Your Living Room, But With Hot Italians

There's an intimate little wine spot in Nolita? Fat chance. The said cozy, cavernous cellar bar will be discovered within a week or two. A month from now, you'll be grappling for cheese-plate space with some wine-wanking scrub and his "intimo" party of 20.

photo: Corina Zappia

The shelves at Epistrophy

Details

Epistrophy,
200 Mott Street,
212-966-0904

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More About

• Luca Fadda
• Giorgia Zedda
• Thelonious Monk
• Eating Out
• Foods

Right now, this is Cantina 194—but is not yet Epistrophy, which opened at the end of August. Till the throngs descend, you can be the super suave bastard among your friends, introducing them to the winsome, neighborhood boîte just down the street from Lombardi's. It's the lounge with the well-priced selection of Italian reds ($6-$10 a glass), hefty wooden boards piled with Sopressata and fresh figs; and attractive Italian clientele, always milling about. Sardinian owners (and comely couple) Luca Fadda and Giorgia Zedda outfitted Epistrophy with all the "handsome den" comforts: dark wood shelves stocked with books, bottles, and a lone old-world globe; kitchen tables burnished to "Shabby Chic" perfection; folding chairs hanging from the wall for extra seating; and artwork from some painter no one's ever heard of.

The great score here are the couches and cushions up against the front windows; it's better than sidewalk seating, since there's no fear of getting mowed down from frustrated pedestrians. Fadda and Zedda plan to roll out a more expansive menu of light fare in a month or two, adding easy dishes like carpaccio to the caprese salads and cheese platters already in place, as well as simple breakfasts of croissants and coffee. Expect a few jazz nights thrown in there too—they didn't name the bar after a Thelonious Monk tune for no reason.