#InauguralReview #IlDivo by Owners #AntonioSinesi and #ClaudioDellaMonica 1347 2nd Ave at East 71st Street
Go ahead and make your own day and order the Risotto "mantecato" with lobster and black truffle.
It is to-die-for!
Does it get better than lobster and burrata together?
Read on to find out...
The name is a male diva...sip some Vermentino!
Peachy's corner
Yes, it's gorgeous. But it's so much more than just a pretty face...
Executive Chef Antonio Savino and General Manager Christian Montero are in it to win it
Il Divo Owners Antonio Sinesi and Claudio Della Monica both hail from Milan, where their first restaurant, Al Valentino, has been thriving for two decades we understand. Peachy's Picks Italy has yet to happen but we have filed this away in our memory bank! Drumroll, please. In March of 2019, Il Divo, their second restaurant, opened at 1347 Second Avenue in the nicest part of town, the Upper East Side. It is absolutely gorgeous and beyond that more importantly, exquisitely delicious because they are in it to win it and have a secret weapon: Executive Chef Antonio Savino! The more Antonios, the merrier here. We were immensely impressed on our first visit and hope this is the first of many successful features.
We were surprised with fragrant Sea Urchin Bisque, an amuse bouche that ignited our appetite.
If you are not starting your night with Octopus Carpaccio in a stunning spiral arrangement, so beautifully shaved emanating the brilliance of the sea combined with orange and grapefruit citrus goodness, you are not living your best life. It is simply one of the best octopus hits we have had in 2023 and the freshness was superlative.
Avid readers know that there is a LOBSTER PEACHY and a BURRATA PEACHY.
At Il Divo there is no need to choose between the two because they arrive beautifully in conjunction. Warm Lobster with Burrata, tomato confit, and lychee sauce was astonishingly brilliant and tasted just as promising as the menu indicated, and was sublime paired with the Vermentino. We were pleased to meet both Executive Chef Antonio Savino, who has worked at other venues very high on Peachy's Picks over the years, and General Manager Christian Monero on our inaugural review.
There are three salad choices and we chose the Artichoke Salad. Embellished with Ricotta Salata and immensely flavorful crisp Guanciale (pork cheek), it arrives with lemon vinaigrette (ask for it on the side if you don't like other people applying your salad dressing either.) It's the epitome of elegance, and naturally our favorite vegetable here is the Guanciale (and if you have no sense of humor...you are not in the right place!)
Any Italian place has got to be excellent and knock it out of the park with the Primi Piatti (Pasta Course). We often choose a red and a white, and opted for the traditional aspects of the menu as this is our first visit. Scialatiello pasta with mini meatballs (50-50 beef and veal) ragu is served with Parmigiano and its warmth and depth of flavor is like an all-embracing hug on your tastebuds on a chilly day like today. Next, we opted for the Linguini pasta with Manila clams in a white wine sauce. We have had this dish at countless places, and many have style without substance but Il Divo has both. It achieved the proper garlic accentuation and every bite was a decadent celebration.
Note that they give you a proper discard bowl for the empty shells of course and the correct seafood fork for the clams. Believe it or not, not everyone does this and we don't publish on them or choose to go there.
Some people are content to do a good job but Antonio is not: it's evident he has found his vocation in life and he surprised us with the best pasta course ever: RISOTTO "MANTECATO" WITH LOBSTER AND BLACK TRUFFLE.
Words do not do this justice.
The supreme ecstasy of the luxuriously shaved black truffles waltzing with tremendous hunks of lobster yields absolutely smashing flavor which you will need to return for! Note if you are new and you have not read our other 28,000 posts, you should know we never edit pictures: you kill it and win like Antonio and Claudio or we do not publish.
This is the truth, and the truth is it is fabulous.
In case it has not been impressed upon you in what we have said in this review thus far, let us only say that the next edible entry was quite literally peachy. We paired it with one of our most favorite wines, Super Tuscan, and reveled in the Duck Breast, executed at an ideal medium rare, and it arrived in style with potato cake and PEACH sauce. Absolutely stupendous! It would be a massive understatement to say it hit the spot.
Not to be outdone was the seafood entree we chose which we liked even better. Sourced from New England and specifically the great state of Maine, Four Pan Seared Scallops inform you that they are the new Fab Four as they sing a number to you in cauliflower puree and oyster mushrooms that class it up even more.
Roasted Rainbow Potatoes are a laudable side not to be ignored, and of course as she is IRISH Peachy cannot have enough in the potato discipline.
The last firework display of the visit was the Chocolate Sponge Cake Affogato -they had us at chocolate- and then when you consider vanilla ice cream perfection added to it and the edible gold leaves, it is reasonable to say this is among the very best desserts we have had anywhere in 2023.
We cannot wait to see what this incredible team does next.
Stay tuned and light up your life.
 |
