Josh and I typically don’t pay attention to Mardi Gras festivities but we wound up going to Bourbon Street Bar & Grille on 46th St. the day before Ash Wednesday, otherwise known as Fat Tuesday. It was quite crowded there, as expected, but Josh and his coworkers managed to stake out a good spot right right in the center of the bar. After a few Hurricanes and some Abita beers, we were feeling pretty festive ourselves but we were also starving so we headed across the street to my favorite restaurant, Becco.
At this point it was well past pre-theater time and we were able to get a table right away. We ordered a bottle of our favorite wine from the $25 list, the Ramitello, and snacked on the bread box items. The box always features some soft focaccia, slices of rustic Italian bread, and crunchy grissini. My favorite is the focaccia, which is lightly salted and has a nice olive oil flavor to it. The grissini are nice to munch on as well.
Bread box goodies
The breads are great for dipping into a creamy bean spread doused in olive oil. If you run out, don’t be afraid to ask for more, as the dip is really addictive. Also good for snacking is the small bowl of assorted olives.
Creamy bean spread and assorted olives
All of us opted for the “Sifonia di pasta”, which is the unlimited tasting of the three pastas of the day that includes an antipasto misto or a caesar salad to start. Both Josh and I went with the caesar, which was delicious as always. The dressing is creamy and garlicky but not too overpowering, and the leaves are never overdressed.
Deliciously garlicky caesar salad
The pastas of the day were fettucini bolognese, mushroom raviolis, and rigatoni with tomato-basil-olive sauce. The fettucini looked and tasted handmade, with thick chewy noodles covered in a rich bolognese sauce. The sauce is thick and meaty with peas mixed throughout, and a hint of cinnamon in the background. The cinnamon really adds an unusual twist to a classic dish, and really makes it stand out.
Fettucini bolognese
The mushroom raviolis were absolutely fantastic, and are probably my favorite pasta out of all the pastas that I’ve had at Becco. The chewy packets are bursting with mushrooms, plus a bonus of truffle flavor. I’m guessing they probably use truffle oil in the mushroom filling, but whatever the case, these raviolis are delicious – tender, flavorful, and earthy. I drool just thinking about them, and if they were a dish I could order all the time, I absolutely would.
Amazingly delicious mushroom raviolis
The last pasta was the typical tomato-basil, but with a twist as well. Usually it’s just a plain tomato sauce with big basil leaves running through out, but this time they added some briny olives to the mix. The olives really popped, adding a nice bright and salty flavor to the sauce. The rigatoni were perfectly cooked al dente, and the basil was fresh as always.
Rigatoni with tomato-basil-olive sauce
No dessert this time, as we were all completely stuffed by the time we got through two rounds of pasta. We definitely put away enough food in honor of Fat Tuesday, though if I could have eaten more mushroom raviolis, I totally would have! One of Josh’s coworkers even commented that he wished he hadn’t eaten the antipasti, as he would have saved more room for the pastas. If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is!
I just can’t say enough about how much I love Becco, and I still think the pasta tasting is one of the very best deals in the city. Add in the quality $25 wine list and it’s just a bargain that can’t be beat. If you haven’t tried Becco yet I strongly recommend making a reservation right away!
Becco
355 West 46th St. between 8th and 9th Ave.
New York, NY
Tags: Italian, Midtown West