Morso

Pino Luongo (Centolire, Coco Pazzo), New York's original champion of Tuscan cuisine, debuts his first restaurant in nine years. Bridging the gap between nibblers and big-ticketdiners, the toque takes a novel approach to the menu, dividing it up by main ingredient (vegetables, meats, poultry) and offering the majority of the dishes in large (tutto) or small (morso) portions. Executive chef Timothy Ryan (Bouley, Picholine) is in the kitchen, turning out Southern Italian and Mediterranean dishes like homemade veal sausage with polenta and mushrooms, and roasted chicken breast served atop lemon couscous with dried apricots, apple and almond sauce. Colorful vintage-style pictures, woven brown-leather banquettes and tables hand-painted in wood-grain patterns decorate the space.