Tagged: Italian

January 10, 2013

Restaurant Review: Salumeria Rosi Il Ristorante

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Madison Avenue has gotten a new upscale Italian restaurant with the opening of Salumeria Rosi. This block is already overly saturated with Italian restaurants such as Nello, Bar Italia, Sant Ambroeus and the new Italian project from the Sant Ambroeus team and Larry Gagosian coming soon, there would need to be something very special about Salumeria Rosi to make it last in this area. Cesare Casella and Del Posto alum Will Hickox have created a refined Tuscan style menu for the restaurant which seems like a bit of an upgrade from his other Upper West Side location. Actually, the entire restaurant is an upgrade from the Upper West Side location.

The restaurant is designed with the Park Avenue housewives in mind and is set up almost identically to Sant Ambroeus. The front section acts as a cafe where people can order coffee, dessert of perhaps a plate of Salumi from the well known brand Parmacotto. White tablecloths in the sectioned off back room and wallpaper designed as Roman like Frescos create a more refined atmosphere in this Upper East Side location as opposed to the more laid back ambiance of the original West Side restaurant. The clientele is just as chic as the decor, we even spotted Bette Midler dining across the room. While the decor of the restaurant is stunning there was one small problem. It appears that Salumeria Rosi has a fly problem. On both of our visits we were constantly pestered with gnats and small flies to the point where they even ended up in our wine glasses. We were told that this was only a seasonal issue but we’ll be the judge of that come Spring and Summer.

As for the food, shockingly most of it is very good. We say that simply because most Italian restaurants, actually none of the Italian restaurants, on Madison Avenue have really produced food that justified their price tags. The $40 plates of pasta are worth about $20 at the most and the same goes for the food at Sant Ambroeus and Bar Italia. The Salumi platter is an excellent dish to share for about two to three people. The Mortadella if flown in from Italy and is one of the few cuts we have seen without Pistachios in it (for those who have nut allergies). The Oysters with Walnuts, Pancetta and Breadcrumbs were fresh and the breadcrumbs added a new dish on the traditional raw oysters we normally see. The Sgombro con Caponata (Mackerell with Egg Plant) is also a great starter.

The pastas are even better than the appetizers. The Tordelli in a Pork & Beef Ragu is easily the best dish served at the restaurant. The ravioli like pasta is cooked al dente and comes with a ragu that is rich and salty but is balanced by the sweetness of the tomatoes. The Savarin del Parmacotto (risotto) was also excellent as was the Rigatoni with Eggplant, Tomato and Mozzarella. The entrees are a bit pricier however the Rack of Lamb was moist, savory and generously portioned. The desserts are where Salumeria Rosi slips up. The $14 cookie platter left much to be desired and the Apple Crostata was pretty much forgettable. However the Gianduja (chocolate cake) is excellent and is perhaps the only dessert on the menu worth ordering.

With a full meal for one costing no less than $100 per person after tax and tip, was Salumeria Rosi worth it? Aside from the flies, the ambiance is stunning and the food is easily the best amongst the Italian restaurants on Madison Avenue. While it may not be Sfoglia, Salumeria Rosi is an excellent restaurant that is even worth the trip to the Upper East Side.

Salumeria Rosi Il Ristorante

Ambiance: 8

Food: 8

Service: 8

Overall: 8

Verdict: Oasis

903 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10021

212-517-7700

View menu

[Photo via]

October 23, 2012

Locanda Verde

Locanda Verde is easily one of the most difficult reservations to score in New York City. Chef Andrew Carmellini, of the newly opened restaurant The Library at The Public Theater, is the head chef at this rustic yet upscale Italian restaurant located in Tribeca. A few notable names are also involved with this restaurant such as Robert De Niro, Ken Friedman (of the Spotted Pig) and Josh Pickard (of the recently shuttered Chinatown Brasserie). Locanda Verde takes reservations about a month in advance but even then getting a table for two at any times other than 5:30 or 10:30 seem next to impossible. We’d say your best bet is to try walking in with a small group but even then we’ve been told wait times often reach 2 hours or more. However, Locanda Verde is open for lunch on weekdays and brunch on weekends just in case you have the same amount of luck we have had at obtaining a reservation. We decided to try Carmellini’s famed Italian spot for lunch one afternoon and see if Locanda Verde really is worth all the hype. The restaurant itself is quite charming we must admit. The restaurant is much larger than we had anticipated but the dim lighting, dark woods and booths help keep the space intimate.

