From The New Orleans Menu Daily By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published September 22, 2006 Ristorante Civello 4$ Uptown: 5831 Magazine Dinner only, Tues.-Sat. Reservations recommended: 899-6987. AE, DC, DS, MC, V. Russell Civello managed restaurants (notably Broussard's, with which he's still involved) around New Orleans for years. But he had it in his mind to open a small place of his own. He was well along in the process of making that happen when, well, you know. Last year. But as soon as everything calmed down a little, he returned to the project. He was encouraged that Magazine Street had become the city's most prosperous restaurant address in the recovery period, since the building he'd bought and spent almost three years renovating was not only on Magazine but far Uptown. There, enough upscale restaurants already were open that people thought of the area when trying to figure out where to eat. Ristorante Civello (the last name is pronounced with a soft "c") opened in the spring, and immediately inspired a good deal of buzz. A lot of that had to do with ambience. The restaurant looks as fine as a converted Uptown cottage can. The small, residential-style rooms have high enough ceilings and big enough windows to prevent claustrophobia. The largest dining space combines two rooms; other removed wall sections add further openness. All of the detailing is new since the days when the place was an antique shop. As nice as all that is, what really attracted attention was the talent on the staff. The three people who run the dining room--one female, two male--are all classically trained singers. And at intervals spaced well enough apart so as not to shut down all conversation at the tables, they give forth with operatic arias, accompanied by karaoke-style backup tracks. They are eminently listenable and add something to the evening. Especially since you're eating Italian food here. It's a distinctive style of Italian. Most of the dishes sound familiar, but when they arrive it's clear that one of the kitchen's goal is to give every dish, no matter how classic, enough of a reworking to make it unique. I would say that the restaurant could do with a bit less of that, but let's start with the successes. The seafood appetizers are good. The baked Italian oysters (the kind that lots of people call "oysters Mosca," after the restaurant that made them famous) are too hot to eat when they arrive (which is as it should be), nicely garlicky and peppery, and include four to six oysters. Even better is the shrimp with eggplant, the latter half fried and used as a base for not just the big broiled shrimp but also the herbal sauce that goes with it. (That was the best thing I've had here so far). Salads are very well assembled, particularly the one made with lump crabmeat and a tangy vinaigrette, greens, and tomatoes. I came here one night with a jones for fried calamari, after writing an article to the effect that all the good restaurants for that dish have at least temporarily vanished (La Riviera, for example). The squid came out just right: fried crisply but lightly, with no sign of sogginess or greasiness. The side of red sauce (which these things don't need, and which in my opinion adds much less to their flavor than, say, a squirt of lemon juice) was good enough to squirrel away for other unknown purposes later in the meal. (So we know they make a good marinara.) They offer to serve small orders of pasta as a side dish or as a first course, as it's done in Italy. Knowing what I did about the red sauce, we sampled the Alfredo and the aglio olio (a.k.a. "bordelaise" around New Orleans). The former was curious in being made with fusilli pasta, little corkscrews that are cute but a little hard to eat. (You have to jab a few of them at a time with the fork. Not that that's all that big a deal, but I kept thinking "this would be so much easier if it were the familiar, easy-to-wind-on-a-fork fettuccine.") The aglio olio seriously needs rethinking. Or maybe an un-rethinking. The pasta's fine, but the sauce--a very juicy green affair with more herbs than garlic--bears no flavor resemblance to any aglio olio or bordelaise I've ever had. And it's no improvement. The entree list is divided about equally between the most basic Italian dishes (lasagna, veal with this or that sauce, etc.) and seafood. I can't say that either side has achieved brilliance yet. On my first visit, I had broiled pompano with crabmeat. The fish was a shade overcooked and underseasoned, and the crabmeat added nothing to the dish. (I can't understand why I, who should know better, allow the adulteration of either a good fish or crabmeat by the other.) And a succeeding visit, we had the braciole and a special involving trout with shrimp. The braciole (known around New Orleans more commonly as "braciolone") was rather peculiar, the beef round surrounding the stuffing having been cooked down to a very soft texture. The taste was good, but the presentation a little offputting. I thought the fish was good, the shrimp unnecessary. But the person who ordered it was less happy. Desserts are more along New Orleans lines than Italian ones and well made. The wine list is not only quite good, but very attractively priced. The service staff--both the members of it who sing and those who merely serve--is friendly and efficient. So the cuisine at Ristorante Civello is in need of a bit of polish. Nevertheless, it's fun to dine here. And it's always nice to see a restaurant offering unusual amenities. It's a good sign of the health of the business that it can afford to add these niceties. Click here to return to today's edition. Click here for an index of all restaurant reviews. © 2006 Tom Fitzmorris. 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