At Gigi Rigolatto, even the olive oil has dressed for dinner. House-branded bottles of EVO and balsamic vinegar sit alongside custom plateware, with beautiful terrazzo and the sort of immaculate attention to detail before you’ve looked at the menu. Inside the newly reopened Delano, Gigi’s first U.S. address makes a stunning impression but with an intimacy that keeps the focus on your own table.
Even the menu has a little choreography. Short and wide, it opens upward to reveal a neatly organized tour through antipasti, oysters and caviar, insalate, crudi, pizza, pasta, pesce, carne and piccolini. Fresh fish gets its own tableside introduction. There is plenty to work through, and we made a respectable effort.
We began near the top, with Burrata e Pomodori, roasted cherry tomatoes and basil pesto keeping the burrata company, followed by Tonno Rosso, bluefin tuna tartare set over avocado with basil. The Arancini al Tartufo took things in a richer direction. Three golden truffle-and-mushroom rice balls arrived with shaved truffle on top and whipped ricotta alongside. Then came the Melanzane alla Parmigiana, baked eggplant delivered in its skillet straight from the oven. Make room for this.
A pizza was always going to happen. The Tartufo layers Parmigiano Reggiano, truffle stracciatella, fresh chives and seasonal black truffle. With its puffed, blistered rim and generous scattering of truffle, the pie delivered.
For that, we wanted a change from our usual order. Spaghetti alla Nerano was the answer, with zucchini, basil and Provolone del Monaco. It arrived arranged in three nests across a floral platter, finished with generous cheese shavings and yellow blossoms. The Sogliola alla Mugnaia brought us back to a more classic 28-ounce whole sole with capers, lemon and butter. On the platter, the fish sat in a generous pool of golden sauce beside a charred lemon half. We ordered Chili Garlic Broccolini to go with it, a little spicy green among all that butter and cheese.
Dessert came the same attention to presentation. Gelato Pistacchio was served in a towering stack scattered with caramelized pistachios. Then the house olive oil returned, poured over the very top and allowed to work its way down.
And we have never been good at saying no to Profiteroles. Gigi’s is prepped with stracciatella ice cream and vanilla Chantilly, followed by another table-side pour, this time chocolate sauce.
Gigi calls it the alla grande way of life. At the Delano, it comes down to some details, right through to the last spoonful of chocolate sauce.