San Carlo Osteria Piedmonte brings a rich history of northern Italy to NYC. Keep in mind, though, this isn’t your traditional NYC Little Italy spaghetti and meatballs or chicken parmesan type establishment. The owners and chef are from Italy and have brought their own heritage and culture to share. And they truly do some spectacular things.
We began with a sampling of appetizers. Battuta di Fassone (beef tartare and quail egg), “Tonno” di coniglio (rabbit marinated in olive oil with pickled vegetables), Tomino Con Verdure Marinate (warm Piedmontese cheese with marinated grilled vegetables), Vitello Tonnato (thinly sliced veal, tuna sauce and capers), and Capesante Con Cime Di Rapa e Porro Croccante (pan seared scallops, broccoli rabe pure, crispy leek). Even with this much food, it didn’t completely ruin our appetites, and each piece had a perfect blending of flavors, including items I’ve never tried before. Everything was incredibly clean, fresh, and well balanced something that carried from the cocktails down to the desserts.
For the first course, we had the Gnocchi di Castagne con Funghi Purcini (homemade chestnut gnocchi, porcini mushroom, parmesan fondue), Ravioli Di Zucca (homemade butternut squash ravioli with crispy pancetta and balsamic reduction), and Paccheri “Cavalier Cocco” e Astice (“cavalier cocco” paccheri pasta w/maine lobster, cherry tomatoes, basil). The gnocchi was cooked right, and not mushy, though the standout dish had to have been the butternut squash ravioli. Normally, I find butternut squash to be a bit overdone, if not overpowering in it’s SQUASH flavor. These were perfect in the amount of squash you got per bite, and were a delight. There were in the top of our favorite items, if not the top.
Dinner was the Brasato con Polenta Taragna (braised beef cheek, buckwheat and corn flour polenta, sauteed spinach) and Orecchia di Elefante Vestita con Rucola e Pachino (bone-in veal milanese with arugula, cherry tomatoes and roasted potatoes). The beef cheek was tender and you almost didn’t need a knife. The veal was my personal favorite, as it had been fried in clarified butter, which lent such a rich smell and taste to the veal.
We finished off with a Piedmontese Tiramisu, which again, was incredibly clean and fresh tasting, and a dish called bÖnet, a traditional piedmontese pudding with chocolate, caramel, and amaretto. The bÖnet was absolutely stunning, and an incredible mix of flavors and textures.
Everything offered to us was well made and meticulously thought out. The mix of ingredients from the cocktails to the appetizers to the desserts ranged, but showed a love and care that you don’t often see, especially in the newer places in Soho. San Carlo Osteria Piedmonte is highly recommended and a great way to experience something new and delicious. To find out more about San Carlo Osteria Piedmonte and to make a reservation, please visit their webpage.
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