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The proprietors of Abboccato are the Livanos family, owners of Molyvos and the fine seafood restaurant Oceana. They are diligent, successful restaurateurs, and if they haven’t quite gotten the hang of the new Italian aesthetic yet, they certainly know how to choose a chef. Jake Addeo is the Chef de Cuisine at Abboccato, and his competence and ambition are evident with the arrival of the antipasti. There was a crunchy fritto misto, caked in polenta and served on a white linen napkin, followed by a juicy knot of quail stuffed, in the Umbrian style, with mortadella. There was a pretentious though excellent tasting plate of buffalo mozzarella, and an ingenious foie gras dish served with soft gnocchi dusted with espresso crumbs. My grilled tripe, which can taste like cow guts in the wrong hands, was mild and lemony here, and the jaded crudo fiends at my table heaped praise on the uni in particular, which is served in its shell, mingled with olive-oil gelato and candied Meyer lemon. If this doesn’t sound like your average Batali-inspired, rustic Italian pig-out, that’s because it’s not. The menu at Abboccato may be jumbled and overwrought, but the food has a polished, uptown elegance. — Adam Platt

Pasta with manila clams and peperoncini, $23

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New York Magazine Reviews

• Adam Platt's Full Review (1/10/05)

Best of New York Awards

• Best Dessert: New World Classic (2005)

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