See It: New Italian Bottega 'Da Adriano' Opens In Lenox Hill

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The new 500-square-foot Italian spot at First Avenue and East 65th Street called "da Adriano" describes itself with three words: Caffé, focacceria and bottega.

Caffé is obvious. The 19-seat eatery serves coffee and espresso brewed with the help of the finest and most legendary espresso machines every manufactured: the Faema E61.

And again, focacceria, not terribly complicated. Adriano bakes its own focaccia and offers it served six different ways, like with grilled veggies, buffala mozzarella and tomato or tuna, artichoke and spicy mayo.

Chef and Florence, Italy native Adrian Kercuku, 32, who spent over five years as top chef with various eateries under the Saint Ambroeus group (Lever House, Felice 56 and Felice 64, just down the block), plus a few years in Parisian kitchens, also makes the pasta for their four pasta dishes in-house, too.

But the last word da Adriano prints on their menu, bottega, is less obvious. It references a particular Italian institution.

The bottega is a bit more than a mix of a cafe with sandwiches or a tapas and wine bar. Kercuku describes it as a place to stop in for a glass of wine and a small plate of pasta or focaccia.

He says the goal is to make it "really easy to feel like family."

On opening morning this Monday, Kercuku and his workers were putting on the finishing touches at 1198 First Ave., the former home to Oaxaca Taqueria.

"I have the right energy," Kercuku said. "I feel excited because I love to do this job. And especially now because this is my place — I feel very excited right now."

Inside there are five tables and a row of stools along a counter that looks out over First Avenue.

For Kercuku, the small size is part of the concept.

"We want to be like some kind of small spot which we can offer it like the best quality and, and the people to come in really easy things," Kercuku said.

In addition to the homemade foccacia, the curated menu offers some Italian cookies and cakes, a few breakfast items like oats and yogurt, salads, soups and a spinach ricotta crepe, plus a few other items.

The menu also includes a handful of pasta dishes, like cacio e pepe, lasagna and the chiantigiana di adriano, a really special sounding coca nib cavatelli, with slow-cooked braised beef in a tomato sauce.

"It's a sauce from Tuscany where I was grew up," Kercuku said, "it has delicious acidity inside and it's balanced perfectly with the meat and tomato sauce."

The first two weeks of da Adriano will be like a soft opening, Kercuku said, with hours from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Afterwards, First Avenue's new bottega will be open to their new Lenox Hill family until 10 p.m.