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Giano: Normally, it’s an insult to call someone two-faced, but at East Village eatery Giano, it’s almost an honor. Giano was the Roman god of rebirth, you see, with a visage comprised of two faces, one facing the past and one toward the future. Here in the present, this Giano is two-two-two restaurants in one, as the place deliniates the past and the future in both its menu (featuring both classic and contemporary dishes) and decor (a modern, "Enterprise deck" bar up front, a rustic restaurant in back). If it sounds like Giano has retained its inspiration's personality-crisis (or just sounds pretentious), rest assured in practice it's very sweet, somewhere where you can either class up and grab some wine (11 reds, 5 whites, $8-$12) or show up in sneaks and bring your mom. As for the menu, we find that even the “classic” menu items (such as the tasty caprice, $10.95) play contemporary, and they may ultimately just have been included to convert less daring diners. But you can get the red sauce fare anywhere. Our suggestion: go modern. |
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