Peachy Picks I Tre Merli
The talent of Paolo Secondo is not limited to Barolo; in fact, I Tre Merli precedes it and is equally impressive and absolutely worth the jaunt downtown says Peachy Deegan!
I Tre Merli was first featured in Tasty Tidbits:
And it has graduated to Peachy's Picks!
Paolo's cousin makes the most incredible wine from Italy as you learned in our Barolo review, and this time we tried the summery Arneis, elegant and impressive. From the pizza beginning-we tried both the PIZZA AL RADICCHIO (tomato, mozzarella, radicchio, pancetta), above, and PIZZA AI PORCINI TRIFOLATI (tomato, mozzarella, porcini), below and the outstanding flavor, fabulously thin crust, tremendously fresh ingredients and delivery with a big smile by Paolo himself make these the current pizza to beat in Manhattan....until you see the dessert at I Tre Merli, which is just about the most creative and wonderful dessert we have seen all summer. We noticed that David Burke was eating and drinking at the bar...that should tell you something about the caliber of I Tre Merli in addition to reading our review!
Our panelists along with Peachy tried a lovely assortment of appetizers to begin with....
First an avocado stuffed with chicken greeted us-beautifully presented, it is a classic summer dish that will have you at first bite.
Many places serve octopus, but few grill it to perfection like Paolo Secondo's I Tre Merli!
MAYA SHRIMP Venetian-style: vinegar, onions, pinenuts, raisins was next in the line-up and was creative!
KOBE BEEF MEATBALLS tomato sauce, ricotta were among the best in the city and were incredibly flavorful.
ICEBERG WEDGE blue cheese, pancetta, red onion, heirloom cherry tomatoes, olives is among the most refreshing dishes you'll encounter and is perfect for a hot day with superfresh ingredients and superb dressing!
FOIE GRAS TERRINE marinated in Bourbon made us wonder why everyone does not marinate their Foie Gras in Bourbon? Served in the proper density, this will even make those of you who do not think you love foie gras fall in love with it.
ARTICHOKE AND ZUCCHINI thinly sliced; e.v. olive oil, lemon, parmigiano-another beautifully presented dish bursting with summer is a nice start to a lovely experience at I Tre Merli. PORCINI RAVIOLI truffle sauce was Peachy's favorite pasta-it was like heaven in your mouth; and we also sampled the PANSOTTI I Tre Merli Speciality: herb & ricotta ravioli, creamy walnut sauce which is a staple of Genoa. One of the best parts of the entire meal for Peachy Deegan? The ice cream pizza, as seen below. Who else does an ice cream pizza?! No one that we know of. That alone is worth the trip to I Tre Merli, and also that gives Peachy a reason to be jealous of everyone at the SOHO Cutler Salon, home of Movers and Shakers Rodney Cutler and Rachel Bodt, because they are right next door! Lucky lucky! Maybe Paolo will make friends with Rodney who maybe will do his hair and Paolo will maybe feed him dinner? Don't just listen to Peachy though, our esteemed panel adds:
As an expert in alcohol, I truly appreciated the amazing Arneis wine that started off our meal. The perfect white for summer, this was dry and flavorful. I had not been to I Tre Merli recently and though it may seem unassuming from streetside, once you enter, sit down and open the menu you will quickly see that this is one of the best Italian places in the city. The pizza boasts a super thin light crust that was crispy to perfection, and I believe one of the best pizzas you'll find. The stuffed avocado was delicious but I think it would be even better if they put crab in it (Peachy had something like that at La Mediterranee since that is what Gloria Vanderbilt orders there...). Normally I don't eat octopus, but I ate this octopus and totally was thrilled with it. That is the sign of a great place: you like the dishes there that you won't eat anywhere else. The meatballs were flavorful and juicy. Each mushroom ravioli was delicate and cooked to al dente perfection: they were rich in flavor but settled lightly. And what a cool idea-ice cream pizza! I have never seen this before and an I Tre Merli experience is absolutely highly recommended! Barolo gets a lot of attention, but you know the magic started here. You don't need to go to Italy: you need to go to I Tre Merli. Bravo Paolo!
Even thou the restaurant is in a large room with very high ceilings, the dark red booths at the sides and especially the U shape bar at the rear of the room give the place a very cozy feeling. At the bar I had a very delicious Vermentino white wine which already gave a pleasant surprise for an open wine. To start share a Pizza with your friends it is one of the best I have eaten, thin and crispy. Try the Radicchio with tomato and mozzarella with pancetta. Can’t go wrong with anything that has pancetta. For our meal we had an Arneis a crisp and floral dry white wine. Superb! For starters I recommend two dishes. Octopus Mediterranean – style is perfectly cooked. Not chewy or dry, but tender and moist. Not an easy thing to accomplish as one has found out in many places. Foie Gras terrine surprisingly light with a hint of Bourbon. Wonderful! As a main course go for the house specialty. Panzotti I Tre Merli. Made with ricotta herbs and a very light creamy walnut sauce. Fantastic! Desserts try something different. Ice cream pizza. You’ll be surprised! That’s all you need for a great Italian dinner at a restaurant that surprises you by its quality of the food. One of the few that you leave with a warm feeling that you eaten well at very reasonable prices.
If you look from the outside…..you will never imagine what you can experience inside.
One of the best Northern Italian Food that remained true to their roots boasting a casual and wonderful ambience, I Tre Merli will make you feel like you're in the shores of the Italian Mediterranean.
We began with a taste of pizza.
Pizza ai Porcini Trifolati and Pizza ai Radicchio.
Perfect! The way I love it came: thin and crispy full of flavor wonder, paired with ARNEIS delicious dry white wine!
Then Paolo surprised us with a variety of appetizers to die for!
Iceberg Wedges blue cheese, pancetta, red onion, heirloom cherry tomatoes, olives….perfect combination for a salad.
Foie Gras Terrine marinated in Bourbon …..a delicacy that melted in the mouth.
Artichoke and Zucchini thinly sliced, olive oil, lemon, parmegiano…exquisite
Avocado stuffed with creamy chicken salad….amazing
Watermelon sautéed shrimp, cucumber, red onion, lemon dressing…..unbelievable
Kobe Beef Meatballs tomato sauce, ricotta…..succulent and tender like never had before
Octopus Mediterranean-style, potatoes, olives, herbs, pesto….OMG! So soft and tender.
Spectacular Festival! The perfect combination of flavors!
We also tasted the fabulous pastas
Pansotti I Tre Merli Specialty: herb& ricotta ravioli, creamy walnuts sauce
Porcini Ravioli truffle sauce
A Knockout! Simple Divine!
For desert Ice Cream Pizza never had nothing like it!
I’m not saying more…You must go and taste all for yourself!
Amazing experience! I highly recommend!
Peachy Picks I Tre Merli!
I Tre Merli is highly recommended by Whom You Know.
The whole hit parade:
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Tel: (212) 254-8699
