SOTTO SOTTO

He says:
Ah, Sotto Sotto, where have you been all these years?

Uptown Girl and I consider Italian one of our favorite cuisines, and yet we have struggled to find a great Italian meal ever since moving to Atlanta. We have followed recommendations from friends and publications alike, and everywhere we have dined we’ve encountered generic pasta in boring cream sauces. After a long while, I resigned myself to second-rate Italian in this city… but finding an establishment like Sotto Sotto gives me real hope.

It occupies a small, unassuming space on North Highland that is easy to miss, which is probably why it took us so long to eat here. Nevertheless it is lovely inside, with dark wood tables, dim accent lighting, and the unfinished plaster walls of a Tuscan villa. The restaurant was almost empty when we arrived for an early dinner, but by the time we left every table was full. In this economy, this tells me that Sotto Sotto is doing something right.

Our waiter said Sotto Sotto’s risotto was considered the best in the city, and I won’t argue with him. The mushroom risotto I ordered was sublime. The Arborio rice was creamy and tender without falling into mushiness, with a robust mix of wild mushrooms infusing every bite.

The pappardelle with duck ragu was less of a revelation but no less delicious. The delicacy of the fresh pasta paired well with the light tomato base and rich slivers of duck thigh. The kitchen could have been more generous with the duck, but this is a minor complaint. Each of these pasta half-orders only cost $10, and they were more than filling.

She says:
These half-order pastas are the most brilliant idea ever. After hemming and hawing between two pasta dishes for 10 minutes, I finally realized I could get both! The cappellacci de zucca is a seasonal dish, little pasta “hats” stuffed with butternut squash and sweet potato, and served with sage in a brown butter sauce. I’ve had better versions of this dish before, and although the pasta was perfect, overall the dish was too mild. Luckily I had a second dish to savor – the tagliattelle al funghi. It was the noodle version of Downtown Boy’s wild mushroom risotto. Again, the fresh pasta was excellent, and the sauce achieved a terrific blend of creaminess, saltiness, and mushroomy earthiness. I would definitely put it among my top 10 favorite entrees in Atlanta.

I really didn’t need dessert, but I had to try the chocolate soup, just because it sounded so… different. It was basically a bowl of warm melted chocolate with bits of crunchy, salty “croutons” that added a nice textural contrast. A delicious novelty, but a bit much.

We say:
There’s nothing overly fancy at Sotto Sotto … just basic Italian dishes that are close to perfect.




Sotto Sotto
313 North Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30307
http://www.frittirestaurant.com/sotto/