There aren’t a lot of options in Times Square for fine dining, so when a new place opens up with a lot of buzz, we all get a little excited. Montenapo is a brand new Italian restaurant in the New York Times building (and look! they even have a Twitter). The restaurant itself is set up very well, with very high windows on the inside wall facing a pretty internal courtyard with trees. It had the effect of feeling as though you were no where near where you really were… the center of the center of Manhattan. The details were perfect in the decoration, with a nicely lit bar that looked hip yet not hipster while still looking classic without being stodgy. We had great, attentive service the entire time.
The menu itself is drool-worthy and I went in with the fear that I wouldn’t know what to choose. Luckily our wonderful hosts were just as excited about the food and we ordered to the nines.
We began with a sampler that I cannot even find on the menu. It was cheeses (aged parm and mozzarella if memory serves) with prosciutto and salami. There was also a lobster dish and some amazing shrimp. Everything was fresh and fabulous.
Next we had the “pasta course” where everyone got a perfectly plated sample of two pastas on the menu. We tried the Pappardelle (ribbon pasta with lamb ragout, fresh thyme, and parmesan cheese) and Agnolotti (ravioli pasta filled with braised veal cheeks, served atop celery root puree and veal stock reduction). Both were absolutely phenomenal and SO fresh!
We all ordered our own entree. I went with a special on the Restaurant Week menu: Brasato Di Manzo (slowly cooked boneless short ribs with fava beans and mashed potatoes). Again, it was sensational. Fresh and done perfectly.
The woman next to me went with the Dentice which was a red snapper filet baked with cherry tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, black olive tapenade and fresh time in a white wine sauce. I tried a bite and it was delicious.
There was an order of the boneless spring lamb wrapped in pancetta that I also sampled (much to my delight) but was too far away for picture taking. The winner of the ordering, however, was the Osso Bucco with saffron risotto. If I hadn’t had osso bucco the night before, I would have ordered it, but I was happy just to taste it. It was perfection. Probably the best I’ve ever had.
We decided on a dessert sampler and were informed that their pastry chef was “the best in town.” Now I am quite the pastry critic, however, they may not have been lying! There was not a bad dessert on the two plates, and for a sampler they were of AMPLE size.
On plate one we had something I can’t remember, a baked apple in a pastry (YUMMO!), ricotta cheesecake, and a flourless chocolate souffle.
On plate #2 was creme brule, fresh fruit, one of the best chocolate mousses (mees?) I’ve ever had, and tiramisu (I don’t even like tiramisu and I thought this was outstanding!)
We rolled out of the restaurant and truly struggled to get any work done all afternoon. This is a very welcome addition to my office area and I highly recommend it!
Total Nom Points: 9 out of 10
