I had a very satisfying meal here last week with a few friends, one of whom had a pretty nice camera with him, so hopefully some shots will eventually appear here. My main take-away from Monteverde is that it really delivered at -- and maybe even a bit beyond -- my expectation level. I expected well thought-out and well executed versions of fairly straightforward, over-the-top dishes and that's exactly what we were served.
Starters were delicious. I especially enjoyed the Roman Vegetable Stufato (spring vegetable friscasee, grilled bread, fried duck egg, basil pesto, pinenuts) and the Nduja Arancini (tomato, olive oil-poached tuna). The Fegattini Calabrese (fried chicken livers, tomato, pepperoncino, soft polenta, snap peas) was also tasty.
Across the board, pastas were notable -- and we ordered all 7 of them on the menu. Of the 3 from the Atipica section, the Arrabbiata (fried strangozze with head-on shrimp) and the Cacio Whey Pepe (bucatini with pecorino romano, ricotta whey) were my favorites. The one I likely wouldn't order again was the well constructed Cannelloni Saltimbocca (merguez lamb sausage, manchego) because, for me, the merguez kind of overwhelmed everything else. Of the 4 from the Tipica section, the Lasagnette Amatriciana (guaciale, tomato) and the Tortelli Verdi (spring greens, ricotta, asparagus, green garlic, soffritto, country ham) were my favorites but the Gnocchetti Sardi (tomatoes fresh and dried) and the Oxtail Ragu (creste di gallo pasta, trumpet royale mushrooms, ramps, parm) were also items I'd happily order again.
For us, the Grand Finale was the Ragu Alla Napoletana, which is a massive platter of fusilli in red sauce, served with cacciatore sausage, soppressata meatballs and an enormous braised Berkshire pork shank. It's show-stopper, to be sure, though, I didn't enjoy the dish as much as many we had before it. Perhaps it's because we were pretty darned full by the time it hit the table but also, I found the red sauce with which it was served a little bland and thought the meats, especially the pork, were very salty. It was a fine dish but after having so many other wonderful dishes before it, it didn't quite stack up. But it definitely had a presence attack.
Other notes: we had a couple of desserts that were fairly forgettable, so I can't really say much more than that about them. The main room, where we were seated, was loud but no more so than one might expect for a room of its size. I was surprised by the sheer size of the place but this was a weeknight and even at 8:00 when we arrived, they were still cranking big-time. Service was a bit gruff but in a friendly way, if that makes any sense. I could tell our server wasn't super patient but eventually we bonded with her and in the end, I did like her moxy.
So, all in all, a really enjoyable meal in a fun, casual, high-energy setting. The food was great and really delivered on its promise. I don't tend to eat pasta very often but if I were in the mood for it, Monteverde would be at the top of my list of local places to go for it. And for anyone looking for this type of a meal, I'd recommend it without hesitation or qualification. I don't believe there's any other place in town doing what they're doing . . . and they're doing it really well.
=R=
Same planet, different world