al di la - Park Slope's Haven for Home Cooked Italian

al di la - So I have been hearing rave reviews about this little restaurant on 5th Ave. in Park Slope for a couple years now.

I finally had a chance to visit it on a recent Friday evening. Boy was I glad I did...

al di la serves up some of the finest Northern Italian cooking in the city - but prepared to wait for it.

Average wait times are at least 45 minutes to an hour - but the host very conveniently takes down your cell phone number and calls you when your table is ready.

This is a great tactic for you and fellow diners alike. You can spend the time with an aperitif at the delightful adjoining wine bar next door while fellow diners can enjoy their dinner without people eyeing them angrily for ordering dessert and that extra glass of wine...

The restaurant has a small dining room that is always likely to be filled to the brim with locals eager for some fresh made pasta and entrees ranging from braised rabbit to charcoal grilled chicken to specials that include a perennial favorite of mine - short ribs with creamy polenta.

Everything is seasonal and fresh - there is special note towards emphasis on sourcing local ingredients whenever possible. In this day and age where everyone has read or should read "Omnivore's Dilemma" using local ingredients is a "must-do" in co-op obsessed Park Slope.

Knowing this - al di la is a great place to get your veggies too. Anything from roasted brussel sprouts with horseradish to crushed yukon gold potatoes...vegetables never tasted so good.

Don't forget dessert - the gelato and sorbet is homemade and comes in exotic flavors including black pepper and macadamia coconut.
(picture from NY Magazine)

al di la
248 Fifth Ave., Park Slope, Brooklyn NYC
718-783-4565
http://www.aldilatrattoria.com/