The Village Tart

News Flash There's hardly any good food in my hood, so when I passed The Village Tart on Kenmare and Mulberry I was curious. It sits oddly on the corner--crossroads of Soho, Nolita, Chinatown and Little Italy on the way to the Holland Tunnel. It was night, and the cafe glowed golden and siren-like. Inside, kind of cafe, kind of take out, kind of lunch spot, kind of wine bar, kind of romantic dinner hang. You know the kind of place you always want to happen upon? It occurred to me this fit the agenda--for tourist or for me, a neighbor. Unable to resist, I bought a piece of orange marmalade cake. I ate it for breakfast. Wondered why it was so delicious. The next day I went back and Pichet Ong walked in. Mystery solved. Full disclosure. I've been a long time fan of Pichet ever since my friend Melissa Clark wrote about his Kabocha squash pieand then hung out with him at a conference in Madrid. His palate suits mine. He likes clean, simple and is not afraid of heat and bitter. A rare chef who can do sweet and savory. their website Went back the next day. Carrot cake with a dulce de leche icing? Latte was tasty, if a little too warm. But they're barely up and running. The whole caboodle was Pretty damned yummy. Went back to dinner. It's actually ultra-cute, Balthazar meets art nouveau southern Italy. Given its location the clientele is the culture mix, who will be the regulars: that's hard to peg. There were a few Jersey wives in minks (in for their coffee--and) and some refugees from Fashion week who happened to stumble in. At the winebar there was a group who at 10pm had been there since 2pm. The lack of liquor license should save itself from a velvet-rope fate. Pichet rules. Those just slurping the coffee are missing out. The menu is Pichet's idea of comfort with nods to Italy; Sicilian inspired salads and Tuscan purity.Yes, there's a cannoli and then Pichet doing his own thing--always blending in a little bitter to the sweet. Amongst the big hits: halibut poached in a buttermilk --a delicate hint of dill, alongside spicy-hot spinach. Blood orange salad with crispy pistachios. 'Kashi,' salad, of perfectly pop to crunch grains, flecks of sweet caramelized onion and feta, and the salad of arugula with meyer lemon vinaigrette were favorites. Damn, missed the pizzette. Pichet sent out two unbidden desserts, couldn't resist. Apple galette resists being sweet. Sophisticated flavor. Ate like a pig and no food hangover. That's the thing about Pichet's food. He is so confident in his ingredient and nuance that he doesn't have to muck around with reliance on cheap tricks like fat to carry flavors. If you haven't noticed, this is rare in NYC kitchens these days. Wine? Assembled by Jerri Banks and it will soon have extensive beer list. They're looking to have several open by the glass. When I was there the list was limited, but the Lafarge Passetoutgrain ($13 btg) hit the spot. 80 Mulberry Street Desserts $8-$12 Salad & Soups $8-$10 Sides $7& $8 Wine BTG $8-$19