Tello

It's been 4-5 years since I've been back to Tello, and at its new location. It didn't move very far, literally right next door from its current spot. The only difference is it's much larger, can accommodate more guests and the menu has changed. The food and the ambiance is pretty much the same except it did feel like Christmas with all the glowing Christmas lights and the walls were completely covered with posters. I kind of enjoyed it.

It was Sunday night and our friend Chris is staying with us because he had an overnight layover before heading off to Germany the next day to meet his partner. We decided on dining in the neighborhood and eating something simple. Tello is a great Italian restaurant for just that. It's low-key, casual and the food is decent.

I ordered a passion fruit bellini, which was delicious. At first glance, it looked like a mojito in a wine glass, but tasted nothing like a mojito. I would definitely come here just to sit at the bar and order this drink. Someone else ordered the caipirinha, which was super strong. We also ordered fried calamari and the antipasto plate complete with Italian cold cuts, cheeses, artichokes, pepperoncini, chickpeas, grilled zucchini, asparagus spears, roasted peppers and olives-- literally everything listed on the menu. It was beautifully presented.

                         

For my entree, I ordered the chicken tello, boneless pieces of chicken, sausage, mushroom, olives, garlic and white wine sauce. It also came with mashed potatoes and veggies. Mark ordered pesto linguine, Bill ordered tortellini in red sauce and I forgot what my friend Chris (visitor) ordered. There was a lot going on in my dish and it was a bit salty. I don't know if it was because of the sausages, olives, and white wine sauce, but I feel like it could have used a dash of sweetness or less sauce. Mark's dish was delicious and fairly simple, of course. I feel like it's hard to mess up linguine with pesto.

 

While we were anxious for dessert, the waiter was no where to be found, so we paid and left. As we were walking down the street, someone from the restaurant came running up from behind us and tapped Mark on the shoulder. Chris yelled at me, "Johnny you better run", and I was a little perplexed by his statement but apparently, I left my camera on my seat. Yes, can you believe it? Thank you so much to the restaurant staffer for running to us and returning my camera. Needless to say, I got the 3rd degree.

Aside from being disappointed in myself for almost losing my camera, I also wasn't able to collect the drink or main menu. I thought I had a menu from the old location, but upon looking through my menu collection, I did not find it. The new location menu was humungous! I brought my bag thinking it was going to be a breeze, but the menu was at least 24 x 12, and I thought about folding it in half but it didn't feel right and it would've ruined the menu with the crease down the middle. I did, however, collect the dessert menu and I still had to fold that one in half and slip it in my bag to make it fit. I actually like the art on the dessert menu. It reminds me of the saying, "It ain't over until the fat lady sings" or in this case, "eats all the desserts!"

Tello: 198 8th Ave. @ 20th St.
Chelsea, NYC
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Tello