I wondered if I would ever eat at a restaurant with a Michelin rating. As much of a foodie that I claim to be, my culinary expertise lies with the city's bargain deals and happy hour specials that beget NYC's "cheap eats." Any restaurant endowed with a Michelin star would most certainly be out of my price range.
On Friday, my moment came. My generous boss invited me to a holiday lunch with my supervisors at Insieme, an Italian restaurant on 777 7th Ave (between 50th and 51st streets). It is a part of the Michelangelo hotel, although when you come in through its independent street entrance you would never know it. Most hotel restaurants are generically decorated, with dark carpeting, low-lighting, and folded white napkins propped at each place settings. This is not Insieme.
When you walk into Insieme from the bustling streets of Midtown you feel like you have walked through a portal, rather than a door, that has carried you to a different part of the city entirely. Moments before, you were dodging Times Square tourists and passing Italian restaurants of Sbarro status, now you are courteously escorted to a table of bleached white oak and presented with a menu that displays an appreciation of traditional Italian favorites (lasagna, risotto, ravioli) as well as more modern innovations (grilled shrimp with chickpeas, spinach, and preserved lemon, sea bass with broccoli and potatoes).
Outside the restaurant is crowded, fast-paced, and gritty. Inside is a studied minimalism and lightness that exhibits elegance in its more simple form. With open tables throughout the dining space and booths along one wall, it is a great venue for a professional meal, as I had, but also would be great for a date. The booths offer some semblance of privacy and intimacy, separated by hanging white fringe. Perhaps this is my imagination getting the better of me, but this fringe was reminiscent of flapper dresses and added a bit of fun to the decor.
My only critique of the ambiance is that it is so modern and minimalist that it lacks warmth, which seems unnatural for what I associated with Italian cooking: the "Eat! Eat!" mentality of my Italian grandmother and big simmering pots of red sauce. For that reason I would not call it authentically Italian, although this may be my inaccurate presumption of what is "Italian."
Now let's get to the food. WOW. Marco Canora is the chef and owner and this man knows what he is doing. He got his start with celebrity chef Tom Colicchio's restaurant Craft and he also owns Hearth, a restaurant in the East Village.
We started with appetizers: pear and pecorino salad with frisee, escarole, and walnut, and a plate of prosciutto, sopresatta, and mixed olives. The quality of the food was obvious and made these simple, sparse appetizers absolutely delightful. Even the complimentary French bread and oil and vinegar were noteworthy.
For the main course I got the Lasagna verde alla Bolognese (spinach pasta with bechamel and meat ragu). I decided on it after the waitress suggested it, and later learned that New York Magazine deemed it the best lasagna in New York City and it was endorsed by Ruth Reichl, the reigning queen of New York food. It was indeed extraordinary, but I'm glad I did not know just how touted it was before I tried it as I am not sure it could have lived up to such hype. The portion was just right and the ratio of pasta, succulent meat, and bechamel sauce was spot on. The bechamel was the cohesive device in this dish, acting as cement does between bricks, and it also provided a touch of creaminess that made this more special that your momma's lasagna. This is fancy lasagna, and it's darn good.
You know the food is good when conversation stops with each new bite. Dialogue was often interrupted with, "Mmm." Moments later, "What was I saying?" Or the previous topic was entirely abandoned to discuss the food (and this food could usurp just about any subject).
Just as standout as the lasagna were the small cream-filled yeast donuts (Bombolini) with caramel dipping sauce we had for dessert. I tend to be a chocolate girl post-dinner, but I would choose these Bombolinis over most chocolate dishes (anyone who knows me knows that is a hefty statement). We shared a couple of other dessert spreads: A Cotta Alla Vaniglia with strawberries and raspberries, which I think was a custard, and a trio of gourmet sorbets including, pear, black currant, and Granny Smith Apple flavors. I could not put my finger on exactly what the Granny Smith or black currant flavors were and had to defer to the menu, but the pear was recognizable, pure, and hands-down my favorite of the sorbets. It was the perfect taste to end a truly wonderful meal.
I can see why Insieme made the Michelin cut. And now I can check another thing off of my bucket list!