My wife and I trekked into the city (you know, Manhattan?) to Noi Due Carne for our anniversary last week. First, let me say that they were super helpful with the reservation on the phone after I had an issue with the online system confirming our time. Their system is divided into indoor and outdoor. My wife and I chose the outdoor (won’t eat inside currently) and the seating was as nice as it could be on a NYC sidewalk. Also of note, all COVID precautions were adhered to with staff wearing masks inside and outside.
When we arrived, we were treated to complimentary whiskey sours. I don’t drink, but my wife said that they were so good that she will order one at the next wedding we go to. They also gave us bread and some olive oil with a bit of balsamic. The bread was good, but we limited ourselves because we ain’t no dummies.
To start, we ordered the Moroccan Cigars ($18). They came with tahini and were four to a plate. The meat filling was spiced very well and they were obviously hand-rolled. This tahini would come in handy later with some of that complimentary bread. We also had the Spiced Lamb Flatbread ($28). It was topped with arugula, caramelized onions, tomato passata, and a drizzle of tahini. In my opinion, this was not only the best dish of the night, but also the best value. The crust was the best flatbread crust I’ve ever had and all of the flavors and textures truly came together to make a masterpiece.
My wife had the Cavatelli Short Rib Ragu ($42). The pasta was cooked perfectly, there was a nice amount of short rib, and the ragu was rich and flavorful. She also got a side of Broccolini ($15). It came with fresh garlic and roasted cherry tomatoes. This was the sore spot of the night. My wife thought it was under-salted, I just thought it was just flavorless in general. It definitely could’ve used more of the garlic, though she said that the roasted cherry tomatoes were pretty good.
I got the Veal Marsala ($52) for my entree. It was made in a reduction with chiodini and shiitake mushrooms and was fabulous. The mushrooms added a rich flavor and the veal was cooked to perfection. I also ordered a side of the Spicy Paprika Smoky Fries ($15). They were hand-made and you could still see the skin on in places. The flavor was very nice and they were a nice addition to my meal.
For dessert, my wife ordered the Cannolis ($16). This was a trio of cannolis with vanilla “cream” with one side of each dipped in chocolate chips and the other dipped in pistachio. This just didn’t really do it for me, though I loved the idea and plating. Maybe the pareve cannoli is just a very high degree of difficulty. I had the Peanut Butter Mousse ($18) off of the specials menu. It had an Oreo crust on the bottom, a chocolate ganache top, and a chocolate drizzle. It was a very good combination of flavors and textures from top to bottom and everything came together very nicely.
Before I wrap this up, let me just say that the service was simply impeccable. Our waitress knew the menu inside and out and had memorized the extensive specials as if they were a part of the menu, the busboys were super attentive at refilling our water and even brought us ice when it started getting more humid without being asked, and the manager even came out at the end of our meal to take our picture. Amazing stuff.
I recommend everyone go try this place if you haven’t already!
Link to menu, WITH PRICES…https://media-cdn.getbento.com/…/vD41LjM2RtyRvle3itdO…
Nati Burnside 