TESSA

TESSA Restaurant Review:

This Upper West Side space is sleek, full of dark metals and polished wood, attracting the young after-work crowds. Find a stool and start with some very reasonably priced wines by the glass, an Austrian Grüner or Qupe Syrah, straight from the magnum. The menu is full of shareable snacks for drinking the evening away. Addictive rosemary focaccia with an oily crust is a no-brainer. Burrata, while not so inventive with arugula, pickled tomatoes and balsamic, is still satisfying. House-made dips fell flat, but the razor clams in a piquant sauce soared. Entrées from the grill are carefully tended, in particular the steak frites with peppercorn sauce. Lavender and ginger panna cotta is silky and fragrant, with a crispy amaretto cookie for contrast.