Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
I discovered Ramerino Italian Prime several years ago, and, each time I dined there, the food, crafted by Chef Wilfrid Hodai, who used to work for a Michelin Star restaurant and is inspired by his Tuscan roots, was exquisite. Dinner is definitely busier than lunch and in fact, when I went for dinner, they started off by bringing a bread basket, and a plate with 36‑month-aged Parmigiano Reggiano, and sopressata sausage. I admit that, before eating at Osteria Franscescana and seeing Chef’s Table on Netflix with Chef Massimo Bottura, I always ate that cheese with pasta, never alone, like I would a comté. I was wrong, and I discovered the richness, nuttiness and deep flavor of that cheese that I now really enjoy. So imagine when it is 36 months aged! Even better. I had it with their Ramerino Spritz ($17) that was their signature cocktail, composed of a limoncello fusion with rosemary, prosecco and club soda. Refreshing for sure. For appetizer, I loved their grilled baby calamari ($28), that changed from the classic fried calamari, and inhaled the eggplant rollatini ($22), where the eggplant hid ricotta and was smothered with a robust tomato and basil sauce. A must have. A unique dish if you love artichokes is their Caciofi e Avocado ($20), a sort of artichoke and avocado terrine topped with 36-months aged parmiggiano reggiano. Rich, creamy, with more artichoke taste than avocado.
Signature Spritz at Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
Bread basket at Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
36 month aged parmigiana reggiano and sopressata at Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
Caciofi e avocado at Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
Eggplant rollatini at Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
Grilled calamari at Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
Moving on to the pasta, they are all homemade and when trying the linguine con gambieri e calamari ($45), I was in heaven: perfect for sharing, the calamari and shrimp accompanied perfectly cooked pasta and we smothered by a delicious white wine sauce, made with lemon, garlic, parsley and Calabrian chili. Another must have, their cheese ravioli al tartufo ($34) is one of those vegetarian dishes that make you forget you love seafood. These ricotta filled ravioli are covered with a parmigiano reggiano cream sauce with sprinkles of black truffle. Rich and decadent, you can smell the truffle as they bring the dish to the table, and I truly appreciated that it was not overpowering, letting the ravioli and cheese shine. But the dish I really want to try was their fagottini ($32), that look like purses filled with goat cheese and pear and smothered with a parmigiano reggiano, butter and sage sauce. Delicate, yet decadent, I thought it was good and elegant, even if I would have liked the pasta to be either thinner or slightly more cooked. Still, it was fantastic.
Cheese ravioli e tartufo at Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
Fagottini at Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
Linguine con gambieri e calamari at Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
Chicken parmesan at at Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
Dessert did not disappoint. The cannoli Siciliani ($14) was a single large cannoli, with a crispy shell (don't you hate when it is not crispy), filled with a deliciously sweet ricotta filling mixed with candied fruits. But my favorite is their tiramisu ($15) that was heavenly creamy, the lady fingers being perfectly soaked in espresso, layered in a delicious mascarpone cream and topped with powdered chocolate that did not make me choke this time!
Cannoli at at Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
Tiramisu at at Ramerino Italian Prime in NYC, NY
Overall, the food at Ramerino Italian Prime did not disappoint. I would put this place in the category of elegant Italian cuisine, each dish being crafted with the attention that a Michelin star restaurant would give. I definitely recommend it.
Enjoy (I did)!
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Ramerino Italian Prime - 16 East39thStreet , New York, NY 10016
