Petrarca Cucina e Vino, Italian restaurant in Tribeca, NYC, New York
I had Petrarca Cucina e Vino on my list for a while and we finally went there on a Thursday night, after booking the table on Open Table. I guess the name is an homage to Francesco Petrarca, the Italian scholar, but I admit that I was there less for the culture and more for the food...I probably should insist on the Vino part of the name: when you enter the restaurant, you cannot miss the amazing display of wine that goes all over the dining room; it is pretty impressive.
Dining room at Petrarca Cucina e Vino, Italian restaurant in Tribeca, NYC, New York
Preserved citrus at Petrarca Cucina e Vino, Italian restaurant in Tribeca, NYC, New York
Food wise, they offer a menu that can satisfy the carnivore as well as the vegetarian, with classic dishes, and others that I do not think I ever saw on a menu, such as Spaghetti Integrali, whole wheat spaghetti with anchovies.
Bread at Petrarca Cucina e Vino, Italian restaurant in Tribeca, NYC, New York
We decided to start with couple of appetizers. First was the eggplant capponata bruschetta:
Eggplant capponata bruschetta at Petrarca Cucina e Vino, Italian restaurant in Tribeca, NYC, New York
Eggplant capponata bruschetta at Petrarca Cucina e Vino, Italian restaurant in Tribeca, NYC, New York
I did not expect such a big piece of bread, and I have to say that it was a bit challenging to eat it...But it was very good, very earthy, the eggplant being definitely the star of the show.
Then, came the Insalata di polpo or octopus salad.
Insalata di polpo at Petrarca Cucina e Vino, Italian restaurant in Tribeca, NYC, New York
This was a sublime dish, the octopus being perfectly cooked, not rubbery and having a nice texture. I was also pleased by the nice quantity of it.
For her main dish, Jodi ordered the Ravioli di Zucca or butternut squash ravioli in a brown butter and sage sauce:
Butternut squash ravioli at Petrarca Cucina e Vino, Italian restaurant in Tribeca, NYC, New York
Butternut Squash ravioli at Petrarca Cucina e Vino, Italian restaurant in Tribeca, NYC, New York
This was very good, especially the sweetness coming from the butternut squash, but I wished there was more brown butter sauce...
But I guess my favorite was the Linguine Di Seppia or black linguine with a seafood and tomato sauce:
Black linguine with seafood at Petrarca Cucina e Vino, Italian restaurant in Tribeca, NYC, New York
Black linguine with seafood at Petrarca Cucina e Vino, Italian restaurant in Tribeca, NYC, New York
The linguine were fantastic and perfectly cooked al dente, bathed in a succulent tomato sauce. Then, I was surprised by the generous amount of seafood there; there were mussels, razor clams, clams, shrimp, calamari and octopus. The best proof it was good: I finished my plate!
Although we were full, we could not leave without having dessert...We went for the tiramisu:
Tiramisu at Petrarca Cucina e Vino, Italian restaurant in Tribeca, NYC, New York
Tiramisu at Petrarca Cucina e Vino, Italian restaurant in Tribeca, NYC, New York
This was heavenly creamy and not too sweet. The only negative was that the lady fingers were too much imbibed by the coffee. But still, I liked it.
We had a great dinner at Petrarca Cucina e Vino: the food was good and the service on point. Would I go back? Definitely. This time, I will probably try their chicken parmesan or their homemade gnocchi...
Enjoy (I did)!
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