Annmarie TheresaJanuary 06, 2019

LOVE AT FIRST BITE: SCARPETTA NYC

Annmarie TheresaJanuary 06, 2019

In this article I will be reviewing a restaurant that you only go to if you: a) have money to spend, b) are ready to dress up, and c) desire yummy art on a plate that will have your mouth doing cartwheels. I’m talking about none other than Scarpetta: an upscale Italian restaurant on 88 Madison Ave, known for its handmade pastas and trendy social scene.

There’s a plethora of high end restaurants in the city and when you’re going to be paying a premium, you immediately have higher expectations across the board, and therefore critique much more than just the food.

First, walking in I noticed the beautiful wood panels with high arches all around the restaurant. It exuded a really romantic and rustic ambience. There was great dim lighting for date night but not too dim that you couldn’t come with a group of friends, family or coworkers as well.

We had dinner reservations and were seated promptly. I’ve been to my fair share of “renowned” restaurants, and have to say they had some of the best customer service I have ever experienced. Our waiter was patient, informative, friendly and remembered all of our order without writing it down. Most high end restaurants take orders by memory but being a waitress myself in the past, trust me, it’s way harder than you think!

Our courses came out well paced, and just as I realized my wine glass was empty, I was being offered another. Water was always refilled quickly and between courses the staff was quick to clear plates and refresh our table without us even really noticing. They were like little ghosts haha!

Now to the best part, the food/cocktails! To drink, I ordered a glass of Chardonnay (Francois Carillon 2016 - Burgundy) which was the perfect combination of not too dry or too sweet. My boyfriend ordered an extra dirty martini with three olives that was made perfectly. If you go to a high end restaurant and you ask for a specific cocktail the exact way you like it, ya best believe it should be made right. They listened to the details and delivered exceptionally.

For appetizers, we ordered the Seared Diver scallops that were cooked perfectly, which is very difficult to do. If you cook scallops just seconds too long they get tough, so I was very impressed by this dish. We also ordered the Braised Octopus, and let me take a moment to express my passionate love affair with grilled octopus - which I order at every single restaurant that has it on the menu. So I’m a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to octopus. This dish stole the show. My mouth is watering as I write about it. Cooked to perfection and not chewy at all, which happens often with octopus, I would say it was in my top favorite octopus dishes I have ever eaten. Last for the appetizers, we had the Duck & Foie Gras Ravioli. Foie Gras, which is duck liver, is another dish I always order at high end restaurants, so I have developed a pretty good pallet for it. If you’re an adventurous eater I really recommend trying it. I prefer to have it seared (hot) vs. the terrine option (which is served cold). Foie Gras is generally a very potent and rich flavor, however, served in the ravioli provided a toned down version, which made for a really delicious dish and great for first timers.

For the entrees, I ordered the Black Cod - Fish is always my go to for an entree most of the time because it’s not a heavy meal, which is good, since I’m usually already getting full from all the appetizers! Also, eating healthy is important to me so why not get something delicious that you won’t regret later. We also got the Short Rib & Bone Marrow Agnolotti, which is a pasta. And like Octopus, anytime I see bone marrow on the menu, I have to order it. I prefer it served in the bone with bread for dipping but this was a pasta alternative, again great for first timers. It was a delicious savory pasta that melted in your mouth.

And finally, dessert! I was about to burst at this point! We ordered the Twice Baked Lemon Cake with ivory lime cream, milk jam, macerated blackberries and lemon sorbet that was a bit too tart for my taste, however my boyfriend really enjoyed it. Next, the Valrhona Chocolate Cake with pistachio ganache toffee sauce and caramel gelato was perfect - a really rich dish and the combination of flavors taste created the perfect balance. Lastly, my favorite was the Torta Sabbiosa with black mission figs, marsala sabayon & fromage blanc sorbet. I love love love figs so this dessert was all mine!

Final scores:

Ambiance: 4

Service: 5

Price: 4

Food: 4

Cocktails: 4

TO BOOK A RESERVATION CLICK ON THE PHOTO BELOW:

Annmarie Theresa