The first thing you’ll notice as you enter LaRina Pastificio & Vino is the wall of artisanal vermouth and amaro behind the bar. “Some are so regional I didn’t even know they existed when I was in Italy,” explains Emilia-Romagna native Giulia Pelliccioni, who helms the eclectic, Italo-centric natural wine list at this upscale take on the casual pasta spot. While the encyclopedic range of bitter liqueurs forms the basis for an inventive cocktail program, Pelliccioni’s obsession with the category is best understood by ordering them on the rocks (splash of soda optional): the bright citrusy Montanaro Bianco, for example, or the richer, Sherry-like Silvio Carta Vermouth di Sardegna. Either will sufficiently whet the appetite for a heaping plate of lemon gigli pasta smothered in duck ragù. At which point, you’ll probably start craving a perfumed glass of Cala Cala Rosso from Etna’s Calabretta estate or one of Denis Montanar’s textured Friulian whites. Just don’t skip a splash of amaro with your post-dessert espresso.
387 Myrtle Ave., Brooklyn, New York
Italian
718-852-0001
This story appears in the print issue of April 2017.
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