THE BEST OF NEW YORK
New York Magazine
May 12-19, 2003
MEATBALLS – IL GATTOPARDO
33 West 54th Street (212-2460412)
It used to be that humble Italian-American meatball never went anywhere without its constant companion, spaghetti.
Recently, though, thanks to the surge in popularity of a more authentic southern-Italian cooking
– or perhaps because the creative differences with its former pasta partner –
meatballs have gone solo, assuming leading roles in restaurants from
Rocco DiSpirito – revamped Tuscan to Frank DeCarlo’s Peasant spinoff, Apizz.
Our award, however, goes to unimpeachably authentic Neapolitan version at Il Gattopardo.
Made from veal and beef and wrapped in an almost translucent Savoy-cabbage leaf
that seals in the juices and makes for cute little bundles that resemble Shanghai dumplings,
they’re much lighter than their Americanized cousins, airiness being the mark of a good meatball.
Salerno-born chef Vito Gnazzo serves them three to an order as an appetizer
on a bed of baby greens with a fragrant thyme-white-wine sauce –
one bite and you you’ll never think of them as spaghetti sidekick again.
LASAGNE – IL GATTOPARDO
By Rob Patronite
"The Neapolitan lasagne di carnevale
is a persuasive argument that Emilia-Romagnan version
is not the last word on the subject".
IL GATTOPARDO Restaurant & Catering
33 West 54th Street / New York New York 10019 / Tel 212 246 0412 / Fax 212 246 3332
Reservations are recomended, please contact us at 212 246 0412
Lunch / Mon - Sun, 12 noon to 3 pm /// Dinner / Mon - Sat, 5 pm to 11:30 pm /// Sunday Dinner / 5 pm to 10 pm