Caffe Storico
It really is a small world. Last night I had a wonderful dinner with my friend Barbara at a new place here in the UWS called Caffe Storico. It's a splendid space tucked inside the newly renovated New York Historical Museum and a most welcome addition to the 'hood.
The restaurant is bright, cheery, hip and wonderful. Paraguay and I had gone when it first opened a few weeks back and were impressed. It felt familiar somehow. As if I had eaten the dishes before. I couldn't place it. One dish in particularly stood out on our first vist: the Pappardelle withe Duck Ragu. That was our favorite dish from our favorite restaurant in Philadelphia called James. I even commented to Lili how much I missed Philly and James and how the dish at Storico reminded me of going to James. Last night while eating I heard the waitress say she went to Temple (a college in Philly). I also knew that Caffe Storico is a Steven Starr restaurant – the godfather of all Philly restaurants. We got to talking to the waitress. Turns out the chef at Storico is Jim Burke! Founder and owner of James. Incredible! James has closed down and Jim has taken up the mantle at Starr's newest endeavor. You have no idea how happy this makes me. Ha ha. Jim came over and talked to us for a while. I thanked him for all the wonderful meals at James and for opening up this place. He talked about how he and his wife and child just moved to New York and live on the UWS as well. He said the menu is coming together nicely and is certain it will only improve. Also, that the reception in the neighborhood has been wonderful. Turns out the vast majority of the staff are imported from Philly, too. I ended up meeting a few of them and it was so nice to talk about Philly and how things are there. It sounds silly, but it felt like home. While not "cheap" Storico is not super expensive either (James' was very expensive for Philly). The plates are smaller at Storico though. Think of it as Italian tapas. (Related: tapas-sized dishes are taking over Manhattan and I love it, because you get to sample a lot of wonderful things in one meal.)
The highlights are the appetizers and pastas. Desserts are great, too. I've yet to even have a main the starters and pastas are that good. You can't go wrong with any of them really. Here are some highlights:
• Warmed olives (I had never had that before) • The Langostino Fritto with whipped ricotta and grapefruit (an OMG! dish) • Burrata and Artichoke • Octopus and Potato • Rigatoni with Sausage Ragu (amazing) • Ricotta Cavatelli with Lobster and Black Truffles (also amazing) • Pappardelle with Duck Ragu • Gnocchi with Gratinata and Black Truffles (decadent) • Amaretto Semifreddo I'm getting hungry again just writing this up. If you live in the 'hood it's a must. Even if you don't it's worth the trip. Have lunch, check out the museums. Make a little day of it.
I'm delighted Caffe Storico is here and I wish Jim and the imported Philly-crew all the best! I'll definitely be back. Many times. PS: Thanks again for the limoncello, Kerri!