In Vino

In Vino:

Step away from St. Mark's and all the NYU kids.  Move down a couple of blocks and over an avenue and you're on one of the quieter streets in the East Village.  Tucked (if you can describe the modest location any other way) on 4th street is In Vino, a classic Italian ristorante yearning for the cool wine bar status.  Weekdays are great times to visit. The staff will take time away from their usual industry chat (acting, screenplays, etc.) to discuss the different varieties of grape, soil, salinity, air and any other combination of environmental subtleties that shaped the desired wine.

It's one of the few places where southern Italian wines are featured – most Manhattan shops like the northern, more popular varieties around Tuscany, but while you may not recognize some of the labels on the bottles, your palate will remember the delightful complex experience.

The weekend is a little more raucous as mid-towners come down to escape their dull jobs (we sat next to a table of loud Asians who couldn't hold their drinks) – but come before 8:30 pm and you should still get the vibe.  And it's a good one.  When you step inside, you've been transported underneath an Italian villa's cellar in the countryside. Sloped ceiling and brick walls hark back back – when meals were savored instead of consumed.  Try the homemade cannelloni after the tuna carpaccio. The risotto, moist and hearty, can serve two.  Don't forget dessert and don't miss the cheese selection, especially the truffle-specked goat blue pairing