RW: I Trulli

I had lunch plans with two lovely ladies I know from work, and we decided to meet for a rare 'off-campus' lunch. We almost went to our usual spot, Banc, which is delicious and dependable and close to work, but Pat had a winning suggestion--Restaurant Week! I Trulli was close enough for all of us.

I got there a little early, before the restaurant side even opened. I came in at the 'enoteca entrance, where you can have lunch, a glass of wine, or some delicious cappuccino. I ordered a cappuccino, taking a few minutes to relax and enjoy a quiet moment during a busy week. The drink was smooth with a touch of bitterness (in a good way).

The young woman at the bar was very friendly and genuinely excited to hear this was my first visit. She made some recommendations from the menu (they turned out not to be on the Restaurant Week menu, but I will be coming back to try them later!) and made me feel very welcome.

We entered the beautiful dining room and got a seat right by the wood-burning fireplace. Some delicious bread (a tomato-studded version and a tangy sourdough type with a crunchy crust were our 2 options) was there, with smooth ricotta on the side instead of butter.

For the appetizer, Pat & Sabrina ordered the fennel soup. It was thick, delicious, and had a parmesan crostini placed right in the middle. Pat is an especially big fan of fennel--both ladies loved this soup.

I ordered the octopus salad, as I am quite enamored with octopus of late. However, I'm finding that a lot of the time it is so charred that all I can taste is that, the char. This was a bit too charred for me, but there were still some tender, not-too-chewy bites. It was on a bed of cauliflower and olives, a tangy counterpart.

Pat & Sabrina ordered the same entree as well: rigatoni with lamb meatballs, topped with a dollop of creamy goat cheese. Holy rigatoni, this was amazing. Sooo good. The creamy cheese was the first foil for the tangy sauce.

I ordered the zucchini parmagiana--breaded slices of zucchini (instead of, say, eggplant or chicken). This was delicious but I do wish I'd had a little more red sauce to go with it. It was greatly overshadowed by the rigatoni.

Pat & I both ordered the chocolate/cherry flourless cake. It was rich but not too dense. It was a good combo of chocolate and bits of cherry.

Sabrina ordered the nougat semi-freddo, which was almost like Toblerone ice cream. A nice flavor but not my cup of tea--I stuck with my chocolate!

The food was very good,some of it was excellent. Our server was brusque and never came back after we placed our orders--not until it was dessert time, when he asked if we wanted coffee. Not the best service, but I won't let that keep me from returning.

As we left, we saw Dora Marzovilla, the owner's mother, working in the kitchen making her famous pastas. I snapped a quick shot and made a note to self--order the pasta next time!

I Trulli Ristorante/Enoteca
122 E 27th St
New York, NY
(212) 481-7372

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