The Enlightened Traveler: Lasagna To Die For In New York

If the missus and I lived on New York's Upper Westside, we'd eat at Salumeria Rosi often. Make that very, very often.

It's our idea of the perfect neighborhood restaurant:

• Casual and upscale at the same time
• Reasonably priced
• Terrific by-the-glass wine selection
• Wide range of small plates, so we can order a little or a lot
• Cozy, contemporary atmosphere
• Friendly service

And did we mention that that the food is fantastico?

Salumi is the Italy's answer to charcuterie.* (Or maybe it's the other way around?) Salumeria Rosi's exquisite cured meats, sausages and other dishes are pretty close to what you'll find in the Old Country.

The Italian-trained Cesare Casella oversees the kitchen. While we've never dined at his two earlier New York restaurants, Maremma (now closed) and Beppe, both had undistinguished reputations. He seems to be hitting his stride with this latest incarnation.

Porchetta (oven roasted, spiced pork tenderloin), culatello (wine soaked proscuitto, rubbed with spices and massaged by hand), coppa (aged, salted pork collar) are just a few of about a dozen and a half housemade coldcuts on offer.

It's not all about meat, however. There are plenty of fresh salads, vegetable dishes, satisfying soups and delicate pastas, too.

Of these we especially recommend the Torta di Porri (an individual savory tart of leeks, pancetta and parmesan) and the very tasty Cavolini con Prosciutto (roasted brussels sprouts, prosciutto, garlic and red wine vinegar).

Not to be missed is their sensational lasagna. It starts with housemade pasta that is layered with pork and beef ragu and velvety béchamel sauce. Each portion is assembled, then cooked to order. What shows up at your table is lighter, more delicate, and more delicious than anything you've had before.

Except for the soups, portions are on the lighter side and range from about $4 to $8 per plate. While you can always stuff yourself if you choose, two can eat well on an assortment of six or seven dishes. (And as we say, if you're not very hungry, you can choose fewer dishes. Sweet!)

The restaurant offers an interesting selection of wines by the glass from small Italian producers of Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Dolectto, Neprica and other varietals and styles. All pair nicely with the food. At $10 to $16 per smallish serving, they seem to be not as good a value.

Soppressata (top); white anchovies on a bed of raddichio.
(Photos by Marc Whalen)

If you go, be sure to ask your server for food specials and wine selections not on the menu. They usually have several but don't make a point of volunteering them.

It should be abundantly clear by now that this isn't a checkered-table-cloth-and-chianti-bottles-hanging-from-the-ceiling kind of joint. The clever, dark, contemporary interior is the work of motion picture production designer Dante Ferretti, responsible for the later Fellini films and many Scorcese works. (Think Gangs of New York, The Age of Innocence, Casino, and the current Shutter Island).

According to chef Casella, a visit to the salumeria is considered an integral part of daily life for many Italians. Now that Salumeria Rosi is here, New Yorkers may feel the same.

After your meal, if it's a nice night, stroll to Lincoln Center to take in the water show at the new fountain and refurbished plaza. Or saunter a few blocks up Broadway to the bustling Fairway Market where you can browse the generously stocked aisles and pick up a few goodies for tomorrow night's dinner.

Salumeria Rosi is located at 283 Amsterdam Ave. (between 73rd and 74th Streets), (212) 877-4800

*The word salumi is not a misspelling or variant of salami. Salami is a specific type of salumi. But you knew this already!

The Annals of Luxury: AMC, Loews, Regal, and Cinemark Are the New Status Brands

Movies may be the next category to make the leap to luxury status. And cinema chains are doing all they can to make that happen.

Movie theaters are doing better than ever, even in these recessionary times.

What recession? Cinema owners are dancing all the way to the bank!

It's not that more people are going to see films – attendance has hovered in the 1.4-1.5 billion admissions range since 1998 – it's that they're paying more for them.

A movie ticket went for as much as $16.50 at some New York theaters, enabling the domestic boxoffice to reach $10.6 billion last year, up from $9.6 billion in 2008.

Filmgoers are going to see even higher prices, if cinema owners have their way.

Taking advantage of the unprecedented popularity of the 3D hits Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, exhibitors are imposing more price hikes to coincide with the opening this week of How to Train Your Dragon, another 3D animated divertissement.

The Wall St. Journal reported that an AMC theater outside of Boston raised its prices more than 20% to $17.50 from $14.50 a week earlier. A Seattle multiplex is now charging $11 for conventional films – up from $10 – and $15 for a 3D film, up from $13.50.

The price of a 3D Imax showing of Dragon jumped dramatically to $19.50 from an already not-exactly-a-bargain $16.50 at New York's AMC Loews Kips Bay.

None of this takes into account the cost of city center parking, babysitters, or popcorn – which, with 1,200 calorie and 60 grams of saturated fat for a large tub, isn't good for you.*

But wait! Exhibitors have come up with an even more effective means of separating you from your money.

Movie theaters offering gourmet food and at-your-seat service are springing up in Pasadena, Calif, the aspirational Buckhead section of Atlanta, Kansas City, and elsewhere across the nation.

These so-called "dine-in" cinemas offer full bars and meals prepared in on-site kitchens by trained chefs, a far cry from the high school kids who sling hot dogs at concession counters.

At the Gold Class Cinemas in Pasadena, the "seasonal" menu ranges from blue cheese potato chips and wagyu beef burgers to portabello sliders and house made beignets for dessert.

(Of course while you, beloved readers, know what a beignet is, how many regular filmgoers can describe one? And surely they mean American crossbred with Angus Wagyu beef, not the authentic, milder Japanese Wagyu. But we digress.)

Gold Class also features a cocktail of the month. Currently it's a Ginger Collins, consisting of Bombay Sapphire Gin and something called Canton Ginger Liqueur, plus strawberries and sour mix. (We're not making this up, we assure you.)

Dinner for two plus drinks, tax and tip costs around $75 and does not include tickets, which for How to Train Your Dragon are $22 or $29 each.

And you didn't believe us when we said that going to the movies is now a luxury item?

*According to The Center for Science in the Public Interest. Their recent study showed that the coconut oil used by Regal Cinemas, the nation's largest chain, and AMC Cinemas resulted in extremely high levels of saturated fat in popcorn. By contrast the non-hydrogenated canola oil used by Cinemark reduced calories by about 25% and saturated fat by a much healthier 90% per large tub.