Zampa

Gentlemen, this one's for you.

Zampa is a small, neighborhood restaurant on the north east end of the West Village (literally a block away from several subway lines).  So for the lazy gentlemen, this place is easily accessible.

Perhaps more appealing, however is the fact that Zampa is over flowing with women.  On a Thursday night, there was not a single gentlemen seated at or standing near the bar (some of the diners seated at the tables were couples, but not many).  So for the eligible NYC bachelor, you might want to start your Thursday night with drinks and eats at Zampa (the bartender informed me that the bar is packed with women most nights).

Ok, back to me.  This dining experience confirmed for me that this blog is just as much for you, the readers, as it is for me.  I forgot that I had (1) previously eaten at Zampa and (2) enjoyed my prior experience at Zampa, until I walked up to the restaurant.  Now that I blog most of my dining experiences, I won't forget where I've been.

The wait for a table was over an hour so we opted for dinner at the bar.  The bar turned out to be our boon because the bartender was incredibly friendly and encouraged us to sample several different wines.  The bartender recommended a wine we had never heard of and would have never picked for ourselves.  After trying the wines we thought we might like, we settled on his recommendation.

Zampa is supposedly known for its lasagna, which was solid but nothing extraordinary.  Instead, I would focus on Zampa's specials. 
What to eat:

Start with the Burrata appetizer. The creamy, gooey burrata is perfect for smearing over Zampa's fresh bread.  The cherry tomatoes surrounding the burrata go through a special process first invented in a town in Italy (I was too many glasses of wine in to recall the town's name) and then infused with olive oil.






For your entree definitely order the Short Ribs (this picture does not do this savory dish justice).  Zampa's short ribs were incredibly lean yet tender and flavorful. Make sure to ask the busboy to fill your bread basket, you will want more bread to soak up the hearty sauce left on the short rib dish.  The short ribs were accompanied by a buttery potato mass which may not sound appetizing, but it was.

For dessert, go with the Pot de Creme (sorry, no picture, it just looks wrong from the angle I took it at).  This Pot de Creme is made with very dark chocolate so if you are a dark chocolate hater, this dessert is not for you.  I won't eat dark chocolate candy bars but I enjoy dark chocolate in cooked desserts like mousse, pudding, etc...This rich dark chocolate pudding was topped with a generous helping of lightly sweetened whipped cream (what purpose does unsweetened whip cream serve readers? I just don't get it).

Solid food, fun ambiance, great service...for me, that makes a fantastic Thursday night dinner.

Ready for Italian dining week in NYC readers? Hope you like pasta,

Your foodie friend

Insider tip: If you are offered seats at the bar, take them, it is actually a bit quieter than the tables.  The full dining menu is available at the bar.