In September of 2012 I was walking 13th Street getting ready to launch it on the site when I discovered a small sign that said a restaurant was opening at No. 22. For fifteen months I waited to dine at All' Onda. Finally, just a few days after its opening, I had the chance to find out, firsthand, what all the anticipation was about. We made early reservations and were the first to arrive, which allowed us to have a real look around. The space is designed in my contemporary, grey, black and white taste. I fell in love with the decor instantly. The bar is sleek and covers much of the downstairs with a semi-open kitchen in the back. Climbing the stairs, we walked on gorgeous, brand new, wide walnut, wooden planks and were seated in a fabric covered booth for four. On one side is an exposed white brick wall, while the other has shiny white tiles creeping up towards the ceiling which alternates between beautiful wood beams and sleek, industrial lights.
It is always nice to dine with friends who are adventurous eaters, as I am certainly not. There is never a problem for me to find something to try, but being a vegetarian does have its limitations. When getting ready to hand us the menu, our waitress explained that there was a Venetian flair on the dishes with some Japanese elements. And in keeping with the translation of their name - "slow cooking of rice" - they had a creamy risotto special with shaved truffles on top that worked perfectly for me. For starters we shared the carrots with a ginger vinaigrette that sat atop a ricotta mousse and a simple seasonal salad served with a bit of broccoli and a white balsamic miso dressing.
My friend described her rigatoni dish with a duck ragu as having a complexity of flavors where every few bites she was delighted with the surprise of a hint of chocolate. The tubular shaped garganellli pasta that my friend's husband ordered was served with crab and a Japanese sauce. My husband was a happy guy with his strip loin served with sauteed mustard greens and potatoes. The piece de resistance, however, were the sides. One can find Brussels sprouts on almost every menu these days, but rarely are they cooked this amazingly in cider vinegar and honey. And if I wasn't ecstatic enough with these, the Jerusalem artichokes absolutely stole the show. We devoured the small chunks that were sauteed in brown butter and a bit of soy sauce. I will dream about these two vegetables for quite sometime, I am certain.
The choices for dessert were intriguing, and we were all ready and willing to delve into the final course. The olive oil cake served with ricotta gelato was moist...and we managed to spoon up every last bit of the three different unique sorbets - green apple with a hint of sea salt, dark chocolate and one that we were unsure about, but some did end up liking, a soy sauce sorbet.
I am glad that I was able to secure a table this early on as I am sure that with its impressive pedigree of chef and owners, word will quickly spread and a reservation at All’Onda will be difficult to come by.