Greetings all, after our tour of the abandoned Old City Hall Subway Station, we decided to head over to Mulberry Street in Little Italy. It was fun watching the restaurant personnel compete with each other by attempting to coax people into their restaurant as they walk past by kindly gesturing: “where do you want to dine, inside or outside?” Some restaurants have been opened for 40 years, and others, even longer. We chose this place because of the reviews :) and glad we did.
There was no coaxing to dine with them, just a courteous gentleman patiently waiting to answer any questions posed. We were immediately seated by a window, all the staff members were friendly and attentive.
Our server answered my questions and when in doubt, checked with the kitchen and got back to me… a big plus in my book.
The place was clean, cozy and aesthetically pleasing. We commenced with sharing an appetizer; Italian Antipasto Freddo;
A sample plate decorated with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, soppressata, reggiano parmigiano, green olives, and roasted red peppers sitting on a radicchio leaf (all good except the sliced tomato, which tasted more like a potato… but in their defense, it seems not easy to find decent ones in NY lately). Next, were our entrées; Risotto - Mushrooms & Taleggio; arborio rice, wild mushrooms, herbs and reggiano, which became my new favorite mushroom risotto dish, it was cooked to perfection, just delicious, the flavors were perfectly balanced and with plenty of mushrooms. My mouth still waters just thinking about it. The other entrée was Gnocchi al Pesto- Basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmigiano cheese and olive oil, also very good. The Sauce was just the right consistency a harmonic blend between pine nuts and herbs. Last was Desert, a nice size serving of Panna Cotta -
(Creamy sugar dessert flavored with real Tahiti vanilla beans, delicate body aided by gelatin, and topped with mixed berry confiture). Exquisite taste with a fresh strawberry confiture.
The complimentary made on premises focaccia bread for dipping in olive oil and balsamic reduction was a nice touch.
The manager, Betul was amazing, she was friendly and personable, she checked on us frequently and gave us a brief history about the restaurant. It’s very evident that she really enjoys her job and genuinely cares about the customers experience.
What a delightful experience and good conversation, we will be visiting again for the risotto… and to try new dishes :)
Thank you for the hospitality, Betul. See you soon :)