Yesterday was my third day in New York. I had
seen all the huge tourist attractions on previous visits and decided that a night on the
town would be just great. So I went to Little Italy, or the Tribeca neighborhood,
and walked around. I must say, North End in Boston is much better. That's real
Italian. This is New York Italian. Not as nice. Anyway, the time soon came for
me to choose a place to eat dinner. There were only a scant amount of eateries,
most of them super casual, not pretty white-tablecloth places. But then I found
something different. Pepolino Ristorante. Well, I thought, I have been
fantasizing about a good Italian meal tonight, so why not stop here? Looking
back now, I see that I made one of the best restaurant decisions
ever.
After I was seated, got my menu and drink, and
ordered my food, I was served a delicious assortment of Italian breads. Guess
what was provided as a spread? Butter? No. Try again. Tomato flan. Yes.
Doesn't that sound heavenly? It was. It came with a single parsley
leaf stuck on top, which gave it a striking presentation. Spread on foccacia,
the flan was just marvelous. It had a wonderfully spicy garlicky flavor, which
contrasted nicely with the soft, mellow bread, making the flan the star. A
perfect way to begin a meal.
For an appetizer, or antipasto, I got the
spinach soufflé with tomato culis, light butter, and some grand panado
cheese to top it off. It came soon after I ordered, the soufflé sitting in
the two sauces. The cool (and beautiful) thing was that the butter and
tomato didn't mix, so they stayed on either side of the plate, like two
stripes. The soufflé was bright green, and a sprig of thyme was stuck into
it. The soufflé's flavor was just amazing, with a fresh taste of spinach
ringing through clear and strong. The culis was bright and a bit tart, and the
butter was creamy and rich. My appetizer was definitely a
culinary triumph.
I chose cacio e pepe for my entree. Cacio e pepe
is a popular dish in Rome. The Romans often have late-night spaghetti parties
on their rooftop balconies, and cacio e pepe is often served. It seems so
simple on paper. In Italian, it just means "pasta with cheese and
pepper." To be exact, Pecorino Romano, a cows-milk cheese, with a sharper,
tangier flavor than that of Parmesan is the classic ingredient, while black
pepper is another authentic addition. If you don't put black pepper in a
cacio e pepe, it's not a cacio e pepe. You've got an Alfredo
sauce. Spaghetti is the classic kind of pasta used, and at Pepolino, they
were certainly authentic and classic, so they did all the hallmarks of the dish
well. The rich, creamy, melty cheese, al dente pasta, and spicy pepper
aftertaste were all there. The pasta was homemade, and was cooked perfectly;
tender but with some bite. Also, I tasted one of the specials of the day:
spinach and ricotta ravioli with tomato and fresh basil. It was fresh, light,
and summery, and the ravioli itself was cooked again to perfection. The entrees
I sampled were certainly authentic, and I enjoyed them to the fullest.
For dessert, I chose an orange blossom
creme brûlée. After my rich meal, I felt a bit delicate, so I passed on
the chocolate cake. The creme brûlée seemed like the perfect
"docli" to me. I was also very surprised and gratified when the
waiter presented me with not only a creme brûlée, but a slice of free
ricotta cheesecake (complimentary, of course)! I cracked the top of my brûlée
and dug in. The custard was sweet, creamy, and rich, and perfectly infused with
just the right amount of dainty orange blossom flavor. The top was crunchy and
had that delectable bittersweet flavor. There were candied pieces of orange
zest on top. The cheesecake was nothing like a New York cheesecake. It was much
less dense, a tad airy, and very elegant. The ricotta lent an interesting
texture as well. Lightly dusted with powdered sugar, this cheesecake could make
you faint with the wonderful flavor. So I give that an A+.
The service was divine, too. All the staff was
Italian, giving the place an authentic feel. My waiter also spoke French and
Spanish; it was fun talking the latter with him. My food came promptly,
and it tasted absolutely sublime, as if they really put their hearts into it. The
atmosphere was intimate, and the soft lighting and quiet music told me once
again that it was a place for dates and couples. The price was rather
expensive, but everything had been worth it.
So if you're in the Tribeca one night and need a
really memorable Italian meal, stop by Pepolino, and I promise you'll be happy.
Very happy.
