Eating at Quinto Quarto, a restaurant in New York City’s West Village, is a true Fall delight. The restaurant is part of a group that has four locations, two in Milan and one in Monte Carlo of all places. It is a lovely, laid back, informal and welcoming place for a meal with a friend, a date or a small group.
The food is earthy with a twist. Many of the antipasti, primi, secondi and contorni can be shared among friends. On a recent visit, friends had penne alla zucca and cacio e pepe. The latter, a truly Roman dish, was a perfect dish for this weather as it slips 10 degrees colder. The penne alla zucca were light and airy, as they should be.
One slightly off note was the passata di ceci (chickpeas). That is until the staff suggested adding more pecorino cheese. It was then transformed into a cozy and delicious soup, quite similar to the version eaten in Florence this summer.
That brings me to the staff. Seldom have I seen a restaurant staff in New York that has been so welcoming and kind. The sommelier took a lot of time discussing what we wanted to drink and our tastes, making helpful suggestions along the way.
The wait was a brief 15 minutes and no one was rushing you out of the room to free up a table. Rumor has it that they get very crowded so reservations are likely essential. The bill can be paid with credit cards or cash, unlike many Italian restaurants these days that seek to keep prices down with cash only menus.
The dishes were also all imminently affordable for New York standards and the wine list was eclectic, including many from Lazio and Umbria which makes them a bit more interesting and esoteric.
Truly a lovely place to have lunch or dinner, Quinto Quarto is now on the list of favorite New York restaurants.
