Locanda Verde, Tribeca
To me, Locanda Verde is the
epitome of what dining out should be in NYC. It’s on a quiet corner of a
cobblestone street in Tribeca. I felt like I had already escaped the city before
entering the restaurant. The ambiance is
lively and trendy while keeping a rustic and romantic feel at the same
time. I loved the open kitchen, exposed
brick, and art-lined walls.
Per usual, we checked out the cocktail menu first. They had lots of creative
options. We tried the Pera Dea -- Vodka, Spiced Pear, Prosecco, Citrus which
was amazing. It was perfectly sweet and went down very smoothly. We also tried the Old Fashioned Speziato – Chai Infused Michters Rye, Montenegro Amaro,
Vanilla Bean – Also delicious and very flavorful. Definitely order this if you
like cinnamon and spicy cocktails.
At LV, you have to order everything at once. This was a bit overwhelming for us as
everything on the menu sounded so incredible. We put a lot of faith in our
waitress and asked her to pick our entire meal.
She was spot on with all of her recommendations and ordered us perfect
combinations and portions.
To start:
We started with the Blue Crab Crostini with jalapeno and tomato – flaky
and fresh crab, subtly seasoned with a kick and served on perfectly toasted
bread. Definitely recommend starting with this one.
Lamb Meatball Sliders with Caprino and cucumber – These were delicious –
tender, well-cooked lamb meat. While delicious, they lacked the “wow” factor that
I found in the rest of the meal.
Pasta
Next, we split 2 pasta dishes. As expected all of their pasta is homemade
and cooked perfectly al dente. You can truly taste how fresh this pasta is. It
genuinely tastes like it was made on the premises just minutes before it was
put in front of you. Per the waitresses recommendations we ordered the Strozzapreti
Verde pasta and Pappardelle with Bolognese.
The Strozzapreti Verde was served with white duck ragu, pancetta and chesnuts.
-The noodles were a lovely green from the spinach rolled within them. This dish
was very unique and unlike any pasta I’ve ever had – There were so many
different flavors complementing each other so that every flavor blended together
into one creamy and complex dish that literally melted in my mouth.
The Pappardelle with Bolognese ragu and solo di bruna
-While the green pasta was memorable and probably the pasta winner, there are
few things better than a hearty Bolognese. The sauce was absolutely perfect
with not too much seasoning and nicely sized chunks of meat throughout.
What I especially loved about both pasta dishes was how the sauces
complemented the pasta itself so perfectly. You could still appreciate the taste
and texture of the noodles which were equally as delicious as the accompanying
sauce and flavors. Both pasta dishes
were surprisingly light and a good-sized portion – leaving you perfectly satisfied.
Dessert
For dessert we ordered their Chocolate Torta with chocolate caramel and caramel
gelato. The torte was beautifully done and delicious, but I preferred the
caramel gelato which was out of this world.
One of my favorite Italian traditions is Limoncello – lemon zest infused
vodka. It’s so refreshing and cleanses your
palate after a big meal. LV’s limoncello did not disappoint and was
delicious to sip on after dinner.
LV is doing a lot of things right. I cannot wait to go back for dinner or
brunch. It’s great for family, friends,
a date, or special occasion. I fully appreciate
impeccable service, the right environment, and fresh food -- all of which LV nailed
for me.
**One more tip – If you need a good after-dinner drink spot (I usually do), I
highly recommend Smith & Mills. This hidden and quaint bar is just steps away
from LV. They have a killer drink menu and are known for their Dark &
Stormy’s – definitely recommend if you love ginger and rum.
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