Sandi

When Laura Santosuosso and Denny Mollica had the interior curtains installed in their restaurant before opening, halfway up the windows, the craftsman told them, “It had been 30 years since we’d arranged them like this.” From inside, you can see the street; from outside, you can be seen, but without being able to see what people are eating. To find that out, you’ll have to step inside and take a seat within this retro-futurist architecture, with its polished stone slabs and 1970s wooden chairs. If that remark suggests that something old-fashioned might be lingering here, resist the temptation to believe it. Sandi is the exact opposite: a restaurant with a distinctly contemporary essence. It can be found in the sheen of the pasta, which holds its shape beautifully on the plate; in the vivid vegetables; in the rich, opaque sauces; and, at times, in the transparency of a fish or shellfish crudo, in clear broths, and in oils beading across the plates. It is the holy grail of modern cooking, balancing Italian roots with inspirations that chef Laura brings home in her suitcase. This spring’s menu is a celebration of freshness: sustainably caught shrimp, “peschiole” — small green peaches picked early and preserved —, yellow tomatoes; or yellow beet raviolini with ricotta, charred lemon and hazelnuts; as well as red mullet with grilled black cherries, baby spinach and bacon. Here, seasonality is naturally queen: the rhythms of the land govern the menus, despite the frustrations that may entail. The restaurant is also open only for lunch, except on Fridays. As for wine, the selection is deliberately concise, spanning France and Italy.