Restaurant
Review: Ciao Soho, New York
A recent chilly Saturday morning wander
through the streets and shops of Soho resulted
in a new home fragrance warming aromatherapy
thingamabob, three black and white prints
of New York, a thirty minute line at the
flagship Apple store for some iPod accessory
something, about thirteen coffees, and a
ravenous brunch/lunch appetite. With no
reservations in hand and facing hour-long
waits at many of the usual suspects, we
ventured into a promisingly small (but with
a full bar) Italian place called Ciao Soho.
Sometimes it seems that small restaurants
with the worst names turn out some of the
best food. Universal Café in San
Francisco being a prime example. Dolce Vita
in Houston being another...
Settling into a comfy banquette toward
the back of the shotgun room, we first devoured
a basket full of wonderful bread -- lovely
crunchy crust, tender billowy interior
- and sweet butter. A bottle of straightforward,
reasonably priced Chianti from the mostly-Italian
list helped take the chill off the December
day.
The Caesar salad was simple and appealing,
with plenty of garlic and anchovy spiking
the greens. A baby spinach salad was equally
good, with earthy tomato confit, goat cheese
and a racy lemon vinaigrette. A textbook
Italian white bean soup was flecked
with sage and delicious with a second basketful
of that addictive bread.
One of the daily specials was a lobster
ravioli that was one of the best examples
of this dish I've ever tasted. Tender,
flavorful lobster was finely chopped and
mixed with a generous amount of sauteed
shallots and fresh herbs, stuffed into plump
ravioli and bathed in a rich sugo rosso
(creamy tomato) sauce. The dish was incredibly
flavorful and balanced - the acidity of
the tomato and piquant shallot flavors played
off the rich lobster and cream just perfectly.
Authentic Italian pizza is another Ciao
Soho draw, with tender, thin, blistered
crust holding a judicious sprinkling of
pecorino and herbs, prosciutto and arugula,
tomato and basil, etc.
As the small room filled up, with a mix
of locals and tourists, we made a mental
note to make Ciao Soho a regular stop -
it was easy, unpretentious, affordable and
delicious. Quite the find for New York!
(february 2006)
Ciao Soho
150 Spring Street
212-219-7606
www.ciaosoho.com
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