
Winebow, Polosa has a deep hospitality
background—and a recent five-course tasting
menu (offered every Monday evening for $35 a
person, with a $25 wine pairing—from
Polosa’s extensive collection of over 150
Italian wines) was a testament to the
success of his and his wife’s dream.
To start, there was an amuse-gueule of two
tangles of spaghetti: the first, fried in
oil and served with a charred Colombian
pepper, was fiery, a wake-up call to the
palate—while the second tangle was an
unctuous combination of cream, mushrooms,
and shaved black truffles—and precisely the
sort of toothsome opener that inspires
unequivocal trust in the chef. House-cured
Cerignola olives gave off a whiff of fennel,
while the fresh bread begged for a bath in
the Ligurian olive oil.
Equally as ambrosial as the food were the
pairings of wine with each course, chosen
judiciously to complement flavors on the
plate. With a generous pour to insure a sip
with every bite (and served in splendid
Riedel stemware), the wines included a
Cantina de Negrar Valpolicella Classico
2008, exquisitely dry with a spicy
finish—and a splendidly ashy and cherry Etna
Rosso Terre Nere 2008 that perfectly
mirrored the earthiness of the roasted beets
tartare served with avocado, fennel, and
fontina.
For the third course, there was mezzaluna
pasta filled with beets, in a brown butter
and sage sauce—a dish that was so
transcendent as to serve as a catalyst for a
conversation about the very best plates of
pasta eaten throughout Italy. This ethereal
treat was paired with a glass of Geografico
Pulleraia 2003, a terroir merlot limned by
fruits and violets—and the richness of the
butter and pasta, underscored by the sweet
beets, all complemented by the Pulleraia’s
fulsome bouquet was a definitive example of
the harmonic convergence of food and wine.
In truth, the deal was sealed—and yet there
was another course, another glass —and
another birthday at another table, at which
point the entire dining room burst into
song, in Italian and English, and toasted to
the celebrant. How could one not feel a part
of the family all gathered together under
the roof of Vito and Alex?
Downstairs, via a narrow staircase and
through a series of labyrinthine
catacomb-like pathways, there are two more
dining rooms, one called The Farmhouse, and
the other La Tavernetta (seating 22 and 12,
respectively). Lined with wine bottles and
shadowed with candlelight, these two rooms
are the very definition of a private enoteca.
Romantic and secluded—it’s no wonder that
these rooms are habitually booked solid on
Valentine’s night.
For dessert, there was blackberry and lemon
crostata, and gelato, alongside a glass of
Cantine Federiciane Gragnano 2009 that burst
with a kind of raspberry sweet and sourness,
while up near the front of Aroma, a man
commenced playing the Spanish guitar.
Suffused with the glow of good food, wine,
and song—these are the moments of which
marriage proposals are made.
Even at meal’s end, you find yourself
lingering at Aroma Kitchen & Winebar—ordering
an espresso, another glass of wine—because
Vito and Alex have taken you into their
home—and back to that small ristorante you
remember with such fondness from your first
night in Roma.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Aroma Kitchen & Winebar
36 East Fourth Street (between Bowery and
Lafayette), New York City
212.375.0100
Website:
http://www.aromanyc.com/index.html
Sunday through Thursday, 5 pm – 12 am
Friday / Saturday: 5 pm – 1 am
Mondays: Tasting Menu / $35 per person / $25
wine pairing
Tuesdays: Frugal Feast / $32 two-course chef
menu plus wine
Sundays: Social Sundays / three courses for
$25
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