restaurantgirl

New Yorkers take their neighborhood restaurants seriously. Every new eatery that opens around the corner reinforces the notion that you live in an important culinary zip code. Olana, which launched on the fringes of the Flatiron District two months ago, is a refreshing addition for residents along what has been a lonely stretch of lower Madison Ave.

Olana doesn't strut for attention with glitzy decor. The setting is civilly outfitted with spacious banquettes, red mohair chairs and cherry wood paneling. With its hand-painted murals and landscape paintings of the Hudson Valley, the dining room looks like an art exhibit devoted to this rustic region of New York. Ignore the harsh glare of illuminated light boxes with even more landscapes and focus your attention on the refined American cooking, which bows to ingredients from the Hudson Valley.

Tapping into his Italian roots, chef Al Di Meglio (Osteria del Circo) gives some of his strongest performances among a generous selection of house-made pastas...

To read the complete review at The New York Daily News