The menu is split up between appetizers and entrees and they also manage to slip in a few sandwich options into the lunch menu as well. To start we had the Duck Meatballs followed by the Pappardelle and My Grandmother’s Ravioli. The Duck Meatballs were very moist and the sauce was flavorful. Often we find meatballs to be massive and very dry but luckily for us this wasn’t the case. The Pappardelle was another good dish as well. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the fresh ricotta on top was a nice touch but the lamb bolognese was a bit heavy and we could have done without the mint. The biggest surprise was My Grandmother’s Ravioli. One of our least favorite meals is a plate of pasta with thick and heavy tomato sauce and when we saw the dish we were a bit worried. First served by Carmellini at Cafe Boulud, My Grandmother’s Ravioli is a blend of beef, veal, pork ravioli in a tomato sauce topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano. However, the tomato sauce was easily one of the lightest tomato sauces we’ve had in New York and the ravioli itself was very delicate as well which paired nicely with the lightness of the sauce. In addition to the dish being generously portioned, it is one of the cheaper menu options at only $18.

Overall we did enjoy our visit to Locanda Verde but we don’t think it is worth the hassle to get a reservation. One can easily visit the restaurant during lunch and get a good idea of the type of food served without having to be on hold for a half hour or more trying to snag a table for dinner. We definitely suggest checking Locanda Verde out, just not during prime time dinner hours.

Locanda Verde

Ambiance: 8

Food: 7

Service: 7

Overall: 7

Verdict: Oasis

3777 Greenwich Street

New York, NY 10013

212-925-3797

[Photo via]

October 16, 2012

Best Restaurants In New York For White Truffle Season

With fall approaching some may be dreading the cooler weather but for those who love food in New York, fall and winter are usually synonymous with White Truffle Season. These expensive mushrooms are usually found by trained hogs or dogs in certain European countries such as France and Italy and due to the tedious process of harvesting these mushrooms, and also because they are such a rare ingredient, they are quite an expensive item to use when cooking. Despite its high cost, many diners are willing to shell out top dollar for this delectable mushroom simply because these truffles are just that good. When buying these truffles for personal use, the prices can be quite expensive but when ordering a truffle dish at a restaurant some places can charge astronomical prices and provide a small amount of truffles in the dish. However, we have found some restaurants in New York that not only serve up some great truffle dishes but also give you a generous amount of truffles for the money you’re spending. With that we bring you the best restaurants in New York for white truffle season! [Photo via]

#1. Sandro’s - This down to Earth Upper East Side Italian restaurant serves some of the most authentic Italian food we have found in New York City. Chef Sandro Fioriti is always in the dining room greeting and mingling with his guests in addition to serving generous portions of Roman influences fare. However, when white truffle season rolls around Sandro’s prepares a White Truffle pasta that is simply to die for. While the type of pasta used in the dish does vary, the amount of truffles is always enormous making sure that diners get the most bang for their buck. At around $100, the dish may seem expensive but considering the amount of white truffles provided, this pasta is worth every penny. Also, Sandro himself sometimes brings out the truffle itself and shaves some extra on to your plate at no additional cost if he finds you are enjoying your dish! [Photo via]

#2. The Lamb’s Club – If you read our review on The Lamb’s Club, you may notice that we were a bit underwhelmed with the restaurant overall. However, we did enjoy the special White Truffle Risotto. While the dish was only a special of the night we have to recommend it simply because the chef was generous with the white truffle shavings over the risotto. We would have liked to see a bit more rice in the dish to make the plate seem more full but we can’t deny that this was certainly one of the better and, at only at $55, cheaper, white truffle dishes that we had in New York City. [Photo via]

