Garlic is About to Get Goodfellas Thinner

Diner’s Journal reported yesterday that acclaimed chef Andrew Carmellini has signed on to culinarily rehabilitate Tribeca’s beleaguered and critic-battered Ago. The restaurant was conceived originally as a high profile project for the Greenwich Hotel, and counts Robert De Niro among its investors. Carmellini was previously the chef at Café Boulud and A Voce, and told us last October he was looking for his own restaurant space. “I’m taking my time with it,” he said, “just trying to make good decisions about the location.” In the meantime, Carmellini and wife Gwen Hyman penned a cookbook, Urban Italian, that features intuitive cooking instructions—including a directive to slice garlic “Goodfellas thin,” as per the prison dinner scene in the movie. Now we can eat!