It was another night where outdoor dining was essential and luckily we didn't have to wait long to score an outdoor table for 2 here on a Saturday night. The waiter swayed me in my decision to order the signature dish- cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper). It is served to you from a giant Parmesan bowl, hello photo op. The pasta mostly tastes of the warm cheesiness that blankets it. The other main element of the sauce was large pieces of cracked pepper, this was a bit different for me. Biting into a piece of peppercorn is usually something one tries to avoid, but here it used to add a spiciness to cut the cheese (teehee). I see what they were trying to do here and I knew what I was getting myself into when I ordered it, but it was just not something I could get myself to completely enjoy. But I really did like the texture and taste of the homemade pasta and cheese sauce, how could I not. I wondered about that huge cheese bowl, what do they clean it out at night? You can't exactly throw that in the dishwasher. We were informed that each order of cacio e pepe is served from one cheese bowl that they replace every 3-4 days. The sausage and pork over polenta was quite good. I do love polenta and theirs took on the porky flavor and made it extra tasty. I plan on coming back here to enjoy more flavorful Italian pasta in a relaxed setting and next time I need to try out some appetizers.
182 Second Ave.