#3. RedBar - RedBar may make us go all the way out to Southampton but we have to feature it on our list. The Linguini with White Truffles is simply a steal considering you get a generous portion of pasta and white truffles for only $35. The dish is finished with truffle oil and topped with white truffle shavings making this a fantastic dish for anyone who loves truffles, or Italian food in general for that matter. While, again, this was a special of the night perhaps the kitchen would be able to make this dish off the menu if they have white truffles in stock. Considering that this is one of the few White Truffle dishes priced under $50 in New York we just have to recommend it! [Photo via]

#4. Babbo – Arguably Mario Batali‘s best known restaurant also happens to serve an excellent pasta dish during White Truffle Season. The Pappardelle with White Truffles and Parmigano is a great option especially considering you’re also getting to sample some of the best Italian food in the city. While the dish may set you back $120, it’s certainly a much better option than the less than stellar than the Fonduta Anellini with White Truffles & Parmigiano dish we had at Batali’s other upscale Italian restaurant: Del Posto. [Photo via]

#5. Dell’Anima - Once we heard that Dell’Anima (meaning “of the soul”) has an offer in which diners can order three grams of White Truffles shaved on anything for $55 we were in there like swimwear. The restaurant is already known around the city for its excellent Italian fare but with this new offer, that’s another great reason to come and sample the cuisine served by chef Gabe Thompson! [Photo via]

October 11, 2012

Just Try Getting a Reservation at Sirio

Sirio Maccioni, the owner of the famed Le Cirque, is now taking over the former Le Caprice space in the Taj Hotel on the Upper East Side. The new restaurant, Sirio, is the sister restaurant to the Sirio Ristorante located in Las Vegas and looks to be a much more intimate restaurant from their much larger and grander Midtown establishment. While the restaurant doesn’t open until November 1st, Sirio began accepting reservations yesterday and let’s just say the amount of calls were overwhelming to say the least. We tried to make a reservation today for three weeks from now and got the good old “5:30 or 10:30 and later” however they did have many availabilities for lunch. Lucky for us, unless we’re going to a restaurant that is more about its scene than its food, we don’t really care if we dine at 6 PM or 8 PM just as long as the food and service are good. None the less you can contact the restaurant for reservations or try making one via Opentable. [Photo via]

Sirio Ristorante

Tel: 212-940-8195

Address: 795 Fifth Avenue

www.siriony.com

August 14, 2012

Rosemary’s

Carlos Suarez of Bobo has decided to open another West Village restaurant. Rosemary’s is not too far from Bobbo and both specialize in upscale comfort food. Bobo is a bit more on the French side while Rosemary’s has many Italian influences. But let’s get this out of the way, Rosemary’s is not traditional Italian food and it knows it. The restaurant itself almost looks something out of the Hamptons and the rooftop garden is perfect for grabbing a drink when having to wait for a table. Rosemary’s doesn’t accept reservations so you may be having 3 or 4 drinks during that 1-2 hour wait period. Lucky for you the beer/wine menu is very reasonably priced. All bottles are $40, wines by the glass are $10 and most beers are $6-$8. This is certainly much more reasonable than the $15-$22 cocktails offered at other chic eateries around the city.

The food is also very reasonably priced as well. The pasta dishes never rise above $15 and you basically can eat at Rosemary’s for under $50 pretty easily. To start we had the Lard Bread to share then the Oricchiette with Braised Greens and Homemade Sausage, the Chitarra Ala Carbonara and the Flank Steak. Rosemary’s makes you pay for the bread but it is worth every penny. This Lard Bread is a much more refined version of traditional Italian lard bread as it only contains small strips of pork fat on the top of the focaccia. But to be honest, we’re not complaining. This is a great way to start off your meal and I strongly suggest paying the $7 for this starter. The Oricchiette was one of the two homemade pastas that Rosemary’s features and it was an excellent dish. The pasta was cooked well and the sauce was almost like a ragu but a bit lighter. The Chitarra was great as well but we still preferred the Oricchiette. The Flank Steak was really the only mediocre dish we had. The steak itself was a little bit on the cold side when we received it though the crispy potatoes and balsamic sauce was a nice addition.

