Il Matto: Designed for the Mad Man of Tribeca
By Diana Cook
A recent trip to NYC led to a fortuitous opportunity to check out Il Matto the night before its NY Times debut review. Chef/owner Matteo Boglione opened the Church Street eatery in TriBeCa in June. Il Matto (or “The Mad Man” in Italian) offers inspired Italian dishes and plenty of disparate design elements to keep you entertained.
The gallery-like space (white walls and high ceiling) is dominated by a large installation in the main dining area. Created by famed graffiti artist ZEPHYR as an ode to Boglione, it depicts the chef as a wild octopus. The overstuffed rotating teacup shaped booths that spin amid refurbished wood seating are great conversation pieces, but I opted to sit at the mirror topped bar that “floats” above the entryway and offers a bird’s eye view of the entire scene. A great space and even better food – if you make your way to TriBeCa anytime soon, I highly recommend you try the Creme Brulee’ Di Pecorino, a savory creme brulee appetizer and a perfect compliment to the Buffalo 66 cocktail – rosemary infused vodka, salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce and beet juice.
