Since Cucina Alba opened last August in The Lantern House on West 18th Street, my friend, who lives in the building, has been raving about this Italian restaurant from the Prince Street Hospitality Group.

When we arrived, she was welcomed like an old friend. We opted for outdoor seating on Tenth Avenue. I began with their pineapple margarita made with tequila reposado ($19); my friend had a mock mojito loaded with fresh mint.

We had the crispy roasted artichoke hearts with s garlicky lemon dip ($24) and their unusual eggplant parmigiana ($18). The latter is a thick slice topped with ricotta and parmigiana in a puddle of tomato sauce.  With that, we had to order chef Adam Leonti’s (author of Flour Lab) signature focaccia served with whipped ricotta.

We shared the housemade agnolotti ($36) for our pasta course. These folded ravioli come filled with sweet caramelized onions in a black truffle delicate cheese sauce. Heavenly.

Also tasty is their chicken in a spicy red Calabrian chili sauce ($34), my friend’s go-to entree,  with roasted Brussels sprouts.

Since we were still celebrating my birthday, we indulged in the flaky strawberry cheesecake in delicate pastry and the chocolate molten dessert.

I recommend making a special trip to try Cucina Alba!

Cucina Alba
Chelsea
511 W 18th St (in The Lantern House)
New York, NY 10011
212-759-8080
cucinaalba.com/