Gusto

My friend from Germany was in town and what do we when we get together? Go out to eat, of course! I wanted to try Joseph Leonard but it was packed that night. The earliest time they could sit the four of us was ta midnight. Okay, that wasn't happening. So instead, we walked around the West Village area and stopped at Gusto. I only walked in once and walk out. Not because I wasn't happy with what I saw. I was actually either sick or had another appointment to rush to. So I was glad to go back and enjoy the meal that I had missed previously.

After we ordered, we were presented with a dish of radishes and anchovies. I love anchovies and ate this up like butter. No one else seemed to like the small fish so this salty dish was all mine!

A plate of crusty bread was also placed in front of us. I used it to dip into the olive oil with the anchovies.

Then our food started to arrive. Doc Nut started with seafood soup ($13). It came with mussels, shrimp, clams and squid in a seafood broth. She seemed to enjoy it. She was recovering from a cold and this warmed her right up.

Germany also ordered a soup. This one was a celery root puree with wild mushrooms and truffle oil ($10). I didn't try it but he seemed to like it. There was none left in the bowl when he was finished.

Mr. M&P had the parmigiano beignets ($8). These fluffy little dough balls had parmigianno reggianno and prosciutto cotto throughout. Doesn't it look good?

This is what the inside looks like. It was really good. The dough balls came out piping hot which melted the cheese nicely. The meat was a nice addition as well. We were also very fond of the crunchy crust all covered with shavings of cheese on top.

I ordered the beef carpaccio ($15) and was very happy. The thinly sliced beef tenderloin was fresh and flavorful. The coarse ground salt was a good idea. The arugula was fresh and peppery which the parmesan cheese was pungent yet creamy. The light drizzle of oil was just enough to make me happy. I would definitely get this again.

And now the entrees. Doc Nut got the orecchiette ($18) which she loved. The "little ears" pasta with prosciutto, cheese, mushrooms, and peas were baked into a heavenly dish.

Mr. M&P had the bistecca (steak - $36) which he thoroughly enjoyed. It was cooked well and he was very happy with it. The rib eye was marbled well with fat which made him smile. I didn't taste it but it looked phenomenal.

Germany had the stuffed chicken ($22) which had prosciutto cotto and fontina cheese. Again, he finished his plate which meant he thoroughly enjoyed it.

I had the special of the night which was lobster and seafood over pasta (~$26). It was really good. I had a whole half lobster, mussels, shrimp, clams, and squid. All that great flavor was layered over pasta. I was really happy with this dish. It was completely filling without that heavy feeling.

Looking back at these pictures, I want to go back and eat some good food. The prices were decent but the food was really nice. I would definitely come back for more.

Gusto
60 Greenwich Avenue
New York, NY 10011-8307
(212) 924-8000
gustonyc.com