Emporio

Emporio Restaurant Review:

This NoLIta Italian eatery is attractively clad in the vestiges of a Roman grocery store from the early 20th century. Antique tiles on the wall and actual foodstuff for sale like olive oil and pastas compete with dark wood and a pressed tin ceiling. The real star here is the Roman-accented cuisine. Pastas run the gamut, including some in-house concocted creations that fall slightly flat due to an over-abundance of ingredients; instead stick to something simple like cacio e pepe. Pizza is thin and cracker crispy with tangy San Marzano tomato sauce and mozzarella di bufala cheese. It is some of the best Roman-style pizza in New York. Heartier options include an ultra-tender steak, sourced from a rare Piedmontese beef and juicy, slightly spicy porchetta; whole roasted branzino is scented with rosemary and served with salsa verde and white asparagus. A warm Nutella calzone is a luscious choice for dessert. The wine list is exclusively Italian and is separated by region, and they make a mean Aperol spritz.