Pete Wells has Two More for Perla

Pete Wells gives two stars to Gabe Stulman's two-month old Perla in today's review.  Chef Toscano's savory part of the menu is right up Pete's alley.  He finds the veal in one of the anitpasti "thrillingly pink," while a tartare made from a Piedmontese breed of cow is "suave."

When it comes to desserts, it may be in chef Mr. Toscano's interest to hire a pastry chef, "Rustic desserts like chocolate crostata or date cheesecake looked as if they had been dropped on the floor, and fennel cookies showed up one night so underdone that they might have been made in an Easy-Bake oven."

Wells is none too pleased about some of the policies instilled at the restaurant, as he finds "Dining at Perla takes a significant commitment of time and money. The restaurant should make a reciprocal commitment, rather than force customers to stand around near the bar — not at the bar (stools are reserved for dining at peak hours), but near the bar."  "Better values would be welcome and so would reservations."