'Inoteca: Restaurant Review

'Inoteca offers diners delicious Italian style wine bar offerings in a rustic, yet charming setting. At 'Inoteca, with the menu entirely in Italian and the wide array of wines, antipasti, fromaggi, and panini, you may just think you've been transported from the Lower East Side to Italy, despite the crowds.

The biggest trouble with 'Inoteca is deciding from the array of delicious offerings. Our server was patient and knowledgeable -- she went over the menu(which is in Italian), was made suggestions and gave us direction as far as determining how much to order -- which we blatantly ignored, as many of the items seemed to be calling to us. The menu is basically broken down into six sections: Insalata & Antipasti, Pane, Piatti, Fritto, Affettati, and Formaggi. (They offer a supplemental breakfast menu during brunch and small dessert menu.)

From the insalata & antipasti section, we sampled the soup of the day($7), a beet salad($8) served with orange segments, mint and hazelnuts, a warm brussel sprout salad($9) featuring pancetta, caramelized red onion and croutons, and grilled calamari($9) with borlotti beans & fennel. All were memorable and the "right" one to choose would depend on your tastes and inclinations.

Next, we sampled the truffle egg toast both with bottarga($9) and without($7). This is arguably the most often celebrated dish from both 'Inoteca and its smaller West Village sibling, 'Ino, and rightly so. The egg yolks were creamy and rich nestled in the center of a piece of pullman bread and with a drizzle of truffle oil and some fontina. Reminsicent of the "egg in a basket" my mother prepared for breakfast when I was young, yet mature. Personally, I found the bottarga unnecessary.

Panini (grilled sandwiches) and tramezzini (cold sandwiches) featured a variety of fillings including various meats and cheeses. The bread used in the panini was delicious, with a crisp exterior complimenting the creamy interior (in our case, filled with culatello w/noci and mozzerella ($8)). Folks who've never been impressed by Italian rice balls might find themselves biting their tongue after sampling the suppli($7) which had a perfectly crusty outside the creamy arborio filling dotted with mushrooms.

The only piatti we sampled was the lasagnette di melanzane($8) -- a lasagna created with layers of eggplant in place of noodles and baked with layers of cheese and sauce between (a good low-carb choice).

We completed our meal with cappuccinos($3) and a plate of five cheeses ($12) -- though selecting from over 20 options was a bit of a challenge. The cheeses themselves were served at perfect temperature and we surprised ourselves by finishing them off. The only problem with the meal was the fact that now I can't wait to return.

Essential Information about 'Inoteca

• 'Inoteca is located at 98 Rivington Street.
• Closest subway to 'Inoteca: F, J, M, Z, to Delancey St. at Essex St.
• 'Inoteca Cross Streets: Corner of Ludlow and Rivington
• 'Inoteca Phone: 212-614-0473
• 'Inoteca Hours: 12 p.m. - 3 a.m. daily (lunch/dinner), brunch on Sundays from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• 'Inoteca Payment: Cash and Major Credit Cards
• Brunch at 'Inoteca is a great chance to savor the cuisine without the crowds.
• You'll want to order 2-3 items per person -- the menu just begs for you to share and sample.