#InauguralReview #SongENapule Since 2015 by #AustriaMaldonado and #CiroIovine #464AmsterdamAve #UpperWestSide #Manhattan
Owner and Executive Chef #CiroIovine
The excellent team of David Montelli, Ciro Iovine, Vincenzo Santoro and Pietro Caladrelli
Readers, you know it's never been who you know...it's WHOM YOU KNOW and we introduced you to Ciro Iovine as we kicked off 2024 in January! He and his wife and business partner, Austria Maldonado, have shown us if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere in now two neighborhoods, and drumroll please, we like this Upper West Side location EVEN BETTER.
This is their third Manhattan location with the other 2 downtown and close to each other.
A Friday in Lent is a super time for a Tuna Salad, and meet it above. Gorgeous marinated Sicilian Tuna awaits you in evoo, arugula, cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella (Peachy's favorite component) and shaved parmigiano. An elevated amalgamation of nutrition, this is also unique and sets itself apart from boring salads we see at lesser places we try but don't publish on or tell you about.
Next, another brilliant Lent choice is the Insalata di Polpo, below.
Peachy usually feels like an octopus with the couple hundred columns here! Don't eat her if you want to see more posts of excellence like Ciro and Austria:
Chilled Mediterranean Octopus is carefully cut and presented with potatoes, lemon citronette, arugula and evoo and every component was fresh and fabulous.
If you don't want to eat like a bird to start with and want a hearty start, may we suggest the totally inviting Parmigiana di Melanzane: Eggplant Parmigiana! Tomato sauce, smoked mozzarella from Agerola, shaved parmigiano and evoo announce that simplicity is victorious.
This is no exception.
Imported Prosciutto Di Parma, aged for 24 months teams up with Burrata from Puglia, arugula, cherry tomatoes, parmigiano reggiano vacche rosse (red cow) and evoo. Elevated flavor does not do justice nor do any other words in the english language to describe this level of deliciousness and it completely silenced us. We will let the pictures do the talking. And if for some reason you never read us before, you should know we never edit pictures. You win and kill it in the first place, or we do not publish. The truth is that you should be sprinting to see Ciro now.
We met Casatiello, above, for the first time. It's meat inside bread and happened to be a special the day we visited! It's a special until Easter we believe and it's fun to try.
Obviously here the piece de resistance is the PIZZA.
You all know that we told you with only one post ever beforehand, Ciro made our recent Seven Wonders of the Pizza World.
Peachy personally likes vegetables on her pizza: this is her doing in picking this one.
Maybe they don't do this a lot in Napoli but she likes it and as the advent of bathing suit season is on the horizon (are you wearing your Miraclesuit yet?! It's 80f here real feel today!!!) it is time to eat your vegetables. And we like to eat them on pizza.
Vegetariana is Peachy's personal favorite here.
Tomato Sauce San Marzano Rega DOP and San Marzano Slow Food Eccellenza Nolane, Fiordilatte cheese, eggplant, mushrooms, artichoke, broccoli rabe, fresh basil and evoo team up for a winner!
Yes, it really is that beautiful.
That's the truth.
You are one lucky duck if the day you visit you discover the five different tomato pizzas!
Piennolo, Green Tomato, San Marzano, Da Tterino (yellow) and Cinque Pomodori announce they are the fab five that you should delicately devour. You are not going to be aware of how amazing tomatoes alone can wow you until you feast upon this beauty.
At this point, we have tried enough of Ciro's superior work that we thought we'd try something tricky.
Not a lot of people like sardines on their pizza.
We almost never order it.
HOWEVER, just like everyone else that is really top-notch and excellent at what they do, Ciro showed us that sardines on pizza is truly amazing if you order it at the right place, and this is the right place, readers.
Named Sorrentina, it's Fiordilatte cheese from Agerola, Parmigiano Reggiano Vacche rosse, burrata cheese, anchovies from Cetara on the Amalfi Coast, lemon zest and evoo.
Everyone that loves fish like we do and everyone that wants to mix up their diet and try something new ought to get this! And, if you are not familiar with pizza from Napoli you should know it is NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE PIZZA FROM NEW YORK, SILLY. Ciro is from Napoli and his pizza tastes like it! They are smaller and more moist and intoxicatingly delicious. In case it escaped you last time we wrote, you should know THAT WE MET CIRO THROUGH WORKING WITH THE ITALIAN CONSULTATE because Gianfranco invited us.
If the Italian Consulate uses Ciro as an example, you have a pretty good idea that you are going to love him and his work too.
(THANKS GIANFRANCO :) and Gianfranco, with Peachy above, is also from Napoli and our FAVORITE and you ought to go to Il Gattopardo and The Leopard at des Artistes, both Peachy's Picks and loved tremendously by us consistently since 2011 and yes of course the Italian Consulate uses these guys and both of these places and you know who is wicked excited for Mozzarella and Vino reopening and click here to see how much.)
The final pizza we tried was the Burrata Pizza!
Because when you're not eating Burrata straight like you'd drink scotch neat or when it's waltzing with 24 month Prosciutto, you put your Burrata on Pizza.
Burrata cheese from Puglia, cherry tomatoes, shave Parmigiano Reggiano vacche rosee, arugula, fresh basil and evoo combine for a decadence that is setting the standard by Ciro.
If you want to eat quiet luxury, get this.
Of course, Italian places must have great pasta, and Song E Napule does.
From the Gnocchi Sorrentina above, homemade potato dumplings, San Marzano tomato sauce, Fiordilatte cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano Vacche Rosse and fresh basil; to the Spaghetti Scarpariello, suggested personally by Ciro, Datterini tomatoes from Corbara "Azienda Carbone", piennolo tomoatoes from Vesuvio and Parmigiano Reggiano vacche rosse, and basil, they hit the high notes on quality when it comes to pasta.
Finally, there are four main courses if for some strange reason you are not in the pizza mood. Scaloppine di Pollo is radiant with pounded floured chicken breast, sauteed mushrooms, broccoli rabe, mashed potatoes and evoo. It's sourced from Pino Prime Meats on Sullivan and is organic we are told. Also, they are in Rutherford, New Jersey so maybe we should pay them a visit there!
Pistachio Profiterole said Happy St. Patrick's Day to us and hit the right note.
We were impressed and we hope to tell you more about this great place and the two downtown in future reviews.
