I will say that the prices are definitely high but as Lav pointed out, we've paid the same if not more at other restaurants and didn't enjoy our meals as much. I managed to snag a 6pm reservation on a Thursday and they led us to this table in the back right next to these ultimate Wall Street schmoozers. I mean, I used to have dinner like them so part of me was jealous that I couldn't run up a tab into the thousands, but it also made me happy that I was no longer in that world because they just reeked of douchiness. If there is one downside to my meal, it was that the clientele definitely leaned towards those with big expense accounts (except for the couple next to us). I did enjoy the "freebies" of snacks that they offer you while you wait for you food. It consisted of yummy paper thin prosciutto, foccacia bread with tomato sauce on it, and nice and crispy garlic bread. They were a nice touch while you waited for your meal. Ordinarily I would say "how sweet! Free food" but once I saw the prices they were charging for their food, I realized that it wasn't really free but just baked into the prices of the dishes. . At first glance, the menu (which is HUGE, not in how many dishes they have, but I mean it's literally a giant piece of paper that would take your eye out) was definitely on the pricey side. Veal parm for $50?! House salad for $15?! I mean this was why people have been complaining about this place. But since I was here, I was going to shut up and make the most of my meal. Lav and I shared the Asparagus Genovese ($16) which was grilled asparagus with mozzarella, the fettuccine con funghi ($28) and the spicy rigatoni vodka ($24). Our waiter was incredibly helpful in picking out vegetarian appropriate dishes and giving us recommendations (he strongly suggested the fettuccine over the angel hair pasta).
The asparagus genovese was about 5 very thick stalks of asparagus, grilled and served on top of soft creamy mozzarella and pesto sauce. I don't know why that when the waiter explained the dish and said mozzarella I assumed it would be hot and melted but the whole dish was cold and that wasn't really my thing. But the asparagus was grilled perfectly because it still had that nice crunch to it but it wasn't raw or tough to eat. I just would have wished it was served warm. But the real winners of the meal were the pastas. I know, I know. I've said so many times in the past how I hate overpaying for what I think is a dish I could make myself at home. But honestly these pastas were so freaking amazing and there is absolutely no way I could ever make them myself. The fettuccine was incredibly soft and buttery and served with sliced shiitake mushrooms and tomato. It was heavenly and simply amazing. Then I tried the spicy rigatoni and holy shit was that good too. It was a sweet tomato base with just the right amount of heat and the rigatoni was perfectly cooked. It seriously rivaled some of the pasta I had in Italy. The fact that they were not just good but a bit different (not your typical alfredo or spaghetti) made me feel a bit better about paying $20+ for pasta. I inhaled my food and was ready for more. Luckily we saved room for dessert and they literally wheel out an entire tray with cakes the size of our table. We opted for the chocolate cake and they also served it with "free" fried dough with powered sugar. The cake was nice and moist and a lovely way to end the meal.
All in all, it was a fantastic meal. Yes, the prices are a bit expensive (did I just pay almost $30 for pasta?!?) and maybe it was because I was starving when i got there but the pasta was seriously out of this world. Now I see why there were so many big wigs there because I would have loved to have had free reign over the menu without having to worry about the bill. Total bill: $91/pp with tax and tip
Photo Credit: Time Out New York
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