A Peachy's Pick Since 2012, Fabio Cucina Italiana by Sharif El Fouly Fall 2017 Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Our friend Owner Sharif El Fouly with the wonderful Oven Roasted Chilean Sea Bass
Fabulous Maine lobster in black linguine
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It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and we were so happy to know Fabio Hakill, whom we had worked with from 2012 until his passing.
He earned a spot in Peachy's Picks in 2012 at his restaurant at a different location, under his name, named slightly differently:
and earned two more features in 2015 when he moved to Fabio Cucina Italiana:
The only thing sadder than having a restaurant close is having the owner pass away, but Fabio had a business partner whom we were pleased to meet recently, Sharif El Fouly! We are glad he is keeping Fabio's name and
after our review we are glad to let you know that we found it enduring and maintaining Fabio's high standards. The executive chef today is Chicco Esento. The tortino di granchio, Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Meat served with pineapple and red peppers evoked fantastic memories of this specific dish when we had had it previously. Warm, authentic and fresh, this crab made Peachy Deegan crabby in the best way possible. The crab is a total must on your next visit.
The calendar may say October, but in case you are not physically here in Manhattan you should know it is still summer and quite humid! 30% of the menu changes seasonally, and is changed three times a year. Classic Southern Italian cuisine awaits your tastebuds. Salads are always an essential component of our meal and they are especially enjoyed on a hot day: meet Insalata Alla Fabio. Halved tomatoes, avocado slices, succulent crab and red peppers tango over mixed greens, all drizzled artfully in smashing balsamic.
We love love love love lobster and were absolutely delighted with the astounding flavor combination of Linguine Nere All'Aragostsa: Black Linguine made with squid combined with Maine Lobster in a Spicy Tomato Sauce that has terrific kick, but not too much.
The succulent beauty was a winner in every bite and we loved the big chunks of lobster especially. The pictures speak volumes and are always unedited:
We have always loved the fish at this restaurant and felt it was far above average; this visit confirmed that. Spigola Cilena Arrosto was a divine array of seafood that you want to swim on your fork, cooked of course! The chilean sea bass is properly oven-roasted and teams up with both shrimp and scallops in a tremendously succulent scampi sauce that is the epitome of delicious. This was our favorite part, along with the chocolate. Potatoes, zucchini, carrots and green beans especially made us happy with their both color and nutrition.
For our meat entree, we selected the Pollo Primavera, a nutritious bevy of quality chicken breast with vegetables. For anyone that thinks chicken can be boring, you could be right, but note it is never boring when truffle sauce comes to the party on a plate! This sauce enhanced the pollo perfectly along with asparagus, mushrooms and roasted red peppers.
It insisted on a glamour shot. Speaking of glamour, we understand Sharif has talents beyond food which you should stay tuned for.
The right kind of trouble in life is CHOCOLATE. We were delighted with the Cioccolatissimo: warm chocolate cake made on premises, served with your choice of ice cream, also made on premises. We chose pistachio, and the flavors melded together to score a goal in Peachy's stomach just in time for the start of the NHL season!
Fabio Cucina Italiana continues to be recommended and we look forward to seeing what they do next.
