#PeachysPicks #IlGattopardo @IlGattopardoNYC A Peachy's Pick for 11 Years! #GianfrancoSorrentino #PaulaBollaSorrentino #VitoGnazzo #PeachyDeegan A Peachy's Pick Since 2011, Il Gattopardo Summer 2022 #FineDining #Manhattan
Executive Chef and Co-Owner Vito Gnazzo with the superlative Artisanal Cavatelli with shellfish ragout, a must for all elite connoisseurs of excellence!
Co-Owner Gianfranco Sorrentino graciously greeted Peachy Deegan upon arrival.
Perfection awaits you at Il Gattopardo, and there are not many places we have loved for 11 years! In fact, the only other two that we are currently raving about ahead of them in longevity are Ammos Estiatorio, owned by Dimitris Nakos and The Leopard at Des Artistes, which they also own.
Avid, loyal readers know that we have been recommending Il Gattopardo since 2011:
We have to love you this much to assemble an outfit that matches your restaurant!
Owners Executive Chef Vito Gnazzo and Gianfranco Sorrentino with Peachy Deegan
Il Gattopardo was last featured in the Spring of 2021:
And what do the best do? They get even better even in challenging business environments post-covid, in inflationary times, and up against all kinds of supply chain issues the best thrive and the cream rises to the top. This dinner in particular was easily one of the very best we have had all year and Il Gattopardo should be among your priorities. Of course Il Gattopardo was named after the movie and we would absolutely love to bring Alain Delon to dinner here so Alain if you have a google alert set up for your name we hope to hear from you!!!!!
It goes without saying that every aspect of Il Gattopardo is beautiful and their attention to detail is off-the-charts amazing.
Two Arancinis of veal perfection piping hot boasting essential smoked mozzarella and sweetgreen peas welcomed our palate reminding us of how superior Il Gattopardo is in every bite. Let them cool a bit before you enthusiastically indulge.
Mere English verbiage does not do justice to the heights of creamy deliciousness that the newest addition to the menu brings to your palate. Lightly smoked burrata is geniously teamed up with grilled eggplant to rise to the occasion of victoriously marrying the smoked and grilled natural flavors. This was our second favorite dish of the review. Summery excellence! A cherry tomato salad and fresh basil come to this soiree in artful presentation. We have started Burrata Peachy and actions speak louder than words. We believe this lightly smoked burrata is sourced from heaven which in this case is Puglia. The fabulous richness will impress you tremendously as you luxuriate in the divine creamy density melting in your mouth. This was paired with a dark variety of Rose: Faragola, also from Puglia.
Another antipasti not to ignore is the classic Grilled Octopus. Sourced from outside Portugal, this is expertly grilled and sliced just right. Joined by roasted fingerling potatoes, celery hearts and olives, the arrangement is just super and to us emanates the glory of the sun as we just suggested to CBS Sunday morning on Twitter. Lemon olive oil and parsley dressing are the final touches. The pairing was a gloriously festive prosecco which brought out the celebration on a plate. Note that this is a perfect dish for the current bathing suit season.
We cannot say enough about these veal meatballs; we actually saw the creation up close of these majestic spheres of carnivorous victory. Their quality density is wrapped up with escarole leaves ensuring that absolutely no crumble will ever happen here under Vito's mastery and is paired with a wonderful sip from the Region of Lazio of which you know Rome is the capitol. We would give this dish a capital M for Magnificent Meatballs.
Meatball glamour shots:
Note if you are new to us you should know we never, ever edit pictures.
We publish the truth.
We publish the truth.
You excel like Paula, Gianfranco and Vito or we do not publish. Everything is exactly as you see in real life. The fashion runway of plates continues with the Primi selections!
Meet the Sardinian fregola risotto-style with asparagus tips and scallops graciously sourced from the State of Maine. A waiter suggested we put red pepper on it but in retrospect we do not think the dish needed any enhancement and you should absolutely leave it alone and enjoy it the way Vito meant it to be. The succulent chunks of scallop were excellent and in perfect proportion to the punctuations of fregola waltzing with it to the symphony on this dish. Deltetto created this wonderful wine of Nebbiolo to go with it as suggested by Manager Henry Nekrasov, who always makes spot-on recommendations whether he is at The Leopard or Il Gattopardo.
Drumroll please.
Here comes Peachy's favorite dish of the night.
