Eater Inside: 'inoteca

Gramurray: Sitting on the brink of the tanking economy with a very large and very expensive upscale Italian restaurant, Bar Milano's owners Jason and Joe Denton made a very prudent decision. To attract more cash-strapped diners, they decided to transform their pricey spot into a branch of their wildly successful—and casual and affordable—concept, 'inoteca. Just under two months later, the 24th Street location of 'inoteca opens tonight at 5 p.m., and the Dentons will soon find out if they made the right move.

Envisioned like the West Village's 'ino and the LES's 'inoteca but on a larger scale, this 'inoteca will have the usual sandwiches, snacks, cheeses, and meats and a few additional categories. We now call your attention to the primi section, offering homemade pastas, polenta, and the like, the spiedini section with various proteins (grilled quail, roasted scallops and chicken cacciatore) served on a skewer, and the revamped classic cocktail program, with specialty drinks all priced at $10. And, of course, you can still get their truffle egg toast. The full menu:

Piatti
polpette 12
polenta, bitter greens, 13
w/ pancetta 15
braciolette di maiale 18
lasagnette di melanzane 12
pollo con panzanella 16

Fritti
suppli 12
verdure misti 8
gamberoni w/pancetta agro dolce 18
mozzarella in carrozza 9
panelle 8

mascarpone
tonno
cauliflower
rabe
fennel, orange
pepperonata

fagioli
pesto
noci
tapenade
caponata
ricotta
alla toscana

Bruschette
one - 3, three- 7, five- 12, seven- 16, nine-19

truffle egg toast 9, w/bottarga 12

Panini
coppa, pesto, piccante provolone 11
speck, radicchio, crescenza 11
prosciutto cotto, bel paese, leeks 11
bresaola, arugula, grana, lemon oil 11
soppressata, goat cheese & tapenade 11
prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula pesto 11
mortadella, pickled peppers, pecorino 11
culatello, noci, mozzarella 11
fontina, truffle oil, spinach, mushroom 11
Heritage Foods Wagyu Beef bollito 18

Spiedini
polpo 12
quaglia 16
capesante 14
salsiccia 10
pollo 11

Primi
tagliatelle con ragu 15
spaghettini aglio e olio 11
w/pomodoro 13
baked rigatoni w/cauliflower 14
pinci w/ mussels 16
capricci w/patata, pesto & fagioli 14

Insalata & Antipasti
baby rucola, pickled red onions & pecorino 8, w/bresaola 11
insalata di verdure 12
insalata di calamari grigliata, 12
romaine, radicchio, stravecchio & roasted garlic 8
beets, orange, pecorino, mint & hazelnuts 10
antipasti plate 13
olives 5
zuppa del giorno 8

Affettati
assortito -18
prosciutto 18 month 10
bresaola 10
soppressata 9
cullatello 10
mortadella 8
coppa 7
speck 9

aqua minerale 6
cioccolata calda 3
iced tea 2
lemonade 3

Bevanda
espresso 2.5
cappuccino 3
latte 3.5
americano 2.5

‘inoteca adds a 20% gratuity to all parties six or larger

Aranciata 2
Limonata 2
Chinotto 2
San Bitters 2