It’s once again time for the twice-annual New York City Restaurant Week, and here at NYCityGuys, we’re celebrating by taking a look at some of our favorite places to eat in the city.
We’ll be focusing in especially on what these restaurants are offering for the Restaurant Week prix fixe special, as well as certain aspects of the restaurants’ atmosphere, general menu, and overall appeal. We hope you’re hungry, folks, because there’s plenty of great food ahead!
Atmosphere
Today we’ll be taking a look at Obicà Mozzarella Bar. From the second you enter Obica, you are presented with an authentic and modern Italian experience. The restaurant has a very welcoming atmosphere, and does a great job of preparing you for an outstanding meal. When you walk in, you are greeted with a bar on the right, and to your left a row of casual dining tables.
Toward the back of the restaurant there is a second, smaller bar area– a pizza bar complete with a brick pizza oven and an area showing off the fresh meats and produce that Obicà uses to create your meals. Behind this, there is a section of private, candlelit tables. Obicà has an atmosphere that draws you in, and an incredible and authentic Italian meal that makes you stay.
Appetizer
Before you begin your New York Restaurant Week experience at Obicà, you are welcomed with a plate of Pinzimonio, cleansing your palate and preparing you for the meal to come. It’s a perfect introduction to Obicà, and a great addition to the typical Restaurant Week experience.
The New York Restaurant Week offerings for appetizers at Obicà are the Caprese Classica, the Burrata e Prosciutto San Daniele, the Caponata alla Siciliana, and the Tartare di Tonno. At our visit to Obica, we had the opportunity to try the Caprese Classica and the Burrata e Prosciutto.
The Caprese Classica is a delicious salad that includes handmade mozzarella di bufala braid, freshly-sliced heirloom tomatoes, and basil. The three come together perfectly in a classic Italian trio– c’è bella!
The Burrata e Prosciutto San Daniele is a twist on this idea, instead offering creamy burrata with cherry tomatoes and basil pesto, alongside some thinly-sliced prosciutto.
Obica’s mozzarella cheese is very rich in taste, as it is hand made by artisans in the Denominazione di Origine Protetta in Southern Italy, and provided us with an incredible start to our Italian meal.
Main Course
For main courses this Restaurant Week, Obicà offers a choice of Taglierini di Bottarga con Granchio e Riccio di Mare, Ricciola, Pizza al Tartufo di Norcia, Ravioli Freschi, and Tagliata di Manzo. We decided to try the Pizza al Tartufo di Norcia and the Tagliata di Manzo.
The Pizza al Tartufo di Norcia is a delicious blend of mozzarella di bufala and ricotta di bufala cheeses, perfectly sliced Italian ham, and exotic black truffle from Norcia. These ingredients combine to form the delight for your senses that is Obicà’s Pizza al Tartufo di Norcia, an unforgettable pizza experience unlike any other.
But it’s not just traditional Italian fare that thrills at Obicà– the Tagliata di Manzo is an angus ribeye steak with an Italian twist. Cooked to perfection alongside roasted baby potatoes and grilled tomato, this is a main course you won’t want to miss! But don’t get too full yet– you’ve got to save room for…
Dessert
The Restaurant Week Menu at Obicà offers you a selection of three impeccable dessert options: Torta di Capri, Ananas Carpaccio, and Ananas Carpaccio. For our desserts we chose the Torta di Capri and Ananas Carpaccio.
The Torta di Capri is a flourless chocolate and almond cake topped with fior di latte gelato and fresh fruit. It works wonderfully with a cup of after dinner coffee or even by itself as a final note to your meal.
The Ananas Carpaccio consists of thinly-sliced pineapple marinated in mint syrup, paired with a scoop of lemon sorbet, pink peppercorn, and fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. It’s a delicious blend that’s sure to leave you with a great taste in your mouth as you finish your Obicà experience!
A Look at the Regular Menu
During our dining experience at Obicà, we also had the chance to try out two of the plates from the regular menu. The two starters, the Tartare di Tonno and the Carpaccio di Manzo, are both very delicious, and complemented our meals incredibly well. The Tartare di Tonno (left) is a dish that consists of knife-cut ahi tuna, taggiasche olives, pantelleria capers, cherry tomatoes, lime, chives, and avocado purée. The Carpaccio di Manzo (right) is made up of thinly-sliced Snake River Farm grassfed beef, lollo salad, and tomato sauce. Both dishes were perfectly presented, and tasted just as good as they looked. They’re definitely not to be missed if you visit Obicà after Restaurant Week (or want a little something extra to go with your meal!)
We also had the opportunity to try two of Obicà’s delectable drink offerings: the Saggissimo and the Monte Rosa. The Saggissimo (left) consists of pineapple and lime fresh juices, sage syrup, and lemon seltzer, while the Monte Rosa (right) contains ginger ale, fresh ginger, pomegranate syrup, and lime juice. They’re excellent complements to many of the plates offered at Obicà, with the Saggissimo’s fresh and fruity flavor accenting the savory sensation of the meats, and the Monte Rosa’s more bitter tone accompanies some of the sweeter notes in Obicà’s plates.
New York Restaurant Week runs through August 14 at select restaurants throughout New York City. Be sure to check out Obicà at 928 Broadway (between 21st and 22nd Street) to check out their special Restaurant Week menu before it’s gone!
And for more about Restaurant Week and other events going on in the city, keep it right here on NYCityGuys!
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