Little plates, big flavors.

On Friday night, Cristin and I met up at Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto to enjoy some Italian nibbles and dish about the goings-on in our lives. We ordered a bottle of red wine along with come caponata, brussels sprouts, burrata and arista.

First up was the caponata, a sweet and tangy eggplant relish studded with stewed onions and peppers. This was delicious - alternately musky and bright in flavor, and full of interesting texture. It was particularly tasty (and sinful) heaped onto the small slices of focaccia that came in our little bread bowl. The salt on top of the focaccia set off the sweet caponata beautifully.

Next, the arista. Arista is pork loin, slow roasted and basted with an assortment of spices. It's served cold, sliced thin, and it's quite yummy. One of the subtler breeds of salumi, it's gently porky and lightly fatty. Perfect for a middle course on a warm spring night - and I suspect it'd make a tasty sandwich, too.

Of all the dishes we ordered, the burrata was least exciting. It was good, but not creamy or magical enough to write home about. I was a bit underwhelmed, to be honest.

Last, but most definitely not least: the brussels sprouts. Lightly sauteed in pancetta fat (the pancetta itself was tossed back into the mix as a finishing touch) and touched with red wine vinegar, this dish represents three of my favorite things brought together in one perfect place. They'll be off the menu soon, since the cold weather is pretty much over, so go soon or go home.

Overall, I found Salumeria Rosi to be pretty darn good - a good value, great service, and pretty much everything we tasted was delicious. I'll definitely be back, and I can't wait to sample some more salumi options when I go.

Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto
283 Amsterdam Ave. (Between 73rd and 74th Streets)
212-877-4800