Peachy Picks Caravaggio
Lobster to die for from the heavens, by Cosimo!
If you want to dine in the presence of excellence in cuisine and eat it too, you go to Caravaggio.
Situated on 74th street between Madison and Fifth, Caravaggio is the kid brother of the famed Sistina of the even more famed Giuseppe Bruno, which Peachy previously picked: http://www.whomyouknow.com/2011/02/peachy-picks-sistina.html We love love love love LOVED Sistina as you know by reading that link, and we can't wait to tell you some the most exciting Sistina news ever soon. It is Peachy news.
Caravaggio was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
& without a question, it easily advances to Peachy's Picks.
If you know Peachy, you know she is the oldest in her family, so naturally her sympathies lie with the older of whatever we are talking about. When Giuseppe Bruno told Peachy about Caravaggio, she understood what it is like to plug your little brother in life and help other siblings make their way in this world. And then of course Peachy as the oldest thinks of the younger ones with having the younger child syndrome, which means that they're kind of spoiled and don't really work as hard or achieve as much as the fabulous older child.
Well, Cosimo, you do not have this syndrome one bit! Cosimo is Giuseppe Bruno's younger brother...Here he is:
Peachy brings her panel to dining reviews because at the end of the day, she's got to still fit into the same cocktail dresses. Every other time other than at Caravaggio, all panelists including Peachy order something different so you readers can get an overview of many different options at whatever restaurant we are talking about. At Caravaggio, Cosimo had a different idea: everyone should eat everything. And we did. The entire dinner was one of the best hit parades we've ever had, and from the opening Bellini:
It was hit after hit after hit after hit the entire night.
We are so pleased we listened to Cosimo instead of ordering as we usually do.
You should listen to him too when you go to Caravaggio.
We suspect he has been listening to Giuseppe!
First the eggplant soup arrived which was outstandingly flavorful and just what you need to get through the tail end of winter:
There is not a better looking eggplant soup for sure and there is a green ring around it just for Peachy, who loves the color green. It was not only goodlooking, but also smooth and rich, just like Peachy likes her men.
The warm squid salad colored the plate in delight and colored the stomachs of the panel in an even more superior fashion. Joined by fresh brussel sprouts, sundried tomatoes, and cannellini beans, the squid brought the party to this salad. And we loved it. It is one of Caravaggio's greatest hits, and let us assure you every course was a hit.
Next came the scallop. Looks great right?
This is what separates the excellent from the very-to-die-for.
Look at it now:
Cosimo came around with the black truffle and shaved it on top!
Oooh la la Cosimo is trying to show up Giuseppe, Peachy thinks!
We were so happy with this scallop the seafood gods residing in Peachy's tastebuds were in heaven. But the seafood did not end:
The shrimp risotto with mushrooms absolutely melted in our mouths.
By now we were convinced it is not an easy feat to find cuisine anywhere that is close to the level of quality, flavor, and execution at Caravaggio.
The carnivores in us delighted in the veal tortolino with red onions and a parmesean foam!
At this stage Peachy was paying no heed to the waistline feature of aforementioned cocktail dresses and was ready to give Cosimo one big kiss when he came out with the next course: the lobster!
You know Peachy almost never appears in the reviews, so you know how outstanding that lobster is. Words do not do it proper justice, and it was also pictured in a closeup as the first picture in this review. If you want to experience the best of what Manhattan has to offer, you need to sprint to Caravaggio and order this which is one of the best moments of culinary history in Whom You Know. In fact, the only way it could have been better if it was consumed with The Peachy Deegan cocktail...but quite possibly someday soon.
The vealchop was the finale of the cuisine and we hardly had room for it, though it too was superior. The service is outstanding between Cosimo Bruno and his staff including the fabulous Alessandro Giardiello who exudes an attention to detail that most do not. There is nothing to criticize in this entire culinary experience, and the panel agrees:
Molto bene! That’s the phrase that springs to mind when recalling last night’s fantastic dinner at Caravaggio. From the time we entered the restaurant, which is tucked away on East 74th St. between 5thand Madison, we were impressed by the warmth and attentiveness of the staff, as well as the light, airy feeling of the modern décor. We started the meal with a bellini (delizioso!) and crusty bread, which was served with olives, olive oil, and an herb butter. Owner Cosimo Bruno suggested creating a tasting menu for our panel, in order to give us an idea of the range of their dishes, and we enthusiastically agreed. First up on the tasting menu was a tasty eggplant soup, which was incredibly creamy and smooth, although no dairy was used in its creation. This was served with crispy seasoned croutons and basil oil, which added a light and refreshing flavor to the soup. Next, it was the warm calamari salad, which included calamari (of course!) with brussel sprouts, beans, extra virgin olive oil, and a sundried tomato relish. The combination of textures and flavors in this was simply outstanding, and it was a big hit at our table. Next, we were served pan seared sea scallops, which were ever-so lightly crusted on top and served with cauliflower puree, cauliflower florets, black truffle sauce, and freshly shaved black truffles on top. This was one of my personal favorites of the night. The dish was simply bursting with flavor, and the contrast between