Whatever happened to Toby Joseph?

For those of you who’ve been waiting to grub out at chef Toby Joseph’s new Bova Prime, your moment has arrived. Bova is still operating under its old marquee — it was Riley McDermott’s, and so it shall remain for a week or three — but the menu is all Bova.
    The food isn’t half so inventive as that of Cero at the St. Regis, where Joseph last served as head chef. At Bova you’ll find lots of steak, lots of risotto, and lots of lobster — it’s a very traditional kind of fine dining. Nevertheless, we think it looks pretty interesting. The prices are right, too. Here are a few samples…
    For an app, you can get calamari prepared in three totally different ways: with zucchini and Meyer lemon, fra diavolo, or “in umido,” with cannellini beans and grape tomatoes. Each of these will run you $12. I am a calamari freak, but those who’ve had enough of the stuff (and I gather there are a lot of you) might want to check out the “Tuna Tasting,” which involves raw or seared tuna served three ways. ($24)
    Here are two entrees which, I declare, I absolutely and positively will eat in the next 72 hours:
    “Lobster Francese,” which includes two Maine lobster tails served over asparagus risotto in a jumbo lump crab lemon sauce ($45); and “Risotto Steak Mantecato,” which is a mushroom risotto with sliced steak and “crispy onions fritte.” ($26)
    It’s gonna be a risotto kind of week. Can’t wait.

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-- Brandon Thorp