Travertine

Upload your photo »

After more than a year of battling with Community Board 2, the infamous curse of historic 19 Kenmare St. might finally be lifted with the opening of this Italian-Mediterranean spot, from 28-year old restaurateur Danae Cappelletto. The 58-seat space, occupying the gut-renovated Little Charlie's Clam Bar, showcases the cooking chops of Manuel Trevino, a "Top Chef" alum and subject in Bill Buford's kitchen tome "Heat." He's also a Babbo vet, whose pasta savvy was evident in our exclusive sampling of Travertine's handmade fagotini stuffed with truffled ricotta and spinach. Other dishes keep things familiar, from grilled rack of lamb with crushed potatoes, to beef carpaccio with bone-marrow aioli. Classic design touches—darkwood, chandeliers—lend an elegant feel, as does the restaurant's namesake stone, used here for visual accent.

See more:

Nolita restaurants, New York restaurants, Italian restaurants, Mediterranean restaurants