We’d recommend Rosemary’s for anyone who doesn’t want to spend an arm and a leg but still eat well. The portions are generous but we’d recommend making a meal out of the pastas and starters and perhaps leaving the entrees alone. The waits may be long, but Rosemary’s cheap cocktails, wine and beer will certainly keep you entertained throughout that long wait.

Ambiance: 8

Food: 8

Service: 7

Overall: 8

Verdict: Oasis

[Photo via]

August 14, 2012

Locanda Vini e Olii

In Clinton Hill, Brooklyn lies a quaint and down to Earth Italian restaurant called Locanda…no not Locanda Verde but Locanda Vini e Olii. Housed in a former 130 year old pharmacy, this Brooklyn eatery comes equipped with rolling ladders and apothecary drawers as well as a full kitchen serving traditional Tuscan food. Normally on weekends the wait to get into the Brooklyn Locanda is very much similar to that of the Manhattan Locanda so reservations are strongly suggested. Once inside you can take a seat at one of the cozy tables and order off the menus that are made of cardboard. The wine list is presented on two wine bottles that are already on the table, one is the house wine list and one is the reserve menu. Of course, we recommend the reserve menu.

The menu really features only traditional unrefined Italian dishes such as an array of small plates like Baccala and Sardines as well as pasta and meat dishes. To start we ordered a few of the small plates, the Pappardelle with Wild Boar Ragu, Tagliatelle with Beef and Pork Ragu, The Grilled Duck Breast and Grilled Piedmontese Beef. The smaller plates were fantastic and a great way to start off the meal (especially the Baccala). The pasta dishes, while good, unfortunetly didn’t please us as much as we had anticipated. The Pappardelle was actually a rather small portion but the ragu was quite good. The best pasta dish on the menu is easily the Tagliatelle. The pasta was cooked well and the portion was quite generous. However, your dinner should stop right at the pasta dishes, there’s no need to go any further on the menu. The grilled duck breast as cold and dry and the beef was basically dry and inedible (we’re pretty sure they used the beef to sand down some of the tables). But the Semolina Cake for dessert gave us a reason to stay after the horrid entrees.

We can sum up the food at Locanda Vini e Olii pretty quickly: only order the small plates, pasta dishes and perhaps a dessert. While the restaurant is intimate and provides a nice atmosphere, the food really isn’t all that good. Sure it will please those who can’t cook at home and want a decent plate of pasta but those looking to be “wowed” perhaps should go to Sfoglia or Sandro’s instead.

Ambiance: 7

Food: 3

Service: 6

Overall: 5

Verdict: Mirage

[Photo via]

July 24, 2012

A Voce Madison

A Voce is a Michellin starred modern Italian restaurant located in Gramercy right off of Madison Square Park. Missy Robins the executive chef in this contemporary Italian restaurant that is kind of off the beaten path. While normally the menu at A Voce is on the expensive side (pasta dishes on average cost around $30 and meat dishes range from $25-$40), the restaurant does participate in Restaurant Week which is a great opportunity to get a taste of what A Voce offers at a fraction of the normal price. The restaurant itself is located on an attractive corner overlooking Madison Square Park and while there is an outdoor patio, most guests opt to sit inside the modernly designed restaurant. While the interior is pretty for the most part, I’d recommend getting a booth rather than a table as A Voce uses swivel chairs rather than normal dining chairs which, while visually it does look pleasing, it can be a bit troublesome when you eat.

