L'Apicio

The owners of L'Artusi have opened an East Village outpost called L'Apicio.  Every bit as trendy as L'Artusi, L'Apicio is for the well dressed (and not claustrophobic) diner.  I accidentally hit the gentlemen next to me while talking with my hands and the women dining with him almost knocked over our entire meal while trying to shimmy out of her table.  I think most of us in NYC have grown accustomed to sitting on top of each other but L'Apicio nearly turns diners into bedfellows.

As a food writer, I try to sample a bunch of different items on the menu.  As I've learned at certain restaurants, this strategy is a mistake.  At L'Apicio, stick to the pasta and dessert (and booze!).  The other entrees and sides are average at best and are disappointing when compared to L'Apicio's pastas.

I was a bit appalled by our "special" appetizer, a scoop of ricotta cheese dumped on a plate.  The ricotta clearly came out of a container.  Make (or buy) fresh ricotta L'Apicio!  It doesn't take much time, effort or expense.  When the average meal is about $100/person (including booze), to skimp on such an simple ingredient is cheap and lazy.

What the non-pasta dishes lacked, the ambiance and decor made up for.  The decor at L'Apicio is gorgeous.  In addition to a swanky bar/lounge area, the restaurant features a large partially glass covered room inside the main dining room.  This restaurant is perfect for a girl's night out (as long as the girls aren't carb free ;).

I loved the wine menu.  L'Apicio had me at Schramsburg's Blanc de Blanc.  If only it was socially acceptable to drink Schramburg every night....

What to Eat:

While I was sorely disappointed with the Ricotta appetizer, this initial bad impression was quickly erased by the bowl of Osso Bucco Gnocchi that arrived at our table.  You could taste that the light, potato pillows were prepared only a few minutes before they were tossed into a savory tomato based osso bucco sauce.  There were large chunks of tender osso bucco generously tossed into the sauce.  This dish was outstanding and makes L'Apicio well worth the visit.

The dessert menu at L'Apicio had so many delicious choices it was hard to narrow it down.  Ultimately we ended up with the Hazelnut Ice Cream Cake and the Chocolate Crostada. Both of us agreed that the chocolate crostada (pictured left) won out (but only by a slim margin).  The rich chocolate had a gooey brownie texture and was finished with a chocolate pie crust.  The crostada was placed on a bed of melted caramel and came with a scoop of homemade stracciatella gelato.  L'Apicio's gnocchi and gelato are hands down the best gnocchi and gelato outside of Positano.

Craving pasta that will bring back memories of the Amalfi Coast? L'Apicio delivers,

Your foodie friend



Insider tip:  I tried to make a reservation for Sunday night and was told nothing was available after 6:15.  This couldn't be any further from the truth.  We arrived at 7:30 and we were seated immediately.  While I wouldn't recommend this strategy Thursday through Saturday night, don't be discouraged if they don't have anything available.  The bar area is large and great for people watching if you are willing to wait.

Menu Items to Avoid: Artic Char (too fishy) and the Ricotta app (not fresh)