Cuisine:

• Italian
• Bar
• Lounge, club, bar

Bar Bambino Cafe & Wine Bar Description:
Parts of this narrow, chic Italian boîte pack significant appeal, especially the polished design. The atmosphere falls between rustic and sleek, with supple leather menu and napkin holders, lots of burnished wood, and two communal farmhouse tables below sculptural wine bottle chandeliers. An 11-seat, exclusively Italian wine bar abuts a marble-rich cheese and salumi station, enclosed like a ticket booth; inside, a monger arranges artisanal samplers (most of the cured meats come from Iowa's La Quercia) onto wooden cutting boards. Olive oil tastings are also a treat here. Food can be very good---any of the salads, soups or antipasti are fine bets, including a blissful bruschetta. The bright polpette di melanzane (vegetarian eggplant "meatballs") are subtly dotted with chopped pine nuts and currants and spooned with just-right-and-just-enough tomato sauce; we also recommend the rich, traditional meat versions. Braised lamb shank melts off the bone and is finished with good olives. For contorni, the sage-roasted pumpkin spears are a hit, the soupy, undercooked kale a miss. Pastas are forgettable first plates---portions are small, and their execution does not impress. The espresso drinks, however, are dusky, authentic treats. The tight, attractive scene culls a voguish crowd, with form winning out over function in some departments, including somewhat bumpy service; for more breathing room, secure a table on the pretty back patio.


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