The Most of Del Posto

If you ask me most people don't get enough out of eating out. They'll go to a grand gorgeous restaurant like Bastianich and Batali's new elegant New York eatery, Del Posto, make their choices, select their wines and see their meal through to the end without improvising. I like to improvise. If you're on your toes you can tuck in a fourth course while your companions are busy chatting and eating three.
_The last time I was at Del Posto, as the guest of importer Dominic Nocerino of Vinifera, I ordered spaghetti with crab, scallions, and jalapeno (with the excellent Pra Soave Monte Grande, one of Dominic's wines), followed by stinco di vitello (with Martinetti Marasco Barolo 2000, another winner of Dominic's). Everything was superb, especially the pasta. (I told Mario this and he reminded me of the Dungeness crab he had at my house; the pasta was just a vehicle for crab, he said, and crab is now in season.)
_Anyway, all was well and more than well until I realized my friends were moving too quickly towards dessert and the end of serious drinking. You shouldn't rush an experience like Del Posto, so without drawing anyone else's attention, I ordered myself a plate of parmesan from the cheese list and a glass of Barolo. That's what I mean by making the most of things. My timing was perfect. The parmesan came with some surprising little jellies and the barolo by the glass was great. When I was ready for dessert I was ready to appreciate the wonderful zabaglione that Lydia made. But would it have been as wonderful to me if I hadn't had a little bumper course first? Didn't it deserve this drum roll?

Del Posto. 85 Tenth Avenue, NYC. 212-497-8090.