FOOD SPOTTING: GRATO

While their menu is lean, every dish is artfully thought-out, executed and delivered. Why would you muck it up with anything short of perfection? Grato is one of my favorite Italian restaurants for their spot-on, slightly-left of traditional pasta dishes that always deliver. While they always have a special pasta for the night, these two dishes below are sure to please the most discerning palates. And their prices are wallet-friendly too.

Who’d ever heard of gnocchi made out of dried kalamata olives, lightly held together with the lightest sprinkling of flour? 

These kalamata gnocchi are pillow-soft, slightly briney and deliciously complemented with a yellow, tomato puttanesca sauce. Another BPB favorite is the Sunday gravy paccheri made with veal, pork and beef. Simmered for hours, it literally is a harmonious call-out to carnivores.  

Whichever way you fork it, Grato will gratify any yen for carbs. After all, you have to live a little.