I’d wondered about Bar Pitti, a Tuscan Italian trattoria on Sixth Avenue in the Village that I often pass on my way to Film Forum. Summer nights especially, its wide outdoor seating section is always packed with people. Then this past weekend, I was listening to Wes Anderson’s director’s commentary on the The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou DVD and he mentioned not only that he’s a Film Forum fan, but that he and Noah Baumbach wrote most of the film’s script at Bar Pitti. They’d meet for lunch, start writing and usually still be there by dinner. They even went so far as to record the DVD’s commentary at the restaurant. In the background you can hear diners talking and silverware clinking; at one point, someone drops a glass.
Despite the driving rain this afternoon, it was as good a time as any to try the place, so I stopped in for dinner after work. It’s my kind of neighborhood restaurant: popular enough to attract celebrities but locals, too, with an unassuming décor inside (plain walls with wicker-seated wooden chairs for the dozen or so small tables), and outside, the extensive sidewalk seating (about 42 seats under a sturdy awning, where I sat protected and watched pedestrians try to dodge the deluge). The menu features the basics of Italian cuisine, in fine-sized portions at even finer prices. This is one of those places where the glass of wine is likely to cost as much as the entrée.
The waiters, most of which spoke Italian, were brisk but courteous, and knew most of the locals, whether they were stopping in to eat or just passing by. They spread the cheer around, joshing with the guys at Da Silvano, another Italian restaurant next door, as well as themselves. “Would you believe this rain?” one asked the other, letting his wide, animated gestures do most of the talking. When a mom and her son walked by, the kid trailing an orange helium balloon, one of the waiters joked, “Hey buddy, don’t fly away!” These guys had genuinely good spirits, which is all the atmosphere I need in a restaurant.
My eggplant Parmesan was rich with cheese and tasty. I had it with a glass of the house red wine, a generous 12-ounce or so pour in a sturdy glass. For dessert I had an espresso and a lemon tart, the crust of which seemed to be made with actual butter in taste and texture, while the mouth-watering filling radiated a refreshing chill.
Bar Pitti
- 268 Sixth Ave. (between Bleecker and Houston)
- (212) 982-3300
- Meal 22 of 52: Eggplant Parmesan ($8.50), a glass of house red wine ($7), lemon tart ($5) and espresso ($3).