47 E. 21 St., Flatiron/Gramercy Park
212-505-3072, www.viaemilianyc.net
Since it opened in 2002, Via Emilia was a restaurant that I used to frequent with frequent regularity. A fan of hearty, sophisticated cuisine of the region of Emilia Romagna–I spent a couple of semesters studying Modern Languages at the University of Bologna right after graduating high school–I became an instantaneous fan of its superb homemade pastas, inspired menu, unpretentious service, and shoestring-like tabs–in the year of its opening it made the New York Magazine’s Best meals for $20 and under.
Torta tipo barozzi con mascarpone
Since it relocated a few years ago to its snazzier and more importantly: larger location, E. 21St. location, it had slipped off my radar, but a recent visit there with a friend has put it back on there. I like the new space. It’s cheerful and upbeat with colorful blocks of primary colors and tasteful pastels on its tiled walls. The lighting is also tasteful and subdued. The service is casual, but courteous, and I like the fact that the server told my guest and me straight away that the cotechino was not available. Fortunately neither of us had our heart set on wintry sausage, but I appreciated knowing this right away. [Read more...]
