Osteria Doge

As most people in NYC know, the theatre district is filled with lots of bad restaurant choices.  The only neighborhood in NYC with worse dining options consists of the blocks surrounding Madison Square Garden ("MSG").  The Michael Jackson Cirque show started at 8pm so I needed a quick meal relatively near MSG.  A family friend mentioned that Osteria Doge was her go to theatre restaurant and since the restaurant is a ten minute walk from MSG, I thought this would be a good place to try. 

Osteria Doge is a two floor restaurant with a kitchy Italian theme.  The staff is savvy, thoughtfully asking patrons if the they have show tickets to ensure dishes are sent out quickly where needed.  Despite receiving our food quickly, the meal was never rushed (the server patiently waited out my need to finish every bit of the savory ragu sauce in my pasta bowl).

I wasn't impressed with the wine list so we went the bubbly route.  The prosecco by the glass at Osteria Doge was light and slightly sweet, which to me, is the perfect way to end a work day.

And while I made a mistake by not ordering a pasta for a primi and a fish for my secondi, I would do that in the future because the portions are relatively small.

What to Eat:

The Tagliolini Alla Chitarra, which is a homemade spaghetti pasta with veal ragu, is the perfect appetizer.  While it is a bit large for an appetizer, it will offset the fish dish entree you should try that is relatively small for an entree.  This pasta picture does not do the hearty veal ragu justice.  As I mentioned above, I used every last piece of the focaccia bread in our bread basket to finish the ragu. 

The Branzino Del Doge is one of the best fish dishes I have had anywhere not just because of the delicious fish but also because of the delicious celery root puree hiding under the fish.  The two, small fish fillets are placed above a bed of creamy celery root puree and sauteed green beans.  But don't be fooled, if you are ordering fish because you want something healthy, this isn't your dish.  The fish is prepared with a considerable amount of butter and cream (yum!).

Need a quick meal before a show?  Check out Osteria Doge,

Your foodie friend

Insider tip: Ask to be seated upstairs, it is definitely quieter.