Scarpetta - Italian - LocalApple

CityGuy · 07-16-2008, 05:51 PM

Scarpetta a southern Italian restaurant located on 355 W 14th St. at 9th avenue has excellent food at a costly price. I believe it is technically in the meat packing district which could explain the prices.

The spaghetti was the reason I'll be back but overall all the food we had was pretty great. I'm a big fan of the dining room as well which has a very comfortable feel to it. Hands down my new favorite spot in the area.

nycking · 07-16-2008, 05:58 PM

i heard great things about this restaurant!

funny thing about this place is chef, Scott Conant was part owner of both L’Impero and Alto and were both conceived as upmarket midtown restaurants. both also served excellent food. i can attest to Alto's which was awesome!

Now mr. conant went solo and opened Scarpetta, which is his priestly brand of Italian cooking that hasn’t changed very much, but in this more casual downtown setting, the food seems more enjoyable and less precious.

MzTekila · 07-16-2008, 06:03 PM

run, don't walk, to Scarpetta ... it was easily the best meal I have had in months! a good friend (now a better one!) suggested we try it and I am so glad we did ... the yellow tail was a joy, the agnoloti a revelation and my black cod was beyond delicious. and ... miracle of miracles ... you could enjoy a conversation without yelling and we were completely comfortable slowly savoring our food ... impeccable service and it didn't require a second mortgage. a gem - go 'discover' it for yourself!

CityGuy · 07-16-2008, 06:18 PM

according to the NYSun the opinion of this author is greatly different then ours. The author does agree with me that the spaghetti was very good. But according to the author, everything else was subpar:

Quote:

Osso buco translates to "hollow bone" — one wonders why Mr. Conant uses a deboned veal shank. Conventional wisdom says that cooking meat on the bone imparts moistness and flavor; Scarpetta's shank is rather tasteless and dry. Bone marrow is spooned on top: too little, too late. The saffron-soaked orzo that serves as a bed is flabby and overcooked, but so full of taste that one is tempted to forgive the $38 dish. A heap of goat meat ($27) is braised with a sticky, fatty tomato glaze that reddens and infuses the toughish meat. On top is a tiny, rare-cooked rib chop, just two bites of delicate, subtly flavorful kid.

Scarpetta has yet to justify its presence in the memorable space. The chef, demonstrably capable of tasty things, seems to spend his evenings schmoozing at the bar, while the kitchen's output feels rote and uninspired.

TheMan · 07-23-2008, 03:40 PM

I went to eat at l'impero a few months ago...Scott Conant's gone. WTF? I heard about his new place and got there as soon as I could. I had to go for the polenta (which is still delicious) and the pastas seem better than I remember. My girl had the scallop entree which was very good, but I just had a bunch of pastas (all really good. Foie Gras ravioli wins! Flawless victory!) Service was casual-fun but informative and efficent. The wine list is fun to explore...lots of interesting things I had never heard of. The sommelier picked out a bottle for us around $50 that was great. Unfortunately, it was too hot when I went for them to open up the roof, but I look forward to coming back when they do. The best part of the meal was that I felt good after I paid the check, too. Rock on Mr. Conant!

PaullyInNYC · 07-23-2008, 03:42 PM

i heard the creamy polenta was worth trying at scarpetta ... does anyone know what it is?

TheMan · 07-23-2008, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaullyInNYC

i heard the creamy polenta was worth trying at scarpetta ... does anyone know what it is?

Polenta is a dish made from boiled cornmeal and is light, fluffy, & creamy, it could almost be a dessert. Polenta is made from coarsely ground cornmeal and is a staple of Northern Italy. It makes a wonderful serving base for osso bucco, short ribs or oxtail. In this recipe the polenta is slowly cooked in water with a little butter, then finished with stirring in some cream cheese and salt.

CityGuy · 07-30-2008, 08:36 AM

Scarpetta get reviewed in the New York Times by Frank Bruni and seems the author digs the Spaghetti, being that he had the same dish twice in one week.

Sounds like i may have to make a trip there for the spaghetti.

07-16-2008, 05:51 PM	#1
CityGuy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Manhatten Posts: 1,049	Scarpetta - Italian Scarpetta a southern Italian restaurant located on 355 W 14th St. at 9th avenue has excellent food at a costly price. I believe it is technically in the meat packing district which could explain the prices. The spaghetti was the reason I'll be back but overall all the food we had was pretty great. I'm a big fan of the dining room as well which has a very comfortable feel to it. Hands down my new favorite spot in the area.

07-16-2008, 05:58 PM	#2
nycking Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 143	Re: Scarpetta - Italian i heard great things about this restaurant! funny thing about this place is chef, Scott Conant was part owner of both L’Impero and Alto and were both conceived as upmarket midtown restaurants. both also served excellent food. i can attest to Alto's which was awesome! Now mr. conant went solo and opened Scarpetta, which is his priestly brand of Italian cooking that hasn’t changed very much, but in this more casual downtown setting, the food seems more enjoyable and less precious.

07-16-2008, 06:03 PM	#3
MzTekila Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 73	Re: Scarpetta - Italian run, don't walk, to Scarpetta ... it was easily the best meal I have had in months! a good friend (now a better one!) suggested we try it and I am so glad we did ... the yellow tail was a joy, the agnoloti a revelation and my black cod was beyond delicious. and ... miracle of miracles ... you could enjoy a conversation without yelling and we were completely comfortable slowly savoring our food ... impeccable service and it didn't require a second mortgage. a gem - go 'discover' it for yourself!

07-23-2008, 03:40 PM	#5
TheMan Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 315	Re: Scarpetta - Italian I went to eat at l'impero a few months ago...Scott Conant's gone. WTF? I heard about his new place and got there as soon as I could. I had to go for the polenta (which is still delicious) and the pastas seem better than I remember. My girl had the scallop entree which was very good, but I just had a bunch of pastas (all really good. Foie Gras ravioli wins! Flawless victory!) Service was casual-fun but informative and efficent. The wine list is fun to explore...lots of interesting things I had never heard of. The sommelier picked out a bottle for us around $50 that was great. Unfortunately, it was too hot when I went for them to open up the roof, but I look forward to coming back when they do. The best part of the meal was that I felt good after I paid the check, too. Rock on Mr. Conant!

07-23-2008, 03:42 PM	#6
PaullyInNYC Administrator Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 1,304	Re: Scarpetta - Italian i heard the creamy polenta was worth trying at scarpetta ... does anyone know what it is?

07-30-2008, 08:36 AM	#8
CityGuy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Manhatten Posts: 1,049	Re: Scarpetta - Italian Scarpetta get reviewed in the New York Times by Frank Bruni and seems the author digs the Spaghetti, being that he had the same dish twice in one week. Sounds like i may have to make a trip there for the spaghetti.

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