The Hedonistic Life: The one at I Soldi

Earlier this evening, I met my friend Liz for dinner in the West Village. Liz & I first became friends when we studied together in Firenze, Italia. Liz found this wonderful little place where the Restaurateur, is a woman from Florence who decided to leave the world of fashion to open a restaurant based on the traditional Tuscan dishes she grew up with -- I Soldi

If you've ever been to Christopher Street, you know it's right at the edge of the village which begins to get very quite...you could easily walk past & not even know you've missed anything! I Soldi is based upon simple elegance, something I LOVE!

An incredibly small space, really only enough seating for maybe 30 people, but as a consequence it has a very intimate ambiance; like you're favorite hometown spot. The wait-staff is quick to greet you but in a very reserved manner, they check you coat and purse if you'd like & seat you at either a small table or the bar. Liz & I sat at the bar, a monumental thing of beautiful dark wood, with a vast number of familiar Italian wines & spirits displayed behind it. The bartender who looked as though he was a part of the restaurant told us about the night's specials while pouring us some especially crisp water in very cheque-low glasses which felt as though they may be Riedel. We settled on a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (one of my favorite Tuscans!) & then had to decide what to get to eat! Everything looked amazing....all the classic Tuscan dishes of the season -- another fact I love! Seasonality is far underrated!! We settled on a Fegato di Turchia (warm seasoned turkey pate) to share & each had to try the Lasagne Al Carciofi (Artichoke Lasagna).

Soon after ordering a plate of olives, a plate of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), & a small basket of bread was brought to us. The bread was fresh baked & whole grain -- Yum. The olive oil though, I could have died over! I found out later, via the website (click on I Soldi above), that this was olive oil which was from the first cold press of the season of her family's farm outside Florence. It was intensely fruity & dynamic, the plate had a small amount of cracked pepper on it, & was the perfect additive. You could smell this EVOO as soon as it was placed before you, that wonderful smooth earthiness -- be still my heart! Soon after, though not too soon (this is an authentic Italian place), our antipasti came. I could smell the warm spice on it, the pate was generously spooned over a thick slice of their bread; it was smooth, reminiscent of Tuscan autumn, & entirely satisfying. It was quite a filling dish, so I'm glad they allowed a good amount of time before I Primi! We sipped wine & chatted easily as the noise level was well maintained simply by the size of the establishment. When our Lasagna came I could not have been more enthralled! This was a mountain of fresh made pasta, cream, and artichokes all blended together with the most perfect spices of subtle pepper, nutmeg, and sage. It was exactly what great Tuscan lasagna should be, subtle, gorgeous, creamy, & NO tomato sauce! As a whole it was incredibly smooth and creamy: I could have eaten two portions of this had it not been so filling!

I was most impressed at how much I felt as though I was in Florence. The dining was relaxed & sophisticated in a subdued way. New York Magazine said of Rita Sodi, "the platinum-spike-haired proprietress, is often at the bar, treating it like her kitchen table...". This is so true...As Liz & I were seated as the bar, we saw her come out of the kitchen several times incredibly as unpretentious as you would expect from a true Florentine. All I can say, Grazie mille!

I knew I had to wear something fabulous to this dinner, but I was also coming straight from work, so it was a balance of fashion & Business attire. I started with my favorite black pencil skirt from White House Black Market, the Elyse, which has some fantastic details if you blow up the picture & a fabulous sexy little slit in the back. I am a huge fan of pattered stockings -- especially of the lacy persuasion -- so I added a pair of my Givenchy burgundy colored stockings. A fun little BCBG billowy gold-yellow top tucked into the skirt, & fabulous little black booties with a fun ruffle on the back. I didn't know they came in other colors, but now I seriously want the cobalt blue! For accessories, I went simple: added a delicate double-gold-chain necklace & fun gold, pearl, & gem earings (pictured below).