Lena's Italian Kitchen Inaugural Review Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
From the Grilled Salmon to the Creamy Tortellini, Lena's will light up your night with their homestyle, traditional Italian dinners
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With a myriad of events like the Superbowl, the Grammys and the Oscars coming up, it is high time for takeout in Manhattan. We have been writing on takeout for many, many years because if we spent 3 or 4 hours at dinner every night, no articles would get written, no emails would be returned...you get the idea. People in Manhattan achieve and are therefore busy, but are absolutely unwilling to compromise on food quality, especially when it comes to dinner.
Drumroll please: this one's a true takeout place: only takeout.
That's right, no tables, no white tablecloths...only takeout and it is by owners Paul Nicotra and Steve, his business partner. The youngest of five children, Paul has an illustrious history in Long Island restaurants and his family has been in culinary endeavors for many years; this venue is named after his grandmother, Naples Italy native Lena. Lena Branchinelli was grandmother to five and mother to Paul's mother. This venue is brand new to Manhattan; it opened on October 13, 2016 and this is our first visit and we are impressed. There are six laudable salad options, and we chose the Garden Salad, which has a heart by it. It's not for Valentine's Day; it is to show it as a healthy choice, which we like. The Garden Salad is composed of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, onions, red peppers, olives, cucumbers, and shredded mozzarella and they were happy to put the dressing on the side. It is exactly what you'd want a green salad to be.
One of the hits of the visit was without a doubt the Calamari Arrabbiata: fried calamari tossed with roasted peppers in spicy arrabbiata style plum tomato sauce. This delicious, satisfying culinary wonder boasts lovely chewiness and tremendous sauce highlighted by sliced garlic, cherry peppers, and roasted peppers. You are going to love it and we'd order it again.
Paul's favorite which he recommended we'd try was the fabulous Rigatoni Fiorentina. Baked chicken, spinach and mozzarella announced quality comfort food that will wow you, particularly in the dead of winter. We visited them during a snowstorm and all of these dishes absolutely hit the spot; that is why we picked today to write on them because snow's coming! The flavors are delicious and achieve a balance of being interesting without overdoing it. Lena's is classic Italian American.
Peachy Deegan's favorite was without a doubt the Tortellini Alfredo in classic creamy parmesean cheese sauce. It is pure ecstasy and the texture, flavor and overall pasta passion employed here will make you quite happy! If you choose to walk a bit more on the healthy side, here's an option with a heart by it:
We never knew broccoli could be so delicious! Penne Broccoli is going to make you wish you had a grandmother named Lena too, but fortunately you just have to know Paul and Steve. The broccoli florets were properly bite-sized and perfectly sauteed in garlic and olive oil, spelling simplicity and reminding us that less is more.
The Chicken Paillard is also laudable, and an underrepresented dish in general on menus these days. We do recall seeing it on Swifty's menu (since closed; Robert Caravaggi created The Peachy Deegan cocktail in 2010 at Swifty's.) Another heart-healthy endeavor, the Chicken Paillard is grilled chicken topped with your choice of spinach, broccoli, broccoli rabe or primavera vegetables. We were also impressed with the freshness, especially the vegetables. The chicken is marinated in balsamic and is cooked with garlic, evoo and chicken stock giving it a wow factor flavor.
Also perfect on a cold day is the Stracciatella: traditional Egg drop soup with Spinach. It is absolutely fabulous and beats any Asian egg drop soup we've tried.
Another big winner was the Chicken Parm, a staple of Peachy's diet and one of her favorite things to eat period, inspired by the many, many times she ate it at the lower Boston College dining hall. Lena's edition is properly pounded and a generous portion of pure deliciousness that is made even more incredible by the mozzarella we loved on top.
Finally, you'd be remiss to skip the Grilled Salmon, the last word in sophistication on their menu. It is just as good as some of the great Italian sit-down venues we've featured, and Paul tells us it is delivered daily from DiCarlo of Long Island. Grilled Norweigan Salmon is served over broccoli rabe and tuscan white beans, delivering a tasty, nutritious and satisfying dinner experience. L
ena's Italian Kitchen is Terrific Takeout and we look forward to seeing what they do next.
Their website says:
Lena’s Italian Kitchen is a new Quick Service Restaurant, serving quality Italian food. Our menu consists of made-to-order Italian classics, cooked with only the finest ingredients. Passionately prepared and packaged, Lena’s Italian Kitchen guarantees a restaurant-quality meal wherever you are. From our store to your door, orders can conveniently be picked up or delivered.
Established in NYC in 2016, Lena’s Italian Kitchen might seem like a trendy new start-up, however, you probably know more than you think about the quality and flavor of our food. Lena’s Italian Kitchen is the newest brand from the family that has brought you Gino’s Pizzerias & Gino’s Italian Ices. Founded by Louis “Gino” Branchinelli over 50 years ago, both Gino’s Pizzerias & Gino’s Italian Ices have become household names.
Before test kitchens or focus groups, Gino’s recipes were tried and proven at home in the kitchen. He and his loving wife Lena worked side by side to prepare family favorites. In their house, nobody could wait to hear the words “Set the table, it’s time to eat!”
Order now from Lena’s, by phone or online, and allow us to prepare your favorite.
It’s time to eat!
