Peachy Picks Primavera
We first featured Primavera under Tasty Tidbits:
Today we are pleased to announce it has graduated to Peachy's Picks with a unanimous decision by the distinguished Whom You Know dining panel! Primavera is truly a hidden gem of the Upper East side and boasts an outstanding menu, an ambiance that is world-class, and a staff that is so high caliber, we understand they have not had to hire in about 13 years. Whom You Know was introduced to Primavera through the highly talented Cristina Civetta, who is an extremely gracious member of the Primavera family, in addition to being a success in the media world. We look forward to featuring her as a Mover and Shaker! Located at 1578 First Avenue, Primavera gave us an outstanding culinary experience from the minute we arrived to the Tiramisu, which was brought to New York by founder Nicola Civetta from Italy! Our waiter for the night was Michael, who has been there for thirty years, and previously worked at the 21 Club.
The meal began with the amazing Antipasto Primavera, an assorted cold antipasto which is a must-have to begin with. This IS Primavera! Outstandingly fresh, it was the perfect start to a sequential hit list that followed during the evening. Peachy Deegan especially loved the mozzarella and the asparagus.
It was followed by homemade cheese ravioli which had flavor that melted in our mouths so naturally, it was worth the visit alone. The ravioli was joined by a fantastic Tagliolini al Pesto - fresh pasta with basil sauce, and a lovely Penne with spicy red sauce which had a perfect kick.
These traditional Italian favorites were as excellent as their reputation! Whom You Know thinks it is important to note that Primavera does not only excel in such solid standards of Italian cuisine, but they also are quite talented with seafood. Peachy Deegan likes seafood perhaps more than any other cuisine, and we can enthusiastically state today that Primavera is just as good as the best seafood restaurants in the city!
Shown at the top left above is an out-of-this world Halibut in horseradish crust which was simply exquisite. Going clockwise, next is the Scampi Aromatici: Shrimp sauteed with herbs, lemon, butter and white wine, and at the bottom is Salmone al Vapore con Finocchio Selvatico e Pomodoro: Salmon with fennel and tomatoes. The spinach in the center gave a nice color to the presentation and of course valuable nutrients enjoyed by all. The seafood was fresh, high caliber and presented to perfection.
Carnivores: Please note that the Veal at Primavera is absolutely outstanding! We tried the Vitello alla Mostarda e Funghi: Veal chop with mushrooms and mustard sauce and could not have been more pleased. During the evening, Peachy drank a lovely Prosecco! The Whom You Know dining panel was equally enthralled with the evening's cuisine of Primavera, and here is what they had to say:
"I knew this place was an old world elegant hangout when in the front table, I spotted my favorite silver haired model, Carmen. It's a lovely place for a date or neighborhood dinner . Primavera may be a local neighborhood restaurant but it was my first visit and I realized how comfortable it is ... You can actually have a conversation without intrusion of music or noise of any kind.
The decor is very old guard - panel walls and soft lighting. It's a perfect place to meet a date for dinner. Men will feel right at home and women will notice the silver julep cup of flowers and they have a great selection of Italian wines that my dinner guests drank, as well as prosecco.
Many restaurants are judged by the staff, and great service and primavera is the top! Our waiter, an elegant man named Michael, was the perfect mix of knowledge and grace without being obtrusive. The hostess with the mostess, Cristina Civetta, was beyond accomodating and pleasant and the is the owner's beautiful and fashionable daughter! She brought color to the table with stories of her father and Italy and how he brought Tiramisu to the states in the 70's. She showed us their Estate in Italy that you can visit dine and stay there, (previously featured under our column Take a Trip http://www.whomyouknow.com/2009/08/take-trip-villa-vezza.html); they will even offer cooking classes. She was such a delightful and graceful host! Now the food! Normally I think of antipasti as cured meats, but tonight's selection was such a pleasant surprise of a medley and melange of roasted vegetables and artichoke bottoms with the perfectly cooled asparagus and selection of fresh cheese, both hard and soft. Next, we were served a trio of various fresh homemade pasta each with an accompanying sauce. Normally, I don't eat pasta, however, the pesto sauce was the creamiest and most tasteful I ever tried. I make my own pesto but nothing compared to this! Trust me. Yes the ravioli was delicious, and the Spicy sauce with penne was perfectly cooked and the sauce had the perfect kick ....but I was just tasting ....
I really was saving my appetite for the fish dishes to follow, as our entree. My favorite was the Salmon. It was perfectly cooked and soft and not overwhelmed by any sauces . Just delicious. I liked the horseradish encrusted fish and the shrimp scampi was the perfect mix of butter and wine! All my dining companions loved the shrimp scampi while I prefer fish more on the plain side so I can taste the freshness and flavor , so the salmon really was perfection in my eyes (and tastebuds!)
Let us not forget the fish dish comes with a delicious and proper portion of steamed spinach with just the right amount of flavorful garlic I actually devoured it!
The desserts were to follow and I did have a small taste of each. Strawberries with Marscapone( heavily laced with marsalla wine), Chocolate mousse cake , ricotta cheesecake , and finally the piece de resistance - Tiramisu: Which Nicola brought in from Italy in the 1970s. The recipe of Tiramisu combines ladyfingers soaked in alcohol with layers alternating of cream sprinkled with cinnamon and it just melts in your mouth. It was a divine tiramisu and I didn't leave any on my plate. That's a first, because I never eat dessert! My compliments to the chef and the baker. I was surrounded by terrific guests while dining in a treasure box of Italy on a Sunday night with pastas that sang of true traditional Italian sonnets. Primavera is a great place to rediscover all over again. It is an older crowd, but that is what makes it special and charmingly comforting. I will be back with my parents."
"What a wonderful hidden gem on the Upper East Side. Located at 82nd and First Avenue since 1978 is the Italian institution Primavera. As you enter you are greeted with a warm wood-paneled room and square interior columns. The overall effect is cozy. The dimly lit room has such an enchanting glow.
As I entered I was warmly greeted by Cristina, our friendly host for the evening. The menu is extensive; it was very difficult to choose from such an array of exceptional choices. Thankfully Cristina made some recommendations to assist in our difficult dilemma. We each commenced with the famous Primavera Antipasto, all fresh and outstanding, I fell in love with the fresh Asparagus with a delicious sauce on the side. The fresh homemade Tagliolini al Pesto was just to die for, prepared and cooked to perfection. The Cheese and Tomato Ravioli was prepared with sage and butter that just melted in your mouth. As a lover of a little spice, I was more than happy to try the Penne with spicy red sauce. Our waiter Michael was ever so attentive and gracious throughout the whole evening. For our main course we sampled the Scampi Aromatici, Sea Bass in horseradish crust (I would love this recipe), Salmon al Vapore and Veal cooked with a delightful mushroom and mustard sauce. I didn’t leave much room for dessert, but to round off this wonderful dinner I was more than excited when I tried the Ricotta Cheesecake and Tiramisu. The whole experience was never less than superb and the freshly made courses were excellent. This is definitely a restaurant to go to, whether for a special occasion, an intimate date or just for a wonderful memorable dinner!"
"Last evening we had the unique privilege of dining at Primavera on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Primavera is a staple in this area, and has been for over thirty years. In fact, our waiter Michael has been there about as long as that, and had the expertise to match. It is without a doubt an old-world Northern Italian, from the scene to the decor, to the service. The decor of the dining room is rich with wood and oil paintings, and cozy lighting, lending itself to either warm group dinners or comfortable discreet evenings with your significant other. All of the servers aim to please, and are completely at your service. As one of our panel members commented, the sort of place where your favorite meal from beginning to end would be just as you like it as often as you go.
The meal itself was quite nice, and well executed throughout. After a complimentary piece of super-fresh bruscetta, which was served on perfectly crispy bread, we began with the Antipasto, a well portioned cold antipasto platter consisting of asparagus, a lovely creamy and spiced butter sauce for dipping, fresh tomato and mozzarella, and nicely salted prosciutto and salami. We tried a trio of pasta for our primeri dish, meat ravioli in a light sage and butter cream sauce, tagliolini in pesto sauce, and penne in a spicy red sauce. The ravioli and tagliolini were homemade, and tasted as such. The penne is not homemade, as not quite all of the pasta is made in house, but it was quite good. The tagliolini was the best of the three, perfectly al dente with nice pesto, not overpowering, but quite flavorful. The ravioli was excellent with the light sage sauce and tender meat inside, and the spicy sauce with the penne added a welcome kick.
Our secondi plates represented a nice variety of what the kitchen is capable of. The Scampi Aromatici is your basic northern style shrimp dish, light with herbs, lemon, butter, and white wine sauces harmoniously blending together. The salmon with fennel was also a basic salmon presentation, fresh and tasty nonetheless. The sautéed veal was rich, juicy, and the creamy mushrooms in sauce were a very nice side and matched up with the veal well. Delicious roasted potatoes were paired with the veal plate. The standout entree was the branzino in horseradish crust. The sea bass was flaky and moist, while the crispy horseradish crust gave the fish a perfect spice compliment.
The desserts, shown above, were divine, Italian style. We had a sampling of Chocolate Mousse cake, which was rich and creamy, Tiramisu, classic and one of the better ones I have had in a while, a Ricotta cheesecake, and a very nice Strawberry Zabaglione. Overall, the experience was classic northern Italian and I would definitely recommend Primavera, especially for locals, and quiet evenings for that home cooked meal setting."
And the desserts were among the best we have seen for Peachy's Picks! Overall, we highly recommend Primavera. How can you beat a venue where the owner, Nicola Civetta, brought Tiramisu here from Italy when he arrived in 1972? You all must book your reservation.
For more information:
212 861 8608/9
