In Roman mythology, Janus (Giano in Italian) was the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, and endings—so it’s fitting that I’d choose Giano as my entree into this blog. There is nothing like this East Village treasure, which takes the Roman god as its inspiration to put a new twist on Italian cooking. Like Janus, the restaurant looks both to the past and to the future—its innovative take on the traditional dishes combined with creative new approaches to a more modern cuisine results in the most mouth-wateringly delicious food that I have tasted on either side of the Atlantic.

The antipasti are all wonderful. I’ve tried the summer spinach salad with strawberries, the goat cheese and black olive terrine, and the caprese (the mozzarella is surprisingly fresh and nutty). However, the real winner is the carpaccio di polpo, thinly-sliced raw octopus—for you non-octopus eaters, stash your prejudice. There is no off-putting texture or fishiness, just a refreshing start to your meal. The lemon dressing really caps it off nicely.

I Primi: The gnudi, traditionally conceived as “naked” spinach and ricotta ravioli filling, are whipped into tiny souffles (a far cry from their normal rustic texture) and drizzled with butter and crispy sage leaves. I dream about these little Italian dumpling, they are that good. That’s not to say the other pasta and risotto should be missed–the taviolini tartufo e bottarga, a creamy truffle and fish sauce over the long, tubular noodles, is surprisingly amazing, while the pappardelle con ragu biano d’agnello (a white lamb sauce) is an ultra-modern take on the old comfort dish. And what’s there not to love about circular lasagna? As for secondi and dolci, the stuffed pork cutlet followed by tiramisu are really unbeatable.

Everything about Giano, in the end, is about the present: the meal, the ambiance, the presentation, the service, the wine. It’s all wonderful, beautiful, and encourages you to stop and savor every bite, sip, and moment.