This morning I was sitting on the train thinking about a dinner I shared with fellow bloggers at Princi Italia, located in one of Midtown’s trendy dining districts. As I looked out the window, watching the city wake from it’s slumber, music from the Lianne La Havas Pandora Station streamed beautiful mellow tunes sending me back to that night at the restaurant.
It reminded me of the decor and ambiance that night. Light, airy, warm, cozy…mellow. The lights were dimmed as music played gently in the background. Conversations drifted intermittently throughout the evening as plate after shared plate of appetizers, entrees and desserts emerged from the kitchen.
My sister was my guest that night. Before we were pleasantly distracted by a parade of food, we chatted about our days at the office, our business aspirations, the craft fair, family {of course} and some inspired moments. I crave nights like this. It’s a nice way to wind down and catch up.
To accompany our conversations and the numerous dishes we were going to be sampling, we ordered drinks. I tried an Afternoon in Roma made with Cocchi Rose Americano, Luxardo Amaretto, House Made Lemonade and a splash of Renata Ginger Beer. Cool points go to the bartender because it was delicious!
Now let’s get down to some real foodie business. Here’s a look at the dishes we shared:
APPETIZERS
Meatball al Forno – beef, chicken, tomato pesto sauce
Tortellini Fonduta – black truffle butter, parmesan
Shrimp Amalfi – Parmesan basil polenta, scampi sauce
I love meatballs and was excited to try them. Alone the beef meatballs were good. Unfortunately, the sauce was a bit too salty so I couldn’t appreciate their union on the plate. The pasta looked tempting as well. The flavor of the sauce was nice but the pasta serving I sampled was a bit too al dente for my taste. My favorite appetizer was the Shrimp Amalfi. I absolutely loved the creamy consistency of the polenta. I think it was delicious with the shrimp scampi sauce.
SALADS
Caprese – mozzarella di bufala, vine tomatoes, basil
Burrata – heirloom tomatoes, arugula, sea salt, evo
Both of these salads were fresh and delightfully rich.
PIZZA
Grilled Chicken with caramelized onions, pears, goat cheese, thyme
Next to dessert, pizza is my second favorite “unofficial” food group. I eat it pretty often so I was happy to enjoy a slice at Princi Italia. The toppings on this one were well suited for one another…and for ME!
PLATES
Chianti Braised Short Ribs – tomato basil fingerling potatoes, chive gremolata
Braised Pork Shank (not pictured) – italian sausage risotto, rapini & rosemary pan jus
Grilled Scottish Salmon – made with blood orange fennel basil sauce, cauliflower
PASTA
Orecchiette – housemade sausage, rapini, chilies, evo, parmesan
Black Pepper Fettuccine – italian sausage, king mushrooms, roasted garlic demi
Fettuccine di Mare – lump crab, shrimp, asparagus, basil cream
I thought all of the pasta dishes we tried were great. My favorite was the Orecchiette because it was flavorful, spicy and not very heavy. I could easily consume a bowl of it and walk away feeling satisfied instead of stuffed. The Black Pepper Fettuccine was prepared by mixing black pepper into the pasta flour but not too much. It was a nice diversion. I love seafood so the Fettuccine di Mare was right up my alley; it was my second favorite.
DESSERT
Chocolate Praline Bars – milk chocolate crunch bars, dark chocolate mousse and raspberry sauce
Tiramisu – layers of chocolate cake and mascarpone cream, dark rum, chocolate shavings & leghorn sauce
Both desserts were quite good. The tiramisu was unique as it was made with cake layers instead of lady fingers. I’m usually not one to combine chocolate and raspberries but the Chocolate Praline Bars were a nice surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed these tasty treats; the only thing I would add is a nice cup of coffee.
Thank you to talented Executive Chef Brandon Early and his team for their hard work and thank you to our host, Tara Cucorullo Johnston, for arranging the evening. We had a delicious time!
To learn more about Princi Italia
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Disclosure: The meal at Princi Italia was complimentary. I received no monetary compensation for this post. All opinions are based on my own personal experience. You can view my full Disclosure Policy here.
