Venue Review: La Tavola Trattoria

(10/04/2007) An evening at La Tavola Trattoria will have you sipping Sartori Amarone Valpolicello and singing along to the rumbling voice of Nat King Cole. Both may lead to romance, reminiscing or a sentimentally sexy combination of the two. In between, chef Craig Richards (who cut his Italian teeth at Lidia in Pittsburgh, part of the dynasty of restaurants from Lidia Bastianich) will offer a candid approach to Italian cooking, with few fervent flourishes, just a lot of honest cooking with a modern touch. Simple charcuterie in the form of speck and prosciutto proffered with a few olives, little more; or mussels with parsley, oregano and thyme, the broth a perfect ruse for dipping crusty slices of bread. Well-made risotto, plump seared scallops, beet salad — all served simply, and with lots of integrity. Coupled with the restaurant's eminent charm, a night out here is full of amore.