When acclaimed chef Andrew Carmellini left A Voce, there was much debate over where he’d next cook and, in his absence, where his devotees would find such heavenly sheep’s-milk ricotta or addictive duck meatballs. The debate has been settled. Carmellini, with ricotta and meatballs in tow, has teamed up with Robert De Niro to open Locanda Verde, a spacious, rustic-urban Italian taverna in Tribeca’s Greenwich Hotel that is already a neighborhood canteen for the local food cognoscenti. (Note: the meatballs, in slider form, are now filled with lamb and just as good.) An alumnus of Daniel Boulud’s eponymous restaurant, Carmellini applies the precision of French technique to his true love, the regional cuisines of Italy. His roasted garlic chicken for two is the ideal Sunday dinner. Wood-fired king prawns, fettuccine with white Bolognese, broccoli rabe sausage with baked beans, and lemon tart are recommended, but there’s not one disappointing item on the menu. (212.925.3797)
