Scarlatto

Is there a job where I could review every restaurant in New York City? Instead of writing the reviews I would just video them. It sounds like the perfect job and right up my alley. Going to see if anything is open after righting this post. 

Last night at I found myself at Scarlatto Restaurant & Bar with one of my best friends and her mother for our monthly dinner. Italian with Roman influences is how they described their cuisine and I would agree with that completely. When dining out for Italian I usually don't eat much throughout the day in order to save an appetite and I am glad I did. 

I arrived a few minutes before our 6:30pm reservation and found my party at the bar. Taking the bus in from Central NJ into NYC is always hit or miss. We arrived a few minutes later than what I expected and I walked the 6 blocks to the restaurant. The ladies finished their wine and we were seated immediately by the wonderful hostess. The bartender sent over the drinks we ordered at the bar and the night began with a cheers! I ordered the Moscato Berry Cocktail and let me tell you just two of them made it the perfect drink of the evening!

As you can see from the menu we had many great options. First, we each ordered and appetizer that we all would share. We ordered one Crab Cake, Insalata di Pera e Gorgonzola, and La Polpetta. My choice was the La Polpetta ( Kobe beef meatball, mozzarella, and fresh ricotta). 

Each dish was delicious and I would recommend sharing some appetizers when you go with a party of two or more. What we didn't realize at the time was that we forgot to mention to the waiter we weren't seeing a show, and therefore we were in no rush. The restaurant is located in around the theater and many patrons stop in before. Lesson learned we state that when we are being seated. 

Next up was ordering our entrees. Two of us ordered the same dish, the special of the night, Seafood Ravioli. I forgot to take a picture (horrible blogger over here.) It was covered in a light tomato sauce with tomato chunks. 4 jumbo sized raviolis and I was stuffed. The other dish that also looked yum was the Tagliolini ai Funghi ( mixed mushrooms and white truffle essences). With our stomach full and the conversation flowing we told the waiter to hold off on coffee and dessert so we had time to enjoy each others company. My best friend and I met at sleep away camp close to 15 years ago and her mother is like another mother figure in my life. Full if wisdom and always willing to listen to me I am lucky to have them in my life. I love our monthly dinners and look forward to our next one which is already on the calendar!

If you know me I love chocolate. Borderline obsession, but I do my best to control it. When it came time for desserts and coffee I passed on the coffee. I am not a big coffee drinker other than an ice coffee from Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. Again, you can see the desserts menu here. As always we decided on three options and we would all share. When you share you are able to enjoy small bites and expand your pallet. Our group decided on the following( L-T-B):  Tortino di Cocco, Cappuccino Semifredo, and Banana Split! All I have to say is everything was out of this world. Sweet and perfect to end a wonderful evening with great company. 

I would give Scarlatto a perfect score in my book. As someone who has worked in the hospitality industry I am quick to make judgments right away and that is something I have been working on. The meal, the service and the staff were great. They accommodated any and all requests made and went above and beyond to make sure we were satisfied without going overboard. 

If you ever find yourself in the theater district or by Times Square you should pop in for a drink at the bar or a quick meal before your show. 

XoXo,

Tracy