by Lauren Falk

As a young woman living in New York City, there is always something to do. Something to see, to experience, and my most favorite thing to do is eat. There is always a new restaurant popping up, or one to rediscover. So with that being said, I try and eat out at least two times a week- or as much as my budget will allow. I find myself planning my day around my meals. This might seem a bit obsessive, but I certainly am having a love affair with food. So from time to time, I will share with you all my thoughts and ideas about my favorite meals, new places, or old haunts. This way, if you either live in New York, or are planning to visit, you just might be inclined to visit one or more of the restaurants I write about.

Last night I ate at Salumeria Rosi by Parmacotto, a brand new restaurant on the upper west side that is part restaurant, part market- part brilliant! Chef and owner, Cesare Casella, is the quintessential host, which adds such magic to the overall dining experience. Cesare is a dear friend of mine and such a fantastic talent in the kitchen; it is just such a joy getting to try each dish that appears out of the tiny kitchen. Two other incredible talents in the kitchen are Alexis Pisciotta and Aaron Oster and as far as the staff and service goes, I am quite impressed. Everyone is so gracious which makes for a very enjoyable dining experience, but if you don’t have time to sit in and eat, then I highly recommend you stop in to take something home from the very authentic and beautiful Italian market. The market offers a variety of dried pasta, Parmacotto hams and assorted salumi, specialty spreads, Italian chocolates, and an assortment of freshly prepared dishes, such as caponata, white-wine braised artichoke hearts, classic, Italian puntarelle (wild chicory), marinated onions, assorted mushrooms, marinated beets, and the to-die-for 7-bean salad, which uses the beans from Cesare’s very own Italian import and bean company, Republic of Beans. The list goes on and on, and it changes quite frequently, using the freshest, of the season products.

If you decide to stop by for dinner, I would recommend trying Cesare’s famous- definitely signature- Pontormo salad, named in honor of the Florentine painter, the ziti all’amatriciana, butternut squash risotto and the unbelievably delectable (and definitely crave-inducing) leek tarts. If you don’t have the time to stay and eat, the perfect take-home dinner would be some sliced porchetta Toscana, salame Milanese, bean salad and definitely the beets- maybe a slice of the apple pizza with caramel sauce for dessert. Salumeria Rosi also offers cocktails and Bastianich wines even make an appearance on the wine list. Salumeria Rosi is truly an authentic taste of Italy, with Cesare’s graciousness and presence presiding. Even the music is great, or at least I like it- lots of standards, rock, jazz, etc. Whether you get a chance to dine in or take out, I really think Salumeria Rosi is worth every penny. As my dinner companion, my best friend Jenn said, “This place is so great it almost makes me feel like moving to the upper west side just so I could come here all the time.” My sentiments exactly!

Until next time- happy eating!