My first visit to Santina happened to be during a snow storm and the bright cheery seaside decor was completely transporting. But at the same time the glass walls offered a beautiful view of the snow falling in the hours before the plows come out and it turns into an ugly mess. This is probably my favorite restaurant opening in NYC in the last year. It truly doesn’t often happen that I feel the need to immediately return to a restaurant because I really want to try the majority of the menu. While I did not try any of the pastas on this visit, everything I did have was very light, especially in comparison to Major Food Group’s other recent openings.
The lamb tartare was elevated with mint and olives and a terrific filling to the cecina, a chickpea pancake served in a cast-iron skillet. But the stars of this dish were the accompanying salsa verde and tomato soffritto. Separately both are extremely good, but together they are spectacular. I wish I could eat the Tricolore splendido salad, topped with tuna carpaccio, everyday for lunch. And the squash carpaccio is easily one of the best squash dishes I have ever had and so much more than I was expecting when I ordered it.
Fiori – gin, chamomile, Campari 
Lamb tartare cecina 
Tricolore splendido 
Amalfi gold – bourbon, orange, ginger, creme de peche
Squash carpaccio
Lime meringa 
Ceuf a la Beran (chicken custard with crispy chicken skin and chives)
Soupe de Poireaux et Pomme de Terre de Jules Gouffe (jules gouffe’s potato and leek soup)
Foie Gras Au Torchon (foie gras with brioche toast points, huckleberry, murray river salt, and black pepper)
Aile de Raie Meuniere avec des Capres et des Choux de Bruxelles (skate wing with capers, brown butter, lemon, and brussels sprouts)
Tarte a l’Oignon Caramelisee avec Gruyere et des Anchois (caramelized onion tart with gruyere and anchovies)
Tournedos Rossini aver use Puree de Pommes de Terre (beef tenderloin with foie gras, black truffle, and potato puree)
Escargots de Bourgogne avec du Pain et du Beurre Maitre d’Hotel (burgundy snails and herbed butter topped with bread)
Champignons Sauvages (wild mushrooms)
Prune Armangac, Punt E Mes, Angostura
Pear brandy, Cocchi Rosa, Grapefruit
Patisserie du Jour
Assiette de Fromage
Lobster bisque – classic bisque with lobster meat, chives and puff pastry
Pepperoni pizza – picante, fresno chilis, house mozzarella
Seared Brussel sprouts
Pineapple Upside Down Cake – cherry pineapple relish, vanilla gelato, coconut milk cake, candied walnuts
iwillmakeualist 