description/

The wood-burning oven here cries out for pizza, but that dish is only on the late-night menu, served after 11pm Tuesday through Saturday. Earlier in the evening, flames can be seen licking at whole roasted dorade, dry-aged rib eye and Violet Hill Farm chicken cacciatore for two. Perla is Gabriel Stulman's fourth restaurant in the West Village and is named for his grandmother (her portrait hangs over the oven). Stulman's other venues—Fedora, Joseph Leonard, Jeffrey's Grocery—have similar aesthetics: cozy, progressive hangouts serving au courant cocktails, wine and innovative dishes fashioned from locally sourced ingredients. (The latter is prepared by partner Michael Toscano.) Expect a dressed-down crowd that's still natty nonetheless.