March 2007
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Alta
by Celia Cheng
Everyone has local favorites for different occasions — a casual joint to grab a lite-bite, a good bar to meet friends for happy hour, a restaurant with nice décor and great food to host friends from out of town, or a place for larger dinner parties that don’t require reservations thirty days in advance. Luckily for me, my favorite neighborhood restaurant, Alta, fits the bill for all of the above.
Located on the south side of 10th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, and across from Piadina, Alta is slightly hidden. No prominent signs identify the restaurant, tucked away in a brownstone on one of Manhattan’s most beautiful residential streets. Once inside, you can hang out at the long accommodating bar. Or further in, you can dine in an unsuspectedly large and open, two-level dining area. The kitchen is upstairs, and there is another smaller, quaint dining room through the kitchen that overlooks 10th street — discreet and charming.
The owners, husband and wife team, Christopher Chesnutt and Ewa Olsen, have beautifully executed their vision of a Spanish-inspired small-plates restaurant. And chef Harrison Mosher really brings to life the exquisite delicacies that he deems New York cuisine with a Spanish soul.
Harrison and his team are constantly playing and experimenting with new creations. The menu changes frequently, but staple favorites are always available. Two of mine are the crispy Brussels sprouts and Danish pork ribs. However, I am such a fan of the entire menu — old or new — that I am always up for “The Whole Shebang”: “That’s right, folks, everything on the menu.” And yes, I have had The Whole Shebang, which easily feeds eight.
The success of Alta is in its pursuit of what’s really good. The food and wine are stellar, the atmosphere pleasant and relaxing. Alta doesn’t aim to solicit publicity or be on the trendy forefront of New York’s dining scene. There’s no faux philosophy or rigid mission statements. When you are comfortable in your own skin, things come more naturally, and that’s the feeling here at Alta. Their customers appreciate their lack of pretense and fall in love with the good eats each time they visit — at least I do.
I hope you enjoy some of the small plates that I am sharing with you this month, but remember the menu does change! So don’t be afraid to try different things. That’s the spirit of small plates, try everything — it’s fun!
