Macello's New Orleans

Four of us had dinner at Marcello's for the first time last night. We all enjoyed it a lot.

The place was buzzing, but we were seated on time for our reservation. In fact, we asked to change tables and it was not a problem. The staff was courteous and friendly.

Let me start by praising the focaccia. It was perfect with the oil from the bowl of olives we ordered.

Three of us had the long stemmed artichoke hearts with lemon basil aioli. Perfectly grilled and garnished with greens. The aoili was on the side and under the greens. Understated, but nice.

I always have to give the Caesar salad a try at a new place like this. It was solid with the right amount of garlic and anchovy flavor.

Two of us had the A.O.C. It's lump crabmeat, anchovy, olive oil, pine nuts and capers tossed with spaghetti. Very, very good. Very spicy, but very good. It was a hit.

My wife had the pollo arrostito (de-boned half chicken with saffron risotto, asparagus and caramelized lemon pan sauce). The chicken was moist and flavorful, and the risotto was good. One of the better chicken dishes I've tasted at an upscale restaurant.

The only disappointment was voiced by one of our friends who thought the shrimp petate could have used a little more flavor. Not bad, but just needed . . . something, she said.

The wine service has an interesting twist in addition to ordering off of the wine list. If you desire, you can peruse the wine racks on the restaurant floor and pick a bottle (much more expansive than the wine list, and prices posted on each bottle).

The place actually exceeded my expectations. I'll be back.