Pasta for Days at Caffe' dei Fiori New York

By: Finance Foodie

Inspired by tales from a friend's recent foodie trip to Tuscany, the Mister and I decided to head north last week to try Caffe' dei Fiori, a new Italian restaurant addition to the Upper East Side. Given that I heard all their pastas were homemade in house every day (nothing is better than fresh pasta!!) - I was excited to check out what this neighborhood joint had to offer.

Interior

The Mister and I started the meal off with the Prosciutto di Parma e Burrata ($25) - the thinly sliced prosciutto was super tender and excellently salty, which complemented well with the light and airy burrata. However, the standout was the warm Coccoli (a popular fried bread from Tuscany) that was accompanying the plate - paired with the prosciutto and burrata, it made one heck of starter.

Prosciutto di Parma e Burrata

For the mains, we obviously went with the pasta. I had the Spaghetti alla Chitarra alla Carbonara ($23) while the Mister had the Spaghetti alle Vongole ($24). Carbonara happens to be my favorite pasta dish in the world and Caffe' dei Fiori's version did not disappoint - the pecorino cheese was deconstructed from the egg yolk while the pasta was tossed with the black pepper. Just a warning - this dish is very very very rich! I finished the whole thing (as I just could not stop eating) but this left me feeling really really really full...

Spaghetti alla Chitarra alla Carbonara

The Mister's Spaghetti was also very good - the clams were meaty and the pasta was cooked perfectly. The sauce, while just a simple olive oil and garlic base, was done well and was the perfect touch to the bowl.

Spaghetti alle Vongole

The decor of Caffe' dei Fiori is elegant yet approachable - good for a first date or a cozy dinner with the family. I felt the price was also very reasonable given the high quality of the ingredients and the authentic preparation of each dish. While I wish I had more stomach space to try more items, it just means I'll have an excuse to come back another day to sample more from this delectable addition to the East side!

Caffe' dei Fiori
973 Lexington Avenue
New York New York 10021
(212) 327-3400
www.caffedeifiorinewyork.com
Cuisine: Italian