Peachy Picks Novella Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
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If you enjoy Da Nico in Little Italy, which is a Peachy's Pick, you will also enjoy Novella, the latest and greatest to us from the owner of both spots, Nicky. It is a more intimate location down the street with lovely ambiance, and you are bound to have a great experience. When we arrived we were graciously greeted by everyone at Novella and the management staff did a wonderful dinner. We met Nicky at the Da Nico review, however, he was not present at this one.
As soon as we were seated we began sipping a robust, deep Italian Barbara D'Asti Duca Di Aleramo from Piemonte. To Peachy Deegan, nothing beats a fabulous red from Italy (except maybe another knockout red from Italy!). Not only was there regular fresh bread, but also we delighted in mozzarella bread, which in our book is always even better!
The seasoning was great and when the bread is superb, that usually means great things are on the horizon of the dinner table. Note we do not often mention bread or service as we expect them to be excellent (everyone knows we are coming!), however in this case both the bread and the service were exemplary. We are just missing some good stories about Nicky, so perhaps we will add some next time...
If you read closely, you know mozzarella is a magic word around here (Burrata even more so...!). As an appetizer, Peachy chose the Mozzarella in Carozza: fried mozzarella served with tomato sauce. Simple and delicious, it hit the spot. Novella uses terrific ingredients including Caputo flour imported from southern Italy and San Marzano tomatoes.
Although he's no longer in office, Bloomberg the angel of nutrition is always perched on Peachy's shoulder invisibly during all dining reviews. He ensures that vegetables, especially green salads are part of the meal. In Connecticut, this happens automatically so growing up way before Peachy ever used a Bloomberg terminal or knew who he was, she thought it was normal to always have a salad first. Sometimes we are of the mindset of less is more, and that was true this day. Peachy chose the Insalata Tri-Colore which boasted fresh baby arugula, radicchio and endive in a balsamic dressing. We'd definitely order it again. And look, they listened and put the dressing on the side which is how Peachy likes it.
We suggest getting a table near the window if you can so you can enjoy the people watching as well! It's also nice to see the sun go down and the ambiance alter nicely.
We also tried this Sangiovese which was a stellar transition into our pasta course.
For the pasta course at many places, Peachy Deegan likes to order Fettuccine Alfredo and it was just captivating at Novella. She was immediately silenced and connected with it. Though this is not a difficult dish to execute overall, not every place does it well. You should know if you are here, the pasta courses we tried and the ones we saw others order all looked fantastic. It is Little Italy, after all!
As an entree, the decadently delicious Saltimbocca alla Romana proved to be tender and exquisite. The presentation was enticing and the vegetables on the side added color, texture and nutrition. Broccoli de rabe we ordered on the side and it was enhanced by garlic and extra virgin olive oil. The portion sizes of everything are generous, and this is a good place to go if you are hungry!
Though everything we tried prior was laudable, perhaps Novella saved the best for last.
We like the straightforward approach Novella has in serving quality ingredients attractively that result in something scrumptious, not dressing them up too much.
Fresh fruit and cream is just amazing when the quality is there!
The chocolate cake is not to be ignored and starting with the sweet scent of chocolate you notice the moment it joins your table, you know the right finish is in your stomach.
Our esteemed panelist adds:
I had the pleasure of accompanying Peachy Deegan at the Novella restaurant in Little Italy. Don't let the outside construction discourage you from visiting this quaint italian restaurant.
The waiters and staff are extremely friendly and accommodating. The music was soft and catchy. I especially loved the lighting. It has a soft, romantic ambiance. My first dish I started with was the Mellanzane Rollatine.
It was the perfect amount to share with someone. It was delicious. The eggplant was sliced nice and thin and there wasn't too much ricotta and mozzarella if there is even such a thing. I then ordered the Insalata Novella.
This was my favorite dish of the night. It had baby greens, strawberries, pine nuts in a light balsamic vinaigrette. It was absolutely amazing. I didn't order my dressing on the side, and it came out perfectly. One of their house specialties is the Ravioli della Casa:
The ravioli literally melts in your mouth. It had so much flavor. The pasta portions are hearty! Stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella cheese in a tomato sauce, this dish was enjoyable just as much if not more when I had leftovers for lunch the next day.
For an entree I ordered the Pollo Scarpariello boneless. I would like to say I am a chicken connoisseur. I have eaten chicken in so many different ways. This chicken dish was done so well. It was flavorful, moist, and was accompanied by a nice amount of vegetables. Last, I ordered the cannoli.
It was served with crushed pistachios which gave a nice twist on the traditional dessert. Novella has all of your favorite traditional italian specialties, and they are all done really well.
Peachy Picks Novella!
Novella is Recommended by Whom You Know.
Novella is at 191 Grand Street in Little Italy, Manhattan.
212 966 0555
