Covina, with its Mediterranean coastal inspired menu, is the first of the Chef Tim and Nancy Cushman restaurants I’ve tried. I was invited to a Microplane media dinner — yes, that woodworking tool turned kitchen gadget now celebrating its 20th year.
Since we were a larger group, all the food was served family style.

I would recommend each dish we sampled for our apps – combinations so good that we wiped up every drop of the flavorful sauce left on the plate with their crusty bread. Those dishes included the Covina hummus ($16) with warm sprouted chick peas with fresh crudité of baby carrots, scallions and broccoli and cauliflower florets; wood-grilled shrimp ($18) over polenta with a Oaxacan pasilla chile sauce topped with fresh cilantro; and slivers of spring asparagus made “Cacio e Pepe” style with olive oil, black pepper and pecorino ($12).

Be sure to try their version of a loosely made lasagna with a sheet of basil-green pasta filled with housemade ricotta and basil almond pesto in a san marzano tomato sauce ($24). We sopped up every drop on this plate, wishing the portion size was bigger!

Next came their house-specialty pizza ($18) prepared in the wood-burning oven. Although the crust was good, I wouldn’t return to order the Brussels sprouts with mascarpone & fontina béchamel and pear one. Nor would I order the grilled ground lamb kofte ($26) with charred garlic yogurt; it was good but nothing out of the ordinary. But the herb roasted chicken was, as its always good when wood-fired ($24/half).

We did have a couple of desserts ($12, each) – a Ball-jar filled with chocolate crumple and coffee ice cream and a sticky date cake with pears and Earl Grey ice cream — but I was way too satiated by that point to indulge.

– bonnie
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Covina
NoMad
127 East 27th Street
New York, NY
(212) 204-0225

Covina Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato