Having been on a Sopranos binge, the first thought that came to mind was just simply pasta. We were in the Flatiron area and decided to walk down to 13th to check out this Italian restaurant because the menu looked simple and straight forward. We arrived at 5:30 PM on a Saturday evening as a party of 2, and they accommodated us in the back of the restaurant without reservations.
Ambiance
The outside of the restaurant is quite floral and beautiful. They have outdoor seating on the side walk, and they have decorated the whole area with flowers. As a diner, I would feel a little nervous with the foot traffic that passes through, but it doesn’t seem to deter too many people from dining on the sidewalks.
The interior of the restaurant is a bit cramp but not overly claustrophobic. We sat near a large party where the diner at the edge of the table was in the middle of a lot of waiter foot traffic. We sat at the back towards the bathrooms, and it was a little cramp for me but tolerable. Every time someone walked by, I would feel my chair lean one way or another. But alas, that’s the uncomfortableness to pay for walk-in eating.
The tables themselves are small with red and white checkered table cloths.
The service was very nice. For the pasta portion of our dinner, they divided it in half for us automatically without asking and offered plenty of freshly grated cheese. I like how this was a no-nonsense Italian restaurant where they gave you attentive service when needed and know you’re there just to eat and enjoy a good night.
Food
The Capri ($17 - left) came with Grey Goose vodka, giffard lychee, Cinzano 1757, Cranberry, and Prosecco. This had decent complementary flavors, though it was a bit sweet for me. My partner enjoyed it though.
The Chardonnay ($16 - right) came from Tenuta San Jacopo, Toscana, 2019. This wine was a little sweet for me, but it was a decent match for my chicken and pasta later on.
The complementary bread came out room temperature and soaked up the olive oil pretty good.
The Tuna Tartare ($19) came with yellow fin tuna, avocado, arugula, endive, tomatoes, and cilantro. This was surprisingly pretty good and tasted fresh. The tuna tartare sat on a thick cut tomato slice. The top green sauce was pesto.
The Spaghetti Alla Carbonara ($25) was split into two and came with spaghetti, bacon, parmesan cheese, and a cream sauce. The spaghetti was cooked perfectly al dente. My partner enjoyed this a lot, though they said it was not the best carbonara they have had. I thought flavor wise it was pretty good and fatty.
The Paillard di Pollo ($25) came with grilled chicken paillard, fine herbs, and grilled zucchini. The paillard is basically meat that has been pounded thin and grilled. This was pretty good and was not overly dry.
The Involtino di Pollo ($29) came with stuffed chicken breast, mozzarella, ham, spinach, and rosemary sauce. The chicken breast might have been a little dry, if not overcooked, for me. If you have to get chicken, I prefer the paillard over this. The flavor though of the sauce and everything was good.
The complementary dessert was basically 2 biscotti cookies with a dip.
Final Verdict
This is a pretty good Italian restaurant in the Greenwich area that would be a great date spot or dinner outing with a small party. The food wasn’t particularly innovative but was very well rounded with good flavors. The pasta is all homemade, so if you’re craving Italian pasta, it’s worth a trip.
Yelp Jabs
This place is just alright. Girlfriend and I came for brunch and ordered the beet salad, lobster benedicte and baked eggs. Everything was just alright, nothing was a must try and lacked a bit of flavor to be honest.
I always felt brunch was overrated to begin with. I rarely judge a restaurant by its brunch.
We started with the veal meatballs, which were tender but bland, and only after that came the complimentary bread, which was super stale. The only reason for three stars instead of two is because thankfully the veal and spinach ravioli were in fact really good.
I definitely felt the seasoning here was not overly aggressive, and arguably maybe a little under-seasoned for the saltiest eaters. I’m not sure what “super stale” bread means for this Elitist’s context, but ours tasted as expected.
Revisions
- Jun 4, 2022 - Initial revision.