The Early Word on Elizabeth Falkner's Corvo Bianco

Last Monday, restaurateur Luis Gonzalez opened his Upper West Side coastal Italian restaurant Corvo Bianco. In the kitchen is executive chef and frequent television competitor Elizabeth Falkner, making her return to cooking after her seven-month stint at Krescendo in Boerum Hill. At Krescendo, Falkner earned two stars from Pete Wells, largely for her pizzas, but the menu here leans away from those (though pizzas are available on the bar menu) with more focus on traditional Italian dishes and pastas. So how does it stack up? Here's what people are saying so far:

The Good News: One Yelper is impressed by the new restaurant's service: "Corvo Bianco is brand spanking new. I mean, it still smells new? When I went there I didn't expect the service to be at the level of an Eleven Madison Park where the waiters go through months of wait staff boot camp before they can even come near a customer. I expected it to be rough around the edges, but it seriously exceeded my expectations." [Yelp]

The Bad News: Restaurant Girl went on opening night and did not enjoy herself: "As for the entrees, the scallops were seared and arranged on a plate with a Cutting Celery Pesto and Summer Beans — a fine, summery dish though nothing you'd remember the next day. The Grilled Whole Branzino was not as successful. Out from the kitchen came a rather small and sad looking fish, wrapped in Chard leaves, which tasted like it had been left in the oven too long, dry and underseasoned." [Restaurant Girl]

The Comfy News: Another Yelper thinks the staff and ambience are top-notch: "The hostess greeted us upon arrival and took us to our table immediately. The main dining room was gorgeous, very open, airy and modern. We did not feel like we were eating dinner on top of someone. The restaurant was 40% full the night we went. The wait staff was wonderful; the bus boy kept refilling our bread basket without us asking, and the waiter was very knowledgeable of the menu and answered all of our questions." [Yelp]

The "Out of Control" News: But then there's this other Yelper who is appalled at the service and staff's lack of knowledge: "We went the first week and it was seriously out of control. For those of you who say we should not complain about first week issues at a new restaurant, I would say that if I am paying full price for a meal then I should expect at least a good experience. This was far from the case. Waiters that don't know what they are serving, bartenders who don't know what is in their cocktails, food that takes nearly 2 hours to come and is cold, should not be okay just because it is their first week?. They clearly are out to capitalize on having a celebrity chef and hope that her name will bring in the customers. Well, it might, but we (and I suspect most people) won't stay unless the food is better and the staff is trained." [Yelp]

The Amazing News: Foursquare user Patsy recommends Corvo Bianco: "This is an AMAZING new restaurant. I went to a pre-opening taster. It is incredible Northern Italian cuisine that is very fresh, vibrant, creative and satisfying? GO THERE!" [Foursquare]

The Sweet News: A Chowhound reviewer is satisfied with the meal's sweet ending: "As Elizabeth Falkner is known for her desserts, we ended the meal with fresh blueberries and whipped cheesecake which was reminiscent of something you'd have at The Spot; a deconstructed classic dessert that wasn't lost in concept." [Chowhound]

The Boozy News: "Solid" cocktails make for a positive review from this Yelper: "I had two extremely solid cocktails: the Chingon, which was a well balanced and flavorful tequila cocktail, and a bartender's special off-menu Manhattan, a play off of a rye Manhattan with the addition of a hit of fernet, which I like a lot? I found their wine list to be impressive and reasonable for the neighborhood." [Yelp]

The Bumpy Service News: Another Foursquare tipster went by on opening night (like Restaurant Girl), and is willing to give it another shot after the service was a little "bumpy": "Beautiful restaurant. A little expensive for italian fare. Bumpy service on opening night, give it a try in a couple of weeks." [Foursquare]
· All Coverage of Corvo Bianco [~ENY~]
?Alexander Hancock and Emma Kestler