We were near this area because we stopped by Nordstroms for some shopping. This area is pretty close to the southern side of Central Park, and we’ve almost tapped out all the restaurants here (or so I thought). Luckily my partner has continued to show interest in Italian foods because I love it. I found this restaurant that wasn’t that far from where we were, and it was also offering a 3 course prix fixe restaurant week menu for $45. We were able to walk in around 4:30 PM on a Sunday without any reservations.
Ambiance & Service
The interior was interesting in that the backside was more bright with a lot of lighting. They told us though that the air conditioning was broken, so we asked to be seated in the bar area closer to the window where it was cool. Our server was very jolly and seemed to really enjoy his time. He took our order quickly, and also served our food quickly. We were basically in and out of this restaurant in about an hour, and it felt pretty relax at the time.
Food
We ordered the 3 course menu, so you will see below 6 courses plus the loaf of bread.
The fresh baked whole italian loaf ($10) came with a garlic spread on top and pesto in the middle. Our server said it was really good, but I was going to order it even without his feedback. The bread was delicious, and the garlic and pesto was stunningly balanced and flavorful. For 2 people, this was decently filling, so I think it would be a great thing to order for 4 people.
The Little Gem Caesar Salad came with iceberg lettuce and all your very typical caesar salad components. The croutons were pleasantly airy and not as dense as what you might find from pre-packaged croutons.
The Short Rib Meatballs came with 2 meatballs and were dressed in a chunky tomato sauce. The meatballs were very delicious with the short rib meat. It was very tender and actually had a lot of flavor in it. I actually liked this meatball, especially compared to Felice which my partner said they really enjoyed.
The True North Canadian Salmon came with sicilian ratatouille and spinach. It was also served with some lemon on the side. The salmon was perfectly cooked, and the skin was very crispy. The ratatouille was actually quite good with very strong aromas of the bell peppers. The spinach was slightly seasoned a bit too salty for me, but it’s probably fine for most people. This was quite a hefty dish in that the salmon was actually a good amount of meat. We were very surprised and content with the portions here.
The Classic Chicken Parmigiana came on a full plate and had tomato sauce and mozzarella on top. This was a very large dish, and I think if you’re hungry, you can easily finish it. For me, I ended up taking about 25% of it home because I didn’t want to get to the point I was uncomfortably full. The chicken was thin, but not too thin, and the breading was perfectly crispy and delectable. The sauce and cheese was a really good match on top of it. I gave a few pieces to my partner, and they don’t typically care for this but actually really enjoyed it. Again, the portion sizing especially for a Restaurant Week course was very generous.
The Tiramisu came with mascarpone sabayon cream with ladyfingers soaked in espresso. This is a typical tiramisu, and because I seldom have it due to my partner not wanting caffeine in the late afternoon, I was eager to splurge for it. It was very good.
The Cannoli came with a baked almond shell with sicilian ricotta and chocolate chips, served with blueberry sauce. The crust reminded me a bit of corn flakes cereal, but it was in a good way. The cannoli was crispy and had a lot of flavor.
Final Verdict
We both agreed that Trattoria Dell’Arte is a restaurant that we would bring friends back if we were near the Central Park area and looking for Italian. If you do get a chance, check out this restaurant for its Restaurant Week offerings since the portion size is very generous and offers outstanding value.
Yelp Jabs
Rushed in rushed out. No personal touches. Prices skyrocketed! I am not naive, I am in NYC. The kind and respect one use to get as an average Joe who can afford the restaurant is no longer there… The average Joe is just a number. I went back two more times, was waited by the same waiter that rushed us in rushed us out. NYC is to big to ever go back. Not interested.
This Yelper hadn’t been in NYC for about 6 years, and they were surprised by the fast service. Everything in the city is about pushing to make up for time and money. What this Yelper says is true though that NYC is large enough where you won’t really ever have to return back to a restaurant if you didn’t want to. Regardless, there are some restaurants that are a safe bet without planning, and this is one of them.
Chicken parm was dried and overcooked. The shrimp scampi was under seasoned, and actually only 5 pieces of shrimp and a tiny spoonful of grits. Waiter didn’t really offer any recommendations when asked about what he likes. Food hit the table in less than 5 minutes which means they had to have pre-cooked the chicken. Explains why it was so bad.
This Yelper must’ve mistaken this restaurant for an inefficient restaurant. Yes, you can keep chicken at a certain temperature, so that you can have it ready to finish it. If a restaurant was trying to be efficient with cooking, this is a normal practice to have it slightly cooked so that you can finish it. If you cook it from raw at time of order, the food may take too long for a large restaurant, and you will make mistakes.
Revisions
- Aug 13, 2023 - Initial revision.