Bar of the Week: Sorella

Like many a foodie before them, Emma Hearst and Sarah Krathen returned from a trip to Italy last year with plans to open a wine bar in New York. But unlike many a foodie before them, they actually did. With Hearst as chef and Krathen as manager, Sorella keeps good on its motto "Conserve Water, Drink Wine" (trumpeted in Italian across their menus), by incorporating the pair's favorite findings from their travels across Northwestern Italy with 25 wines by the glass, ranging from a reasonable $8 to $17. A medium-bodied Sant'Elena Ros Di Rol Rosso, kindly recommended by a knowledgeable bartender, was rich and slightly sweet and a $10 Falanghina was crisp and brightly acidic. Hearst, of Union Square Café, has created a lovely collection of small plates, which are filed under qualcosino, "a little something," on the menu. Though the Pate de Fegato ($8) -- a chicken liver mousse topped with friend egg, bacon, and served on an English Muffin and made with duck fat -- is worthy of the press attention it has received, the gnocchi ($13), a dish often shunted to the background of Italian menus by bland cheese sauces and gluey consistences, were light, fluffy and worked well in a fresca cream sauce with brown buttered pears. The space is clean lined and minimalist with a few warm touches: the front room features a bar area and a wood-paneled wall with insets of tiny photos from the owners' visit to Italy, and a large portrait of Hearst's dogs hangs in the bathroom. Go for a little something delicious and make your plans for your next big trip.

Sorella
95 Allen St.
(212) 274-9595

Photo from nymag.com