New York Times, July, 2001

New Italians—Cascina, a new Italian Place, has opened at 647 Ninth Avenue (45th Street). The restaurant which has a wood-burning oven, is named for the Cascina Orsolina vineyard in the Pledgemont region of Italy owned by the family of one of the partners, Mikele DeNegri. Photographs of the winery decorate the Restaurant's deep red walls.

Clinton Chronicle,

One night in June I was delighted to see that Cascina, the new, long-awaited restaurant from the Barletta Family, had finally opened. So in I eagerly went. Let me tell you all about it:

Owner Emilio Barletta (who also operates Trattoia Dopo Teatro, Osteria Fiorentina and Zanzibar) partnered with Mikele Degri and enlisted executive chef Cristiano Pera to create a scintillating culinary experience in Hell's Kitchen.

Located on 9th Avenue at 45th Street (just next door to the popular Zanzibar) Cascina's name refers to the house of the vineyard where family and friends gather for meals, linger over bottles of wine and plates brimming with the bounty of the season. Now, Cascina brings the essence of that bucolic life to the center of Hell's Kitchen, the restaurant rant capitol of Midtown West. Chef Cristiano Pera, who comes from Northern Italy, completed his culinary studies at the famed G.Pastori School in Varallo, Italy. He then honed his skills by turning out an array of delights all over the world from Milan, Italy to San Tropez, Francce; from Switzerland to Istanbul to London. Cristiano arrived in NYC in 1997 and, while he was Executive Chef at Artusi's in Manhattan, met Mikele. Mikele realized that Cristiano's youth, talent, seasoned wit and love of cooking made him the perfect chief chef for Cascina. Now, in the new restaurant, Christiano expertly prepares a menu steeped in the tradition of country-style Italian fare: good cheese, fresh produce, and hand picked meats and fish. One of the delights of Cascina is that it has two menus: their basic menu and a large changing selection of daily specials.

"I like to work with simple, healthy Italian tastes while gone beyond the standard vinegar and oil flavorings into more exotic flavors like ginger and lemongrass," Cristiano says. "I think of my cooking as Italian with a touch of New York style."

Mikele DeNegri, who comes from Northern Italy, brings Cascina that region's cool sophistication as well as some of the best wines from his family's vineyard, Cascina Orsolina. Serving as the U.S. outpost for the vineyard the restaurant offers a wine list featuring reds, whites and champagnes by the glass or by the bottle. One of my favorite is the prized Chardonnary named after Mikele's Mother, Rosanna. This exceptional wine offers a rich, full bouquet and a bright, full-bodied taste so rarely found in other dry whites. It is a true discovery! The DeNigris also bring the meats from Northern while Barlettas proffer the fish from the south... and both share concern for freshness and crispness in their preparations. The menu thus changes as it follows the cuts of the season and the market. So the marriage between the families creates a beautiful harmony and balance in Cascina's offerings. "We want to generate magic and make Cascina a transporting escape from the hectic world outside." Mikele old me, And his they achieve.

Enter Cascina and you find yourself in an elegant, rustic space designed by owner and architect Emilio Barletta. The warm-looking brick walls, roughhewn woods, and earthy colors highlight a beautiful sculptured stone and brick oven. Brass chandeliers cast soft lighting. As you enter you may sit at a cozy little bar on the left and to the right communal tables beckon you to relax and mingle with friends. Up a few steps to the rear in the main dining area a wall of paned windows with lush greenery creates a garden backdrop that augments the dining pleasure. As you sit and take in the loveliness of the ambiance, you can study the basic menu which offers choices from the grill: mixed vegetables ($8), shrimp and lemongrass spiedini ($15), swordfish and leeks ($21), chicken with arugola and tomatoes ($16) ribeye steak with shallots and fresh thyme ($22); from the oven: hand-crafted pizzas such as flocci with robiola cheese - creme de la creme version of ricotta cheese - and truffle oil. I just finished devouring one of these delicious pizzas with a thin crust on top and bottom of the pipe and could easily have another; Panini: home made breads such as Toscano bread with salami ($7)or with goat cheese & smoked salmon (yummy at $8) and more. You may also choose from the changing selection of daily specials presented on a menu board: risotto with porcini mushrooms, carpaccio with thinly sliced truffles - white or black depending on the season - both of which taste divine. No wonder, once upon a time, truffles were reserved exclusively for royalty! Some more exotic special include: roasted quail in port sauce, roast duck with flavored honey and crushed red pepper sauce, chicken roulade with truffles, tender rack of lamb in herb crust. You just must leave room for Cascina's scrumptious desserts such as their home-made chocolate soufflé filled with a chocolate cream made with fresh marscapone, Tiramisu Cascina, and zabaglione - the signature Italian dessert served warm over fresh berries and tropical fruits such as mangos, kiwis and bananas. Cascina will also create a special menu to suit your particular private event or party. As the Barlettas put it "Cascina was created to bring the bounty of the land to the people." And Mikele DeNegri adds that "Cascina wants to server the people of the West Side in keeping with the spirit of the West Side."

Open for lunch and dinner 7 days per week, from noon to 12AM. Brunch is available on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 PM (in addition to lunch and dinner). Cascina, 647 Ninth Avenue (212) 245-4422.