North Italian South of Houston at San Carlo Osteria Piemonte

By: Finance Foodie

Last Sunday, inspired by the unexpected sliver of warm(er) weather, the Mister and I decided take a stroll around the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. A planned hour walk turned into three so we happened to be in the area during dinnertime. We stumbled up upon San Carlo Osteria Piemonte, a cozy and newish resto specializing in Northern Italian cuisine, specifically from the Piedmont region (hence the name, obviously) and decided to dine there. I had worked up an appetite walking around all day, so I was excited for some rich and delicious Italian feasting.

Exterior

Piemonte is most known for being Italy’s best wine region, but their food offerings are far from shabby. Piemontese meals traditionally start with an Antipasti - so staying true to the culture, the Mister and I began with the Calamari Grigliati e Carciofi ($17). For those that don't read Italian, this dish was comprised of four perfectly grilled calamari pieces drizzled with a delicious artichoke puree and topped with artichoke slices and pickled onions. These little nuggets were an amazing way to "open the appetite,"as they say 😖!

Calamari Grigliati e Carciofi

Italians generally have a Primi course of pasta before the Secondi course of protein. So, sticking with tradition, we had the Paccheri "Cavalier Cocco" E Astice ($28) for our appetizer Part B, a delectable bowl of eggy pasta with luxurious lobster in a light cherry tomato and olive oil sauce. The large Paccheri pasta was nicely firm, which pairs really well with the generous yet still bite-sized lobster.

Paccheri "Cavalier Cocco" E Astice

For the main course, we shared the Branzino Nero ($32), a hearty yet tender piece of black seabass served with a pumpkin and artichoke salad. The seabass was large enough for two and was extremely flaky and buttery. The only miss on this dish was the MIA porcini mushrooms that was suppose to top the fish, but thankfully we ordered a side of well seasoned sauteed mushrooms ($8).

Branzino Nero

Sadly we were so full, we had to miss out on the final course of dessert 😢 (thought it just gives me an excuse to go back!). While slightly off-the-beaten-path in Soho, San Carlo Osteria Piemonte is an absolute local gem that serves high quality and authentic Italian dishes that should not be missed.

San Carlo Osteria Piemonte
90 Thompson St
New York City, NY 10012
(212) 625-1212
sancarlonyc.com
Cuisine: Italian