Industry Night at Osteria Morini Going Strong

Back in July, we brought you a look at Osteria Morini's "Industry Night" special.  The promo started May 14th and was originally going to be nixed after Labor Day, but it's been extended through the first two weeks of November.  The deal still stands.  Any pasta on the menu is $10 from 9:30 to close on Monday nights.  Fall is right around the corner, that means there's going to be some new choices.  Bye bye tomatoes (almost) and hello braised anything.  Digest NY had to go back.  Here's a look at two new choices along with the spaghetti alla vongole, because we forgot to order it last time.

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Italy Takes SoHo By Storm

Before opening Angolo SoHo at 53 Grand Street, chef Michael Berardino familiarized himself with Italy and all things meat during his time at dell'anima and neighboring sister restaurants The Cannibal and Resto. Berardino was replaced by Preston Clark, a Jean Georges vet who has since revamped the menu at Resto.

The menu at Angolo SoHo is true to Italian format: antipasti, primi, secondi, and a handful of contorni. Standby's like fritti misti and spaghetti alla vongole will appease the curious, out of town passersby. Dishes like housemade stracciatella with bottarga and basil seeds and the Sardinian lamb loin with fregola sarda and mint showcase Berardino's knack for Italian ingredients. The piece de resistance may be an 8 week dry aged ribeye for two with bone marrow, radish, arugula, capers, and lemon for $130.

Angolo SoHo is the third Italian restaurant in a five block radius to open in SoHo in the last two months. Galli and Isola Trattoria & Crudo Bar both opened at the beginning of August and added two new Italian options to the neighborhood south of Houston Street. Galli, at 45 Mercer Street, serves Italian comfort food in a rustic, exposed brick room designed by owner Steve Gallo's wife Karen. Many of the dishes come from Steve Gallo's family recipes. Isola Trattoria opened in a 5,000 square foot greenhouse at 9 Crosby Street and serves a fish-heavy menu inspired by southern Italy and the Amalfi Coast. The triumvirate of Italian restaurants would be overkill in any other town but this one.

Galli | 45 Mercer Street

Angolo SoHo | 53 Grand Street

Isola Trattoria & Crudo Bar | 9 Crosby Street

$10 Pasta Night at Osteria Morini

The deal with "Industry Night" is any of the pastas on Osteria Morini's menu are $10.  The special may only run an hour and a half but, it turns out, a couple of friends and a craving for gluten is all you need to taste through the pastas, which are all homemade.  The deal runs through August.  Digest NY was there last night.

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Double Duty for Pete Wells This Week

Pete Wells files a double review this week on Peter Hoffman's Back Forty and Back Forty West.

Back Forty West comes to us as the replacement to Peter Hoffman's Greenmarket visionary Savoy, which operated in the same building, on the corner of Crosby and Prince, for over twenty years before closing last June.

The menus at the BF and BFW share "an overall philosophy," but are no means identical.  "Back Forty West isn’t a total clone. It’s more like a fraternal twin, sharing the logo and the look of the first place, along with a few menu items and an overall philosophy."

"Over the last month or so, I’ve had a string of extremely pleasant meals at second-generation Back Forty West, and a succession of sloppy, careless ones at the place it was modeled after. It’s as if Back Forty has gone into a long, jealous sulk, like a family cat that responds to the arrival of a new baby by hiding under the couch and scratching at anybody who gets too close."

His experiences at the restaurants leave Wells awarding zero stars to Back Forty, who gets pegged 'Fair', while Back Forty West receives a solid two stars.

Pasta Night at Osteria Morini with Alexander Hamilton

Starting this Monday, the 14th, Osteria Morini is offering any of the pastas from their menu for $10.  The special runs from 9:30 to close (11pm), and is supposedly an "I'm in the industry" deal, but anyone can get in on the ravioli in nettle pesto, the shrimp & seppia ragu with fava beans, or any of the other 10 pastas.

Aside from the blatant deal of a $10 pasta, Michael White will be there to cook it for you.

It's Dinner Time at Back Forty West

After just about a month of lunch service, Back Forty West, Peter Hoffman's Savoy replacement, is now serving dinner.

Part of the renditions to the quaint corner space at 70 Prince Street included the addition of a smoker and chef Shanna Pacifico is taking full advantage.  Pork ribs, beef brisket, and chicken legs and thighs are allup for grabs on the new dinner menu.

Back Forty West Open for Lunch

Peter Hoffman closed his Savoy space last summer after a 20 year run.  Now, after a lengthy hibernation and a face lift, the space is home to Back Forty West.  You can get in for lunch now, dinner will start in a couple of weeks.

The menu is laid out in categories, broken down by what you use to eat what; i.e. your hands are for the flash fried rock shrimp, a spoon and laddle will take care of the green curry fish stew, and a spoon should work nicely with the devil's food cake.

Check out the menu.

Savoy to Open as More Casual Back Forty, Dubbed Back Forty West

After a 20 year run, Savoy shut its doors last June and but will soon emerge from hibernation.

The new digs will be called Back Forty West and offer a similar menu to Hoffman's Back Forty in the East Village in a more casual setting.  Chef Shanna Pacifico will make the move from Back Forty and get Back Forty West up and running in a couple of months.

Is it too much to ask for an honorary cassoulet?