Remember when Angelina and Brad split up? The divorce between chef Alfred Portale, and the owners of Gotham Bar and Grill was far more shocking. Portale, widely considered one of the pioneers of contemporary American cuisine, had been helmeding the kitchen there for nearly four decades when he was booted out. In short order, he started his own place, and has been thriving…while Gotham closed, reopened, and now is just hobbling along. Revenge has been a creative muse for Portale, who’ is cooking better than he ever has, using precise French techniques (reductions, gastrics, and more) to create some of the most intensely flavorful, opulent Italian food in the city. Pastas are the thing to get here, not just because they’ll keep the meal in the moderate range, but because they’re out-of-this world delish.