Choice Bites Preview: Chinato

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gnocchi with toasted garlic, butter and parmesan

Zack Bruell must get bored easily. The chef/restaurateur made headlines with his Asian-inspired menu at Parallax, before taking his global fare to the much-lauded Table 45. From there, he opened L'Albatros, a safehouse for French bistro classics. As of today, he has officially opened Chinato, an Italian eatery on the corner of East 4th Street and Prospect Avenue in Downtown Cleveland. Boredom never tasted so good. 

Last night, I was kindly invited for a complimentary preview dinner at Chinato – the "chi" pronounced like the first three letters of "Chianti." Although the restaurant had yet to officially open, and but a few nights were under the staff's collective belt, this was a remarkably polished showing for such a baby boîte. It's a testament to not only Bruell's expert guidance, but also the calm poise that follows experience. That's not to say there weren't a few hiccups: This is a hotspot in its infancy, and there will be missteps. It's the handling of these slight glitches that speaks volumes. 

The high-ceilinged dining room seats approximately 100, and an adjoining bar seats another 20. Plans to open a sleek lounge in the basement this spring are taking shape. The main dining room is bathed in warm light, the type of seductive lighting that makes everyone and everything look appealing. Diners sit along a series of large banquettes and tables that create a refreshingly communal, lively atmosphere, with the right amount of personal space as to not upset any American sensibilities. The tables have a faux marble aesthetic that echoes the room's enormous mural of Florence. An open kitchen tunes diners into the backstage action, of which there promises to be a lot. 

In press materials, Bruell is quoted: “Authentic Italian food is simple and flavorful – regardless of whether you’re in Tuscany, Sicily or Campania. I wanted to stay true to that.” To that end, he's succeeded. The subsequently extensive menu is divided among crudi, antipasti, salads, pasta, entrées, pizza and contorni (dessert details are outlined by the servers). 

Among the crudi, scallops with tobiko, scallions and lemon zest seem not to distant from a Parallax menu, and that's fine, while risotto with caponata and tuna tartare is a refreshing spin on a deliriously ubiquitous starter. More than a dozen antipasti are offered, laying the groundwork for a night of mixed sampling among friends. As the preamble to a meal, however, selecting but a couple is trying - in a good way. The suplee is destined to become a local favorite: creamy risotto is blended with mozzarella, parmesan and tomato, breaded and fried to a deliciously crispy turn. A liberal dusting of parmesan, along with a moderately incendiary house "red sauce" and basil chiffonade finishes the dish, creating a deceptively simple construct that's at once gooey, crunchy, salty and spicy. The beef tongue with sweet and sour eggplant is a standout. The tongue, boiled then seared, has the unmistakable beefiness that's a hallmark of the cut. The eggplant was as described, and a lovely complement to the star protein. Classics, such as seafood fritto misto, an antipasti platter and salumi plate are also available. 

Salad options are fitting (fennel, orange, olive and tomato salad with ricotta, for example), while carb counters will blush at the pasta options. Tender pillows of gnocchi are bathed in an unctuous melange of butter and parmesan, with pungent toasted garlic providing a nice textural counterpoint. All pasta comes in half sizes, and this dish would be ill advised in its whole spec. A certain lack of emulsion kept the sauce from living up to its potential, and the promised tomato was in disappointingly short supply. Again, baby trips. 

Entrées feature more than 20 items, including tastes from across Lo Stivale that effortlessly unite the best of northern and southern fare. Beef braised in amarone with creamy polenta seems a decadent choice fit for cold Cleveland winters, while bollito misto is a meat lover's delight. An order of the sweetbread fritto misto with fried caper berries, carrot and zucchini julienne proved the evening's only major misstep, as the protein that played top fiddle on the menu's billing, was lost in an egregiously salty – not briny – pile of fried veg that seemed primarily composed of onions. The fried citrus slice added a confused dimension to the dish, and the woefully under-seasoned and overcooked sweetbreads failed to deliver the buttery richness that was expected. That said, a simple dish of salmon, escarole and white beans did deliver: the salmon, grilled with a pleasing char and medium-rare meat, lay atop a sweet tomato broth dotted with al-dente beans and cooked escarole, topped with peppery arugula.

Our server Lindsay should be applauded for her conviviality and already vast grasp of the menu. It's a reminder of how a delightful server can bring about a delightful meal. 

Also deserving of high praise is the wine list, which mimics the menu in its educated understanding of regional Italian specialties. Every major region is represented, from Alto Adige to Umbria, Abruzzo to Veneto, with all the familiar favorites (the three Bs of Piedmont, Chianti of Tuscany) well catered to. Accordingly, bottle prices run the gamut from a $22 Le Colline Tuscolane "Villa di Fontana Vecchia" IGT from Lazio, to a $200 Fattoria Le Pupille "Saffredi," a true Super Tuscan. The glass pours are somewhat limited, though a glass of Collalto prosecco was a lovely start to dinner and perfect foil to the suplee, while a glass of Paitin barbera d'Alba 'Serra Boella' (labeled as the much pricier barbaresco on the wine list) goes well with most any meat and roasted veg or pasta dish on the menu. A glass of vin santo is a fitting end to any meal, regardless of city. That said, East Fourth Street just became even more interesting.