Andrew Carmellini just might be one of my favorite NY restaurateurs. With gems like The Dutch, Lafayette, Little Park, and Bar Primi, the veteran Italian-American chef simply can’t seem to make a wrong move. Locanda Verde was opened in 2009 in Robert DeNiro’s Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca. A delicate mix between lavish restaurant and swanky bar, the space oozes NY chic. The tables rep a diversity of diners, spanning from up and coming actors (OK, it’s NY, they’re everywhere)*, to families, and even business partners; everyone is welcome and the food doesn’t discriminate.

If you’ve read my past entries you know I don’t f**** around with bread. It’s my holy grail, and my restaurant meal is only complete if the bread is good. And, damn, this bread is good. After ordering, hot focaccia accented with herbs and cooked tomatoes, dusted with sea salt lands on the table in perfect proportion to how many chairs fill up your table. If you’ve got a dieter, or gluten-free addition to your table, simply tell them the bread sucks, and eat their piece.

The more bread, the merrier, I always say. If your party is hungry, you can’t go wrong with the ricotta crostini (pictured below). Fluffy, whipped sheep’s milk ricotta, pooled with olive oil and blended with sea salt and herbs sits in a wooden dish accompanied with generous, chewy sourdough. Order this, you won’t be disappointed.

Having carb-loaded a little early on in the meal, my table skipped out on the no-doubt delicious pasta offerings, and opted for two portions of the wood-fired garlic chicken for two. A menu staple, this chicken hits a home run each time. Not overly saucy, the juicy bird strikes a delicate balance between salt & spice, and leaves you feeling everything nice.

An order of the Pesce al Forno came accompanied with olives and lemon. Skip this dish. The fish, a little overcooked, didn’t hold much flavor and balked in comparison to the chicken. The roasted carrots, seasoned with dried herbs and sesame, make for an excellent and generous side dish, which works as a great accompaniment for any meat or fish.

The service here is first rate. Waiters are helpful and passionate. So much so, that we were almost convinced the pumpkin pie could change our lives. To be continued whether that’s true or not, but no doubt I’ll be back. Celeb sightings and pastas included.

* But, for real Elijah Krantz (from Girls) did sit at the table next to us.

4/5 stars.