Mario Batali's Del Posto NYC

If there is only one restaurant that I am to recommend for lunch in New York, Del Posto would be it. Del Posto is Mario Batali's most superb expression of his love and passion for good Italian cuisine and fine dining. Located on the western edge of the meat packing district, Del Posto is a bit out of the way, but well worth the effort to pursue as it offers an upscale, elegant and memorable dining experience. If you're free during the weekdays, you can enjoy Del Posto a fraction of the price when a generous $29 pre-fixe lunch is offered. It is a deal not to be missed by both visitors and Mahattanites alike.

Walking into Del Posto feels very similar to entering the lobby of a fine hotel with the dark mahoganey panels, elongated marble staircase and grand piano. Elegant, classic and grand. 

As soon as we sat down, we were welcomed by an amuse bouche of gazpacho, arancini with saffron, and a crab filled pastry, each unique and excellent. We particularly enjoyed the aranicini or risotto balls which were rice woven with delicate strands of creamy cheese and deep fried to a fantastic crisp. If there is one recommendation I would make to Del Posto on this amuse bouche, it would be to cut the salt a notch in the crab pastry, which would take it from good to great.

It is not common for me to comment on the house bread, however given the exceptional quality I must note how much we enjoyed sampling each of the oven fresh crisp and crusty breads. Accompanying the basket of warm heavenly loaves was a small plate of butter and a plate of lardo, which is whipped pork fat with salt that had hints of nutty pine rustic flavors. It was pure indulgence. 

For an appetizer my husband chose the carne crudo, which is a wagyu beef tartare with truffled salsa, parmigiano-reggiano and shaved porcini. The combination is unique, creative, decadent with luxurious flavors and tender textures. We agreed this was the best dish of the entire lunch. $15 supplement.

For my appetizer, I chose Lidia's lobster salad alla Catalana, which featured large chunks of lobster meat in a moderately spiced red sauce with ivory white hearts of palm. This is quite an impressive dish with the sweetness of the fleshy lobster highlighting the focus on quality ingredients. I think I would have liked the hearts of palm sliced thinner just so that the crunchy texture doesn't distract from the tenderness of the luxurious lobster. Nonetheless, this was a very good appetizer. $10 supplement.

My husband chose the Garganelli Verdi al Ragu Bolognese, a homemade spinach pasta in a meat sauce. This is a comforting classic dish that is elevated by the quality of the pasta, which was firm, adding a good bite to the meaty sauce. 

For my entree I chose the seared duck breast with apician spices, warm apricots & salt baked endive. The duck was meltingly tender and flavorful, and paired well with the sweetness of the dried apricots. The baked endives also added a pleasant contrast in texture to silky duck meat. This was the second best dish of the lunch.

For dessert, I chose the butterscotch semifreddo melon agrumata, crumbled sbrisolona and milk jam. This was a spectacular dessert with a variety of textures from the firm creamy semifreddo to tender pieces of fruit and crunch of the sbrisolona. 

My husband chose Lidia’s sweet pea cake made with local strawberries & strawberry gelato, which was yet another incredible dessert with a gelato that offered intense summer strawberry flavor infused with what tasted like exotic lemon verbena. This dessert may be worth visiting Del Posto alone.

At the end of the meal, a cheese grater is brought to the table holding petit fours which consisted of: chocoloate covered lollipops filled with olive oil gelato, bomboloni which are small doughnuts filled with vanilla orange cream, crunchy candied grapefruit, and polenta crostata. Much like the basket of bread and amuse bouche, it is evident the focus on quality and detail dedicated to creating a lasting impression in each bite.

Del Posto
85 10th Avenue
NY, 10011
(212) 497-8090

Other New York restaurants that I recommend:
Le Bernardin
Eleven Madison Park
Gramercy Tavern
Bar Jamon
Ippudo's