Industria Argentina

Note: Click here for a more recent (and less positive) review of Industria Argentina.

*

I paid my first visit to Industria Argentina in the winter of 2006, a couple of weeks after it opened. I imagined I’d be back sooner, but only last night did I finally get around to it. Most of what I said in the previous review still stands, so I’ll keep this recap brief.

Unlike last time, there was no amuse bouche, but there was a terrific bread service, with warm sourdough bread and soft butter mixed with spices that carried just a bit of extra heat.

I had the suckling pig entrée ($27; served only Wednesdays and Thursdays). The menu states that the pig is only 21 days old, which the squeamish might find a turn-off. The portion was ample, and the kitchen did a fine job with it. It was served with bones and tasted more like chicken than suckling pig usually does, although I particularly enjoyed the skin. The accompanying sweet potato purée and broccoli rabe were up to snuff, and the whole stack was topped with two crisp oven-roasted potato skins.

The restaurant wasn’t crowded, which goes to show that a storefront on the gold coast of TriBeCa is no assurance of success. Industria Argentina is a bit more expensive than Gaucho Steak Co., the Argentinean steakhouse we tried last weekend, though it is still quite reasonable, with most entrées priced in the $20s. The food here is prepared with more care, and the space is considerably more inviting. For a casual night out, Industria Argenina deserves more attention than it seems to be getting.

Industria Argentina (329 Greenwich St., between Reade and Jay Sts., TriBeCa)

Food: *½
Service: *½
Ambiance: **
Overall: *½