Del Posto

My companion and I both have birthdays close to Christmas, so our holiday season is extra indulgent. This year, we celebrated my special day at opulent Del Posto, the perfect place for holiday excess. Unabashedly hedonistic, it offers $120 plates of tagliarini topped with 10 oz. of shaved white truffle, chocolate souffles with hot chocolate sauce pooling on the bottom... and is there any other restaurant in Manhattan that actually serves lard with the Italian bread?

We toasted with a glass of pinot nero, relaxed to the sounds of Christmas carols as played by an excellent pianist, and set to work on the amuses bouche... spiedini, miniature zeppole and ditalini soup with a touch of cocoa (yes, cocoa!). Although the people next to us were enjoying the aforementioned tagliarini, we decided to be slightly less hedonistic, ordering a couple of pasta dishes which both had a touch of spice. The spaghetti with Dungeness crab was spiked with jalapeno, and my sheep's milk gnudi were dusted with Tellicherry pepper. The incredibly rich dumplings, served on a velvety swirl of pumpkin puree, melted in my mouth. (I think I finally found something to trump the gnocchi at Hearth.)

Next came the main courses. The portions were deceptively moderate, as there must have been a stick of butter in the cauliflower ragu underneath my seared striped bass! (The dish also sported black truffles.) My companion's three large chunks of rare pink tuna were delicately crowned with thin slices of crimson air-dried beef. The waiter brought by a little bonus of olive-oil-preserved tuna for my companion... but when he saw my expectant face, he saved some for me.

Although I had also eaten more of the Italian bread (and the beautiful little olive rolls) than I care to remember, I could not forgo dessert on a birthday. Chocolate souffle it was! (My companion finished off the panna cotta with spiced pears, meringue and red wine gelee.) Then there were tiny cookies and a box of chocolates. I think my New Year's resolution should be to go on a diet. (After tonight's visit to Quality Meats, anyway.)

Del Posto: 85 Tenth Ave., (212) 497-8090.