After Andrew Carmellini‘s departure, I wasn’t quite sure if A Voce would still be as good as it used to be (which is why I decided to try it for Restaurant Week first). The wine list at A Voce was quite large and the restaurant was serving many large format bottles even during lunch. I would recommend the Jean-Luc Columbo Rose but be sure to get a full glass and skip the quartino, especially if you are sharing. To start, I had the Mozzarella and Prosciutto with Stone Fruit and my friend had the Fluke Crudo with Marinated Cucumbers, Chili and Lemon. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much out of the Mozzarella and Prosciutto dish but actually A Voce did do a great job preparing. Four pieces of prosciutto rested on top of the fresh mozzarella and the stone fruit actually added a sweet flavor to the dish. The Fluke Crudo was also a great dish as well. The Fluke was thinly sliced and rested on a bed of cucumber and chili. The light flavors of the fluke and cucumber went well with the slightly spicy chili. Next we both had the Mandilli, which are pretty much, like the menu says, pasta handkerchiefs. with Merluzzo, Toasted Fennel, Capers and Olives. The Mandilli were cooked well but I did find that the olive taste did overpower the dish. I did enjoy the Merluzzo as the fish was a good way to transition from the heavy olives that were finely chopped and sprinkled on top of the pasta. For dessert I had the Semifreddo, basically an almost frozen ice cream or custard dessert, with Lemon Mousse and Blueberries. The semifreddo itself was sweet and the texture was almost like a cake and the inclusion of the lemon mousse made the dish quite refreshing (almost like a palate cleanser).

I would say that A Voce is one of the better options for Restaurant Week. While I wasn’t too impressed with the Mandilli, the Semifreddo and Crudo were excellent. The setting is beautiful and the service is good as well but as of now, I’m not quite sure if I would go back for the normal dinner menu as while I did enjoy my lunch there are a few other places I would much rather spend $30 on a plate of pasta at such as Sfoglia.

Ambiance: 7

Food: 6

Service: 7

Overall: 7

Verdict: Oasis

[Photo via]

July 16, 2012

Il Mulino Great Neck, Long Island

With the Americana Mall right down the block, Il Mulino seems like the perfect place to grab lunch or dinner after shopping and for the most part it is. Well, until you see your bill that is. Il Mulino in New York is synonymous to a traditional Italian restaurant with a chic and who’s who clientele. However, this outpost of Il Mulino draws a much more reserved crowd, mostly from the Great Neck area, than its trendier West Village sibling. The average age for patrons at this restaurant would have to be somewhere around 50 but to be honest, those are probably the only people who can afford their prices. The dark woods match nicely with the cream colored walls simple tables and chairs in the very open restaurant and the design is safe yet effective in the conservative but elegant dining room. The atmosphere is essentially the same as you’d find at Cipriani or Nello but again, much more toned down and less bustling. A tall man with a thick, and possibly fake, Italian accent greets you at the entrance and most of the servers are actually not Italian despite what you might think.

The menu consists of traditional dishes from the Abruzzo region of Italy and all of the plates are made to share which is good because so is the bill. A plate of pasta will run you easily over $30 and the meat dishes are in the $30-$60 range. The dishes themselves are nothing different than you’d find at an upscale Italian restaurant; you have your basic yet filling pastas such as: Linguini in a Spicy Seafood Sauce and Mushroom Rissotto and your entrees such as: Veal Milanese and Branzino. The menu does tend to focus a bit more on fish than meat which is good, especially for an Italian restaurant. My advice when ordering, skip all the appetizers and go straight to the pastas and entrees as you essentially get an appetizer with your bread and butter. Not only did we receive bread before our meal, but an entire order of Bruschetta (which was actually one of the better Bruschettas I have had) in addition to our very generous portions. As an entree I had Il Mulino’s famous Porcini Ravioli with Champagne Truffle Cream Sauce. The ravioli were cooked just perfectly and the sauce was flavorful, if not a bit too heavy. However, the only turn off about the menu would be dessert. While the main dessert is prepared in the kitchen, all the garnishes and sauces are pre-prepared and added to the dish at a dessert station at the front of the restaurant that is disguised as apart of the decor. While I could see how this was supposed to be a “fun” aspect of the restaurant to make patrons feel at home, if you are charging over $12 for a dessert I would expect that 25% of it to not be sitting out in the open at the front of the restaurant for the entire day.

Il Mulino is a place to go if you’re in the mood for decently prepared food that you, yourself, can not make at home. The food is better than the near by Cipolini but it’s also triple the price. The only reason why this place isn’t as absurdly overpriced as Nello is because the portions and amount of food they give you is actually quite generous and much better but don’t get me wrong, this is certainly not a cheap dinner. My suggestion would be to stop in for a glass of wine and pasta or for their Sunday Supper which consists of a four course pre-fixe menu for $39 a person (a great deal for the area in my opinion).

