Bar Stuzzichini

Bar Stuzzichini was my most recent dining experience in New York's Flatiron District, and despite being concerned about the restaurant because of its fairly empty dining room (during the Sunday lunch hour), I found everything that I ordered to be, well, delicious.

We started the afternoon off with the large Stuzzichini Misti, which was essentially Italian tapas. Five plates for $25. I decided to be adventurous and let a Stuzzichini-regular order since I had never been there before.

We started off with Scamorza alla Brace (normally $8) which is a Scamorza cheese (similar in taste to a mozzarella, but notorious for melting better in baking) that is then topped with with a spicy, grilled meat. Nice flavor, but I felt that the meat was much too powerful for the cheese.

Next, a simple, but classic Italian specialty: meatballs in tomato sauce (normally $7). The sauce was not too heavy which was nice. Light, but not watery. And the meatballs were very good: adequately seasoned, and they appeared to have been cooked in the sauce instead of in the oven, which I prefer.

Prosciutto di Parma (normally $10) came next. What can I say? It's prosciutto. You either like it or you don't.

Probably my favorable part of the meal was the Ricotta e Miele Crostini (normally $4), which was a light, whipped ricotta cheese, placed on top of a small crostini, which was then drizzled with a saffron-infused honey sauce. I have always enjoyed dishes that are both sweet and salty, and this dish certainly fell into that category. The bread and the ricotta were obviously on the saltier side, but the slight touch of honey added the perfect pinch of sweetness to dish. As I write this, I'm craving another order.

Again, I've become much more adventurous in the past few weeks, and was willing to try grilled octopus (normally $9). It had been cooked and then drizzled with olive oil. I was not looking forward to trying it, but we ordered it, and my dinner date was accurate when he said it tasted like chicken. And it did, a combination between chicken and rubber. A good combination though.

Our next dish was not part of the large Stuzzichini Misti. It was part of the restaurant's weekend brunch menu: Maccheroni alla Carbonara ($14). The spaghetti was served with traditional guanciale (an unsmoked Italian bacon) and egg yolk, and was topped with black pepper and shavings of pecorino. I felt that the pepper in the dish, combined with the spices used as a rub for the guanciale made the dish a little too spicy, but not necessarily in a bad way. Just a surprising way. It certainly wasn't your typically bland Pasta alla carbonara.

And of course I shouldn't neglect our personal carafes of Prosecco di Conegliano ($12 each).

Overall, a very pleasant experience. I have yet to return to Bar Stuzzichini for a weekday meal, but I plan on going back soon. In the meantime, try their weekend brunch. I think you'll find it quite enjoyable.



Bar Stuzzichini
928 Broadway
(between 21st and 22nd Streets)
(212) 780-5100