You have not LIVED until you have dined upon the absolutely sensational Artisanal Cavatelli with Ancient Senatore Cappelli flour with Shellfish Ragout. It is simply the best and our favorite dish of the night. Happiness is:
You are going to dream about this dish after you eat it, but then you can just go back to Il Gattopardo and greet it happily again! The delicate little pleasures of cavatelli are bursting with the call of the seaside and the aroma takes you to the beach with your pinkie out of course. Clams, mussels, shrimp and calamari are a winning team on this field of dreams and this is the kind of dinner that when you are sitting on Santa's lap and he asks you what you want for Christmas, you answer with this dish. We are listening to a lot of Paul McCartney and eating this is one of the things we think of when we hear Maybe I'm Amazed except in this case there is no maybe about it.
If you are more into carnivorous endeavors, may we suggest the essential Paccheri pasta with "Genovese" sauce of slow-cooked pork and onions. This dish and the flavors it marries is evocative of the depth of talent emanated by this historied team emblazoned first on the menu and then in your sensory experiences in person through smell and taste. The proportions of quality ingredients are majestic and the al dente aspect is just right for Goldilocks Peachy. A Pinot Noir accompanied this course.
From every angle, the Gently Poached Wild Striped Bass is a tantalizing delight.
Joined by olive oil, lemon and thyme with grilled endive, the Wild Striped Bass beautifully expressed the essence of the ocean and the endive was the pinky out on the dish. Rivetto Nascetta was a wonderful accompaniment as the surreal flavor brought the super depths of the ocean to the surface and ultimately to Peachy's palate.
What options do you have if you don't eat meat or fish? Il Gattopardo has it all covered. Gianfranco suggested the ultimate in hearty for the vegetable-enthused: Vegan Couscous with Summer Sauteed Vegetables. It is piping hot and well-texturized. We continued with the wine from the last course and this healthful extravaganza is just what we need for bathing suit season!
Another Pescatarian dish that is sure to impress is the Pan-Seared Monkfish over early spring vegetable ragout with a light touch of sun-dried tomato and Taggiasca olive dressing. This sublime sensation is visually fetching as well with the contrasting colors which also mirror the trifecta of colors in the Italian flag. A muscatedda grape from Sicily gave this dish an elegant high-five in the pairing that also included fava beans and escarole.
Finally, the Veal Chop Milanese-style with organic arugula salad was our favorite entree! Every bite was rarified carnivorous wonder on a plate and it goes without saying that the atmosphere at Il Gattopardo is quite convivial. Every menu item is perfectly nuanced to excel and this vivacious Veal Chop was joined by our most favorite grape Barolo! This dish was flawless and exemplifies the quintessential accolades that Il Gattopardo has earned for many years.
The evening finale was Cappuccino with Flourless torta Caprese al limoncelo Amalfitano perfectly punctuated by asterisks of lemon. Absolutely delicious!
Il Gattopardo continues to be Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
STAY TUNED FOR MOZZARELLA E VINO LATER THIS YEAR!
IL GATTOPARDO at The Rockefeller Townhouses!
Built in 1896 for William Murray by architect Henry Hardenbergh (Dakota Building, Waldorf and the Astoria Hotels, The Plaza Hotel among many others) on “Millionaire’s Row” in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the buildings are now a Nationally Registered Historic Place. Known by their most famous owners, the Rockefeller Family, who called it their home and office on and off for nearly forty years, the Renaissance-inspired style houses were later renovated by Nelson, the son of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. to host the Museum of Primitive Art which open in 1957. A passageway was carved into the rear of No. 13, connecting it to No. 22 West 55th Street where Nelson, at this point Governor of New York, maintained offices. It was in No. 13, in 1979, that Nelson Rockefeller died of a heart attack. Shortly after Rockefeller’s death, both houses were sold, Rockefeller’s Museum of Primitive art was closed in 1976 and its collection transferred to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Today the homes house offices and Il Gattopardo Restaurant, their charming outward appearances essentially unchanged since their completion in 1897.
We also hope to have the pleasure of your company at THE LEOPARD AT DES ARTISTES - our Upper West Side location - in one of the most iconic landmark spaces in New York City, the Hotel des Artistes, 1 W 67th Street
(at Central Park West) www.the leopardnyc.com
The Leopard was a Peachy's Pick first and was last featured in the early winter of 2022
