About a three-minute walk from the New Museum is an Italian restaurant not to be missed. Lucky me, a friend took me to Emporio for my birthday. We sat in the back, brightly skylit room.

I recommend their large leg of charred octopus ($19) over smoked eggplant puree, pine nut tahini, sweet red and yellow peppers and a lemony-garlicky Salmoriglio sauce ($19).
We also shared the homemade rigatoni with sausage, porcini mushrooms and fresh ricotta ($25) garnished with crushed truffles.
One of the evening’s specials included a Colorado lamb steak ($34), cut from the leg with a small salad of  baby arugula, fennel and mint sitting in a chimichurri sauce. This thin 14-ounce cut was cooked medium-rare to perfection, as requested.

 

We finished our meal with some cappuccino and their tiramisu ($10), with espresso-soaked lady finger cookies and mascarpone sprinkled with cocoa.

I recommend a visit being sure to request the backroom.

Emporio
Little Italy
231 Mott Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 966-1234
emporiony.com