L’Artusi (West Village)
Located in the heart of the West Village on W 10th Street, L’Artusi is a mecca for modern Italian food and wine. As one of the most renowned Italian restaurants in Manhattan, L’Artusi defends this claim well with an excellent menu and an inimitable atmosphere.
One of my good friends from college was able to get us a table and took me here on a cold and rainy winter night. While I remember the weather being a properly cold 20 degrees outside, the inside of the restaurant immediately shifted to a warm and inviting energy. The first floor of the restaurant was filled with lively chatter, dimmed amber accent lighting, and the smell of delicious food cooking in the kitchen.
Being seated on the second floor, I can tell you that the vibes are just as lively and warm as on the bottom floor. For those interested, the second floor also has a large banquet room that is perfectly suited for larger parties.
The hardest part about this restaurant is choosing what to get, as everything is described in such a tantalizing manner. For an appetizer, my friend and I shared the burrata, which arrives rested on top of a large toasted slice of bread, and is topped with roasted figs, pear, pine nut, mint, and balsamic. The end result is an incredibly creamy burrata that is paired with the freshness from the mint and balsamic. This was an incredible introduction to our meal that I highly recommend if you do not have any allergies to the ingredients.
Next up, we got the tagliatelle, which is a red sauce pasta with bolognese bianco and topped with parmigiano. The pasta is tender, springy, and complements the sauce well. The tomato flavor is more subtle in my opinion and is not overpowering like how other red pasta sauces can sometimes be. The pasta pairs great with the hanger steak.
The hanger steak is beautifully cooked, showing off an immaculate red center bordered by a darkened and crispy exterior crust. It comes beautifully presented with a side of potatoes and what the restaurant calls “salsa bianca”, which is really just a type of butter for the steak. The steak is a bit more on the chewy side when cooked medium rare, but this is not a bad thing. The texture perfectly complements the softer nature of the pasta noodles, and the potatoes add a rich carb balance to the overall experience. The butter is highly recommended as it elevates the steak into a bite of lightly creamy umami, but without any unnecessary sweetness.
However, the true star of the show is the olive oil cake, and this is something that L’Artusi is well known for. For those that may not have tried olive oil cake before, the description may sound unusual, but I can assure you that L’Artusi’s version is entirely worth the hassle of getting the reservation. The cake is light and fluffy, but hits you with a perfect blend of sweetness and textural complexity. It is evident that the cake has been given the utmost care and attention during the baking process, and the side of golden raisin marmatella ascends each bite to a blissful sweetness that I have not had anywhere else before.
While reservations here are not the easiest to secure, if you are able to leverage an American Express platinum card’s concierge (this is not an endorsement), you will hopefully find the reservation process a bit easier. The combination of excellent food paired with an energizingly warm atmosphere make L’Artusi one of my current top restaurants in New York City for any time of the year (huge shoutout to Jalen).