the sweetness of the cauliflower puree and the earthiness of the truffles was a great match for the delicately seared scallops. Risotto was next on the menu and oh, what a risotto it was! Expertly prepared with a ragu of mushrooms, and served with chanterelle mushrooms, mushroom foam and a jumbo shrimp, this dish was about as heavenly as they come. The risotto was warm, creamy, and delicious, and the depth of flavor added by the mushrooms was the perfect touch. The shrimp was crisp on the outside, but tender and flavorful on the inside – yum! Following the risotto, we were treated to “Tortelloni alla Caravaggio” which was tortelloni stuffed with veal and served with a red onion & veal sauce, which is slow-cooked for 15 hours. This dish was topped with parmesan foam, which added a light cheese flavor without overpowering the main star of the dish, which was the veal tortelloni. The meat inside was incredibly tender, and had a slight smoky flavor which worked very well with the savory sauce and parmesan foam. Another winner! We thought we’d just about reached our limit of deliciousness, but then the lobster was brought out! Oh, my! Served with a ragu of seafood and seafood foam, this dish was not only gorgeous to look at, but tasted divine! The lobster was tender and buttery and the seafood ragu helped to showcase the lobster without stealing attention from it! The final dinner course was a veal chop, which was served with cremini mushrooms and baked potato. The chop was incredibly tender and cooked to perfection – a wonderful finale to an amazing meal! The night would not have been complete without dessert, though, and Cosimo also went to town here! The selection of desserts that was brought out included Italian cheesecake, a napoleon, bomboloni, and a trio of sorbets (mango, coconut, and peach). I sampled a little of each (how could I not?!) and was blown away by all of them! The cheesecake was sweet and creamy, and not too heavy (thanks to the Ricotta cheese), the napoleon was perfectly delicate and beautifully presented, the sorbets were packed with intense fruit flavor and very refreshing, and the bomboloni…oh, the bomboloni! These little cinnamon-sugar dusted Italian donuts were magically delicious! It was a dinner to remember, and my hat is off to Signor Bruno for putting together such an exquisite meal for us!
As soon as you enter this sleek restaurant, you sense that you are in for a treat; the vaulted ceiling
guides you into a large but warm dining area, the tables are ample and not on top of each other; great
ambiance for a business dinner or a romantic get together. The clientele is eclectic, a wonderful mix of locals and international patrons create a real New York feeling. You are greeted by a friendly and professional staff and quickly guided to your table where you are presented with one of the best wine list I have ever seen. After much deliberation, I chose a 2006
Tedeschi Amarone. It was served perfectly by Alessandro, our friendly and knowledgeable server.
The roasted eggplant soup was unique and prepared to perfection. Our second selection was sure a
masterpiece of the sea: a warm squid salad with sun dried tomatoes, extra virgin D.O.P. oil, Brussels
sprouts and canola beans - absolutely delicious. And then the piece of resistance: scallops with
cauliflower puree and black truffle sauce, which we enjoyed with a wonderful bottle of 2005 Terra di
Avolo. Overall, I give this experience a comfortable 5 stars.
Ten years in New York, this dinning experience at Caravaggio was more than delizioso and exceeded my expectations on all levels. As more of a “downtown girl”, I look forward to going back uptown probably as soon as in the next month. The well lit contemporary space, beautiful flowers, and low noise level certainly is very conducive to lingering. We left this gem of a restaurant nearly four hours after sitting down for dinner. However, the owners, staff and food of course sealed the deal. As an entrepreneur, I always feel a certain bond and moreover respect for those who have such passion about their occupation. It felt very authentic how much pride is taken in this establishment. This Italian staff certainly has something to write home about. Although, this is home now for most of the staff; we asked our handsome waiter, why he moved to New York. “For a girl,” he says, but he winks, “Well, we are no longer together.” Our ears perked up… hmm, what would life on that Amalfi coast be like?? But on to the food..Eggplant and veal are very popular with the Chef. We had the extreme pleasure of a specially prepared “tasting menu” for our table. However, seven courses later, dessert and a bottle of Amarone, we felt as though we had a bit more than a “taste” of excellence. The presentation and quality of the food were equally impressive. Eggplant soup (pesto, crostini) to start, our second course was a very flavorful calamari salad (white beans, extra virgin olive oil, sundried tomatoes), then pan seared scallops with truffles AND fresh truffles were brought out with the dish. The fourth course was a very rich risotto with shrimp and mushrooms and the fifth course was a remarkable veal tortlino with parmesan foam. We were extremely full but who can say no to lobster for a sixth “taste”, much less lobster HERE, with a ragu of seafood, roasted tomatoes and onions. The veal chops came out with mash potatoes and mushrooms for the seventh course. Everything was as seamless flavorful as the last dish and it was a blissful dinning experience. For dessert:
Italian cheesecake, sorbet and much more than the full stomach could fully indulge, but my eyes lusted for more.. Maybe next time I will start with dessert? Ciao Bella.
Peachy Picks Caravaggio! It is just as excellent as Sistina! Can you just imagine how fabulous the food must have been in the Bruno residence when Giuseppe and Cosimo were growing up in Naples? Just go to Sistina or Caravaggio and you will find out.
23 East 74th Street
New York, NY 10021