Ambiance: 7

Food: 7

Service: 7

Overall: 7

Verdict: Oasis

[Photo via]

January 11, 2012

Meatball Shop (West Village)

After hearing only great things about the Meatball Shop, I kind of had to try it. Though its not a place that I would normally go to, the fact that an outpost just opened on Greenwich Street, since I rarely go to the Lower East Side or Williamsburg, gave me that extra motivation to finally check it out. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations and can get quite packed during prime-time hours as it is a pretty small place. The decor is pretty rustic and homey with a white subway tilled bar and dark wood floors. The front of the restaurant features mostly bar seating while the back has a communal table and a few scattered tables. The open kitchen is also a nice touch as well.

The menu mainly consists of meatball sliders and heros but surprisingly there are a good amount of vegetarian options as well. Meatball Shop offers beef, chicken and pork meatballs and one “vegetable ball”. The sliders are $3 each while the heroes are $9 which I would say is quite reasonable. The menus are on a laminated sheet that you check off with a dry-erase marker and then hand to your server. Its a good idea but I did feel like its easy to mistakenly erase something and mess up the order more so than if the server just wrote it down on a pad. The portions are generous and the food is decent. The meatballs, while not the best I’ve ever had, and the hero managed to stay together the entire meal (nothing is more annoying than when the kitchen overstuffs the sandwich and it all falls apart in your plate). I’d personally go for the traditional beef meatballs but the chicken meatballs are a lighter and good option as well.

To be honest, The Meatball Shop serves food you really can’t complain about. Its a step up from normal deli heroes and meatballs and the menu is priced well. Though I’m not running back anytime soon, The Meatball Shop is a great family place or just a good place to eat at when you don’t know where to go and are in the area. It won’t disappoint you but don’t expect anything out of this world either.

Ambiance: 6

Food: 6

Service: 6

Overall: 6

Verdict: Mirage

Photo via

December 7, 2011

Armani Ristorante

On the roof of the relatively new Armani flagship store on 5th Avenue sits a modern Italian restaurant mainly built for the tourists that come in and out of the store. The restaurant itself has its own separate entrance from the store itself but during store hours you can access the restaurant through the store’s elevator. The restaurant’s location within the Armani store looks as if they had a bit of extra space left over and didn’t know what to do with it as it takes up a bit less than half of one floor. However, the restaurant itself is decorated very simply with modern looking black chairs and white tables and a few circular booths scattered throughout the restaurant. Its a very chic and modern decor and matches the rest of the store perfectly. There is, however, a bit of a pretentious vibe given off when you first enter the restaurant by the maître d. Even though the restaurant was half empty during my lunch visit, we still had to wait 10 minutes for a table for two but then again when visiting an upscale Italian restaurant there’s a bit of attitude is to be expected.

The menu features refined Italian dishes that would please any Park Avenue housewife. Of course you have the essentials for any upscale Italian restaurant such as Beef Carpaccio and an array of salads to choose from but what is surprising is the $33 pre-fixe lunch menu. However, since I was having dinner at Sushi Gari later that evening I chose to save my appetite and just get the Bavette Sul Pesce and the Spaghettini. The Bavette consisted of Bavette pasta, similar to linguini, with an array of seafood in a light sauce. The bavette itself was very al dente, though some people do prefer it that way, and the portion size was far too small to justify the $28 price-tag. The sauce was also very oily and left a very greasy feeling in my mouth afterwards. The Spaghettini was similar to the Bavette except it had sea urchin in it as well. This dish was mediocre at best and featured such a small amount of sea urchin that it was laughable.

Since I haven’t heard much about Armani Ristorante I suppose I should not have set my expectations so high. While the space is beautiful, the service is a bit pretentious and the food leaves much to be desired. My suggestion is checking it out once if this is a place you are very interested in or if you really need a nice place to have a quick lunch while shopping on 5th avenue. Frankly the food is not good enough to make this my regular Italian spot. For this price range I’d much rather Sfoglia, Cipriani or even Nello.

Ambiance: 7

Food: 6

Service: 6

Overall: 6

Verdict: Mirage

Photo via

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