Kevin Gibson (right) prepares agnolotti (left): little pierogi-like pillows stuffed with fluffy potatoes and torpedo onions and dusted with parmesan.
2
Kevin Gibson (right) prepares agnolotti (left): little pierogi-like pillows stuffed with fluffy potatoes and torpedo onions and dusted with parmesan.
3
Gibson has a way with scallops. Here he slices them thin for crudo drizzled with Meyer lemon olive oil and crunchy sea salt, alongside nutty, tender bunches of mache lettuce.
4
Gibson has a way with scallops. Here he slices them thin for crudo drizzled with Meyer lemon olive oil and crunchy sea salt, alongside nutty, tender bunches of mache lettuce.
5
Octopus, charred until crisp on the outside and fork-tender on the inside, with frisee lettuce and slivers of picholine olive.
6
Octopus, charred until crisp on the outside and fork-tender on the inside, with frisee lettuce and slivers of picholine olive.
7
The standout of the evening: A cabbage roll, bursting with porky flavor mingled with bites of apple and chestnut, like a better soup dumpling. Two rolls come charred, vibrant green, and served over creamy celery root puree.
8
The standout of the evening: A cabbage roll, bursting with porky flavor mingled with bites of apple and chestnut, like a better soup dumpling. Two rolls come charred, vibrant green, and served over creamy celery root puree.
9
Hungarian goulash, a Castagna classic of paprika-spiced, slow braised pork with buttery, crisped spaetzle noodles and a dollop of sour cream.
10
Hungarian goulash, a Castagna classic of paprika-spiced, slow braised pork with buttery, crisped spaetzle noodles and a dollop of sour cream.
11
Not much has changed since June vacated the space earlier this year. A mix of gray concrete, warm wood and one big garage door accent the minimally decorated 52-seat restaurant.
12
Not much has changed since June vacated the space earlier this year. A mix of gray concrete, warm wood and one big garage door accent the minimally decorated 52-seat restaurant.
Just a few weeks in, Gibson is delivering something akin to a “best of” playbook of dishes from his past, from clean, bright slices of scallop crudo drizzled with Meyer lemon olive oil to buttery, crisped egg noodles (his grandmother’s recipe) soaked in meat juices from a fist of slow-cooked goulash. The 14-item menu comes with no delineation: everything runs between appetizer and entrée size—but Gibson insists, “not small plates.” The wine list is plenty geeky for those looking, affordable (several bottles priced near $20), and—most important—dictated by the food. As for cocktails, Davenport only shakes the classics, no tinctures allowed.
