Restaurant Review – A Voce

Right after returning from Europe, my boyfriend and I received a dinner invitation from his uncle and aunt. I love going out with them in the city – they are delightful to be around and definitely have their fingers on the pulse of great food in Manhattan. I broaden my horizon every time we go out with them. This occasion was no different. The spot? A Voce in Flatiron.

The restaurant itself was absolutely beautiful. The lighting is well orchestrated, and the back wall is lined with these wooden structures that I really loved. I wish I had snapped a picture. We sat at a table in the middle of the room, which had these excellent leather swivel chairs. I felt like I was in an executive meeting, but they were very comfortable and somehow fit. The service was a well-choreographed dance – at times it seemed like we each had a personal server.

The Menu

We began with three shared plates:

·         Ricotta: cows milk ricotta, extra virgin olive oil, mint, thyme, chilies – the cheese was rich and creamy perfection.

·         Funghi Al Forno: roasted trumpet royal mushrooms, fonduta, truffle, hazelnuts – The mushrooms almost tasted like meat. I can’t find the right words to describe it – they were smokey and delicious and the truffles were the perfect accessory.

·         Terrina Di Polpo: thinly sliced octopus, cerignola olives, citrus – The presentation of this dish was unique, the thin slices were in one uniform layer on a clear dish. I was embarrassed to announce my new food-blogging hobby, so I did not take any pictures until the end of the meal when my boyfriend announced it for me!  I wish I could have snapped a shot of this dish.

After the appetizers we shared some first-course pastas:

Casunziei: spinach and sweetbread filled pasta, fennel, pecorino, garlic – This was my first experience with sweetbreads, which are certain organs that usually come from a calf or lamb (according to Wikipedia the actual animal and part vary). I am glad I tried this dish, I absolutely loved the sweetbread. It was creamy and crispy on the outside.

We had another filled pasta that had sausage and goat cheese, but it’s not on the regular menu and I cannot remember the specifics. Anything with goat cheese gets an A in my book.

For my entrée I had the Branzino:grilled mediterranean sea bass, baby bulb onions, yukon gold potatoes, clams, bagnet vert, which was flavorful to say the least. Here is the only photo I took at dinner, Branzino:

With our entrees we also had sides of kale and polenta, which were perfect.

Have you been to A Voce? What did you think?