Costata

Michael White is on a serious roll.  He is building an empire of
restaurants in and around NYC.  We went to one of the latest on Fathers
Day, Costata.  Michael was there until I saw him scoot out the front door with his family.  Glad to see he makes time for the family. 

Costata is located in the old Fiamma
location that closed a few years back.  Not sure they have done that
much with the place since it closed.  The light is a tad bright and it
feels more like a suburban restaurant than a chic spot.  Not sure who
they are using to for design but it could use a shot of sophistication.  

Although
this is a steak house there are many options on the menu.  The food is
simple yet really good.  If this place was located on the UES people would use it as their kitchen.  The first thing out was a little taste.  Puff pastry shells filled with creme fraiche and topped with caviar.  You could go wrong but not here.  Just delicious and the pastry had the perfect hints of butter.

They
serve buttery bread and a white bean spread topped with olive oil on
the table.  Our next round was oysters.  Not sure who they are sourcing
these from but they were delicious.  Just perfect.

The next round was a smattering of crudos.  I am a huge fan of crudo. 
Raw fish with hints of different seasonings and plenty of olive oil. 
Sushi Italian style.  They all came out at once.  The tuna was my least
favorite.  Maybe they could add some flavoring or herb to this.

Rolled fluke with a tomato confit, olives and tiny pieces of basil.  Light and fresh.

Marinated razor clams mixed with crispy pieces of soppresetta and thinly sliced fennel.  Total winner.  I could eat an entire bowl of this mixture.

Sea scallops topped with black truffle vinaigrette.  The combo of these two is a wow.

I love ruby red shrimp.  The simplicity of this dish was perfect.

A nice twist on Caesar salad.  Large pieces of romaine lettuce topped with an anchovy dressing, sliced of Parmesan cheese and crispy capers.  The crispy capers are so simple but changes the whole salad.

This
is called Mare salad.  Warm poached of octopus, calamari, shrimp and
scallops.  The fish is perfectly poached with a hint of lemon and olive
oil.  I'd like to see a little more oomph to the dressing. 

We had the Tagliata
for two, for three.  You don't need much explanation from the picture. 
Perfectly cooked, serious amount of flavor, just divine.  On the side
you can pick from a variety of butters and sauces.  It was rich enough
and we had a small pot of porcini sauce on the side.

A few side vegetables.  Roasted carrots that were perfectly caramelized.

The asparagus was just ok.  Large pieces with a Parmesan sauce.  Would have liked to see the asparagus roasted instead of steamed.

Do not miss dessert.  The dark chocolate ganache tart with a hazelnut praline is pretty insane. 

The food is good, the meal is pricey and I'd just like to see them do something about the decor.   Presentaion on the plate is just as important as presentation in the room.  It sets the tone.