New Restaurants: The Vanderbilt, Bill's Burger, Corsino, Giano

The authentic and adventurous Italian restaurant Giano isn't new (it opened about a year ago) but it deserves some more exposure, especially since the arrival of new chef Matteo Calciati. Owners Matteo Niccoli and Paolo Rossi, both Milanese transplants, named the place Giano after the Roman deity with two faces: one looking toward the past and another toward the future. The elegant interior design reflects that concept, with one half of the restaurant affecting a rustic vibe with exposed brick and dark wood, and the other half comprised of a contemporary wine bar made from 145 pounds of compressed sea salt.

The menu is similarly bifurcated, with one half looking to the past with more traditional dishes such as the Insalata di Polipo alla Genovese, a warm octopus and potato salad served with tomatoes, black olives and arugula, dressed with a delicate and aromatic lemon vinaigrette ($11.95). On the menu's "facing the future" side, there's a delicous appetizer of Melanzana Alla Parmigiana in Sfoglia—a twist on eggplant parmigiana where eggplant, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil are layered and wrapped in a flaky, crackly puff pastry shell ($8.95).

Giando's signature pasta is the stellar house-made Tagliolini with cured fish roe and black truffle ($15.95). It's portioned so that you can still have room for secondi such as the Braised Pork Shank marinated with red wine and topped in a sweet and savory sauce of cinnamon, coriander, and star anise. But whatever you try, don't walk away without the mint-infused Panna Cotta. Peruse the full menu here, including the wine list, which prices most glasses in the $10 range.

126 East 7th Street; (212) 673-7200