#InauguralReview #SongENapule Since 2015 by #AustriaMaldonado and #CiroIovine #132WHoustonStreet #Manhattan
Executive Chef and Owner Ciro Iovine
You cannot pass Go and Collect $200 without trying the Gnocchi White Truffle Cream, Peachy's favorite
It's never been who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and we love the Italians and their culinary endeavors, and that's never been a secret. We found one more to brag about! We are delighted to introduce you to Song E Napule by Owners Austria Maldonado and Ciro Iovine, who are also proud parents to five kids! Song E Napule means "I'm from Italy" and Ciro is from Napoli and he came to the USA in September, 2008. Song E Napule opened in January 2015.
Ciro tells us that the day he met his wife, his life changed and she's the most beautiful blessing God has given to him. May all of us be so lucky as Ciro!
If you go to Song E Napule, your life will also change because your dinner will be THAT spectaular.
Thank you Gianfranco Sorrentino (Napoli Superstar) and The Italian Consulate for introducing us to Ciro!
We were immediately struck by the authenticity everywhere.
We started with salad, because that is always an excellent place to start.
The listened and put the dressing on the side for Ms. Superpicky.
The Kale Salad, above, is comprised of baby Kale, pine nuts, raisins, shaved Parmesan, and comes with lemon vinaigrette. The Mediterranean Salad below normally has goat cheese, but you know who does not like it so they left it out just for her. Peachy's edition had wonderful beets, arugula, lettuce, fennel and balsamic vinaigrette. Both salads were fresh and straightforward and presented well.
Under Primi, you find pasta, no ordinary pasta we might add.
The first firework of accomplishment was the Fettuccine Nere Con Gamberi. Black squid ink fettuccine fabulously frolics with shrimp in datterini tomato sauce and pepper flakes, with excellence that will silence the noisiest to stop talking and start eating. However, the best thing we ate at Song E Napule was without a doubt the Gnocchi White Truffle Cream, which was even better than the pizza and that is really saying something.
The exquisite flavor of the stuffed gnocci with pecorino cheese and black pepper, parmigiano reggiano 24 months fondue, truffle oil and white truffle cream is one of the best things we've eaten recently. Words in any language and all cameras cannot do it justice so you will have to go try it for yourself.
See it smiling at you:
Eating this was practically a religious experience for Peachy.
There are five entree choices, and we chose for our fish endeavor: Branzino All'Acqua Pazza. Baked Wild Caught Branzino seasoned beautifully with salt and pepper waltzes in a sauce made with Piennolo tomatoes from Vesuvio, capers, anchovies, and seawater from Spain. Rosemary baked potatoes and organic broccoli rabe sing backup. For our carnivorous endeavor, we chose: 5 Polpette Al Sugo. Five homemade meatballs covered with tomato sauce and Parmigiano Reggiano are exactly what you are looking for and are 100 percent beef.
We're going to be honest with you. The pizza is so amazing you are probably going to eat the blue dot in the middle like Peachy did by accident because she could not contain her enthusiasm. Even the dot tastes great.
The pizza is beyond ridiculously amazing, and we expected it to be as we actually MET CIRO when he was making pizza with the New York Italian Consulate. Actions speak louder than words. However, we are not a faith-based organization and our reviews are grounded in facts and it's not an opinion, it's a fact that this pizza is excellent.
Trying the pizza is like going to a fashion show and your table is the catwalk.
Margherita is the classic, above.
San Marzano Rega DOP tomato sauce, Fior di latte di agerola mozzarella, basil and evoo set the standard for what pizza wants to be when it grows up.
Because you know that one is spectacular, you want to see what else Ciro can do.
Tartufata is another step up.
Truffle cream, Fior di latte di agerola mozzarella, 24-months cured Prosciutto di Parma, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and truffle oil make this an absolute firework of flavor.
It goes without saying that the crust tastes like clouds you can probably find in heaven.
If you were stranded on a desert island with only four pizzas, the other two we'd pick for this inaugural review were: Cotto E Funghi, San Marzano Rega DOP tomato sauce, Fior di latte di agerola mozzarella, Prosciutto Cotto, Mushrooms, Basil and Evoo above; and below: 4 Formaggi, because you know Peachy has a close relationship with cheese: Smoked Imported mozzarella from Napoli, Gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved caciotta and evoo. Each elevated our opinion of Song E Napule to an upper stratosphere and we do hope they keep up the good work over time.
Ta da!
Of course you shave the cheese first:
Finally, Ciro told us we had to try the Paccheri Genovese, which has a fantastic presentation. Jumbo rigatoni await you with slow-cooked onion ragu, veal and Parmigiano Reggiano which in tandem are to-die-for. It is a tantalizing winter dish that will ignite your appetite!
Note we never edit pictures: you kill it like Ciro, or we do not publish.
Delizia al Limone is the perfect conclusion, and it arrives in style frozen from Italy.
Lemon cream, lemon infusion and lemon glaze are delicious and consistent with this Citrus sweet sensation.
We were impressed and we hope to tell you more about this great place in future reviews.
