Profile

This venue is closed.

Contrary to its name, which means "the little rascal," Il Monello is a serious restaurant. Any impishness is reserved for the lighthearted modern prints that adorn the stately beige dining room, which is accented with fresh flowers. The kitchen plays it straight with traditional Northern Italian dishes, which have been charming well-heeled Upper East Siders since 1974. Among the antipasti are cured meats like prosciutto di parma and bresaola, as well as beef and seafood carpaccios, plus cooked specialties like baked clams and grilled Portobello mushrooms. Salads stay simple, like field greens with slivers of Pecorino Romano cheese anointed with an aromatic and earthy truffle oil. More than a dozen pasta selections grace the menu, from linguine with massive clams to pappardelle with wild mushrooms and herbs. Half-orders make an ideal appetizer. Sparnocchi alla Genovese combines enormous butterflied shrimp, juicy cherry tomato halves, and marinated baby artichoke hearts in a tangy white wine sauce. Red snapper is festooned in a pine nut crust and doused with balsamic vinegar; tomato broth, marinara sauce, or fra diavolo enliven other seafood specialties. Saltimbocca alla Fiorentina unites salty prosciutto with tender veal scallopine atop a mound of luscious sautéed spinach. This rascal is decidedly well-behaved. — Michael Anstendig

Oenophiles will appreciate the selection of about 365 wines from Italy, Spain, Australia, Chile and the U.S.; the street-level wine "cellar" also functions as a cozy, private party room.

Saltimbocca alla Fiorentina, $26; sparnocchi alla Genovese, $32