Peachy Picks Primola Encore Review Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
The absolutely amazing Lobster Fra Diavolo of Primola!
A must-try for this summer says Peachy!
We applaud Giuliano's American flag and every restaurant should follow his example:
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If you want to go to a superb Upper East side mecca of authentic Italian culinary excellence, Primola continues to be a fabulous choice!
From the opening bread basket to the dessert selection:
...you will discover happiness in each culinary endeavor!
Peachy first picked Primola in 2012:
and we returned recently this past winter to visit our friend owner Giuliano Zuliani's destination venue:
From the moment you arrive, Giuliano personally greets you and every other guest with cordial appreciation, and it's clear that his rapport with his clientele is genuine, who crave Giuliano's business partner and co-owner Executive Chef Samuel Morocho's laudable work. There's a welcoming buzz and banter that is not too loud but at a volume that shows you that everyone is enjoying themselves yet still minding their manners and reading Etiquette from Connecticut. Oh how we wish we found this everywhere!
If you dream of burrata as we do, you will be overwhelmed with ecstasy when Primola has it on its appetizer specials! A generous portion arrives in style with alternating colors of juicy heirloom tomatoes and fresh arugula which of course nutritionally enhance the experience. The burrata is from the Napoli region and you will revel in the superlative creamy quality that will be gone oh so soon. You could be sad but you know what else is coming...!
Peachy Deegan is not a New Yorker-she hails from the great State of Connecticut, where all restaurants automatically give you a green salad with your entree and you don't have to order it separately contrary to New York (we're not sure if this is still common practice everywhere, but it certainly was for the many years she lived only there!) To this end, every time we review we include a green salad! We adored the classic Insalata Mista, and Primola was kind to put the dressing on the side. The quality of the tomatoes specifically deserves a round of applause, and everything we tried at Primola was at the peak of perfection in terms of freshness.
Often we order straight from the menu so all readers can replicate our experience should their heart and stomach desire, however, if we have been to a venue multiple times and have total confidence in them we may order from the specials. This visit, Peachy Deegan chose from the specials menu Lobster Fra Diavolo, which is perfectly medium spicy! It has the right amount of kick to wow you but not too much to overwhelm your tastebuds. In fact, everything in terms of flavor intensity was absolutely exactly to our liking at Primola, where they seem to read our mind.
Become acquainted with this stellar pasta course selection:
It arrived as hot as you'd want it temperature-wise. In fact, it was so hot it fogged up our camera lens when Peachy went in for a close-up:
We love how the shell is removed for you, and eating it is pure joy. Peachy successfully ate this in a white dress that remained white. Every bite of the succulent crustacean in is spicy superiority will tantalize your tastebuds! Of course it arrives with pasta al dente and this is a dish that every lobster lover will adore tremendously.
We would definitely order this again, and were thinking about the terrific swordfish we had last winter and nearly ordered it again but decided to choose something non-fishy for an entree to add variety.
If you've read us before, though she has tried many wine varieties over the years, Peachy gravitates to what pleases her palate which is a dark deep red. She happily sipped this fabulous Cabernet 2013 Ascot Reserve by The Vineyard at Strawberry Ridge in California.
We aren't even sure if Giuliano knows this, but green beans (haricots verts!) are in fact Peachy's favorite vegetable. And, they arrived with our entree with some carrots for color and we also love carrots and eat them raw every day.
The Petto di Pollo Alba makes chicken the last word in sublime when you're at Primola. Breast of chicken with truffles and fontina cheese is a laudable combination that spells divine comfort food any time of year! Every bite was pure decadence and neatly triangled polenta slices came to this pollo party!
A wonderfully creamy cappuccino and apple pie strudel is the ideal ending to a night that is testament to the decades Primola has graced the finest palates in New York!
We love the lattice detailing and the highlight of raspberry sauce too. And always sign us up a la mode!
Finally, we were delighted to hear that our waiter Dennis whom we had not met before was familiar with Sweetwater's, one of Peachy's most favorite Florida restaurants in Port Orange before it closed. And also Julian's with the monkeys on the glass!
Our esteemed panelist adds:
Primola, one of the primo Italian restaurants of the Upper East Side of Manhattan, is a total must on any bucket list of those with discriminating palates. Service is instantaneous, with a smile, a joke, and always with a personal touch.
Even thought they're always extremely booked and busy, the staff take the extra second to make you feel comfortable, and welcome. The table is set with a bread basket and wonderful, salty breadsticks, with a side of focaccia and tomato sauce as an "amuse -bouche". Sit, relax, have an apperitif, and enjoy perusing this menu.
Of course there are specials, and you'll find classics among the items, as well as classics with a twist. This is a well-heeled crowd, with a well-honed point of view towards good food. The ambiance is comfortable, not severe, not too upscale. More friendly, warm elegance that allows for good digestion and friendly conversation. The courses come out in a well-timed fashion, not too soon, not too late. You'll have a well-balanced meal and then some, at a pace that does not feel overly rushed. In other words, it's a joy of a restaurant.
For starters, we began with a polenta dish covered in a creamy sauce.
The polenta squares themselves, though humble in their origins, have been here elevated to a level of sophistication with their presentation and delightful sauce. You might also try the zucchini fritti, on the menu under "Insalate e Verdure", because, of course, zucchini starts out as a vegetable.
But what they've done with it, after the garden squash is julienned and fried in a batter mixture, is such a departure that you'll want to sip a chilled wine, and revel in this airy, light-hearted version of the vegetable we all know and love. It's a delight, and perhaps the best barfood we've ever had, if it came down to that.
The pasta course we chose was a pappardelle, or mini-lasagna with goat cheese. It wasn't layered on the plate, but sat comfortably in its sauce of cheese, tomato, peas and meat. The pasta was cooked to perfection, and could have been an entire meal as the portion is for a very hungry person.
Next we had the bass, which was at least 1 1/2" in thickness sitting majestically atop a sauteed mound of brocolli rabe. Delightfully, there were white grapes in the sauce and it was a densely satisfying peace of fish, light and flavorful. Served with the main course was the best dish of fresh string beans I've ever eaten. They could have been just picked from a garden out back, they were so fresh.
Accompanying this perfection of a meal was a summer-fresh rose: Infinito Rose, 2014, Santi, from Bardolino Chiaretto that became a different wine with every course. Somehow, magically, this rose became my new favorite summer wine of choice.
Ah, dessert, and what is dessert without an espresso? Ricotta cheesecake, served with chocolate chip ice cream (a treat), with mint leaves and a decor of raspberry coulis.
The ice cream was very artfuly served upon an oven- dried slice of blood orange that added a note of such originality and surprise that the end of this meal was as fulfilling as the beginning.
This summer we also suggest you dine Al Fresco at Primola weather permitting!
Peachy Picks Primola!
Primola continues to be Highly Recommended by Whom You Know. Go see our friend Giuliano and also consider his second restaurant, Canaletto!
Primola is at 1226 Second Avenue in Manhattan.
212 758 1775
(When they are more involved with social media/have a website, when they let us know, we'll let you know.)
