Peachy Picks Grifone Encore Review Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Mario Belich, owner of Grifone
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Owner Mario Belich, on the left, and Executive Chef Marino Abeu, on the right, continue to make Grifone one of the most wonderful experiences in Manhattan you'll have with Northern Italian cuisine. Their culinary endeavors and top service team up for an experience where the clientele will leave happy, and return again and again. It took us too long to return!
Grifone was first highly recommended in 2012:
The presentation is impeccable, and Mario tells us among the most popular dishes are the octopus, cold seafood salad and cotechino, which is boiled sausage with lentil. Guests are treated like gold, and the timing from the kitchen is excellent. Grifone has been open for 29 years, and that alone is testament to its success. We have seen too many restaurants come and go over time and we don't like one-hit wonders. Grifone opened its doors in March 1986, and from 1997 on, Mario started working there and he bought it in 2006.
We were welcomed with this lovely arrangement of small bites brought to our table as we perused the menu. Peachy often tries to order simple dishes executed expertly, and this appetizer she chose is a prime example. Peperoni e Mozzarella al Forno was just delicious and an absolute winning start. Baked roasted peppers and mozzarella combined to ignite our tastebuds.
There is no such thing as too much mozzarella for Peachy, who has a confirmed addiction for it. She doesn't seek help.
Another one of her favorites is Fettucine Alfredo, and this classic at Grifone is tremendously good, and it was delicately devoured. Ideally al dente fettucine swims in a glorious sauce of cream and parmigiano cheese that put a big smile on Peachy's face and a bigger one in her stomach. Did you know her stomach can smile?
Peachy Deegan is a huge advocate of swordfish which we don't see on many menus and wish we did, and Mario and Marino have dressed this fish up quite nicely. The quality was stellar; it melted in our mouth. Literally. Sauteed in white wine with shallots and tomato, the Pesce Spada was highly satisfying and something we'd order again!
Peachy was happy to sip this solid California Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany her steak of the sea! And, there is even superlative apple pie a la mode for the all-american in you, even at this mecca of Northern Italian cuisine. P.S. Don't forget the grappa! Mario is the master.
Our esteemed panelist adds:
You will have a very warm reception into a well-appointed dining room when you walk up the staircase to Grifone. The front room, overlooking the bustling neighborhood houses a very chic bar with a few intimate tables by the window. The main room softly buzzes with a quiet hum, presided over by the suave owner.
It's all about polish at Grifone, and it's an obvious favorite haunt of many, since the dining room was packed the night we were there. We started with the minestrone soup, and were delighted with the colorful presentation of perfectly cooked vegetables in a light, flavorful broth.
Have fun with the wine list, and although there are no single glasses offered on that menu, ask your waiter and you may get a pleasant surprise, if the timing is right. Surprises abound at Grifone and that should be the norm in every restaurant in town. Wonderful presentation, delectable choices, perfectly prepared, in a civilized atmosphere should be the norm. If you're one of those fellow diners who enjoys quiet dining as opposed to a rowdy, boisterious crowd, this is the place for you.
Back to the wine list: we had a gorgeous glass of Pinot Grigio, just after the soup. There is a selection of antipasti brought to the table with the bread, and this is the perfect time to enjoy it.
Appetizer over, we had the gnocchi, a particular favorite of this writer. Resting in a marvelous sauce (the owner prepared a sauce of the house for us), creamy, in small bites of heavenly pasta, the plate is just enough to fill. Or share it and go on to enjoy more mouth-watering selections from this Northern Italian cuisine. The menu will vary as in most restaurants, and in the case of Grifone, you'll want to go back and experience more. More choices, more plates, more sauces. Oh, the sauces.
My shrimp was butterflied and sat in a lemon garlic white sauce. Just the thing with a crisp white wine. Save room.
There is a millefeuille that will cast all your dessert reservations to the culinary wind. 21 layers of the thinest crepes each one filled with a smooth, rich, sexy spread of creme.
Oh, heaven. If that isn't enough to have you floating on air, and you've been a very good person, ask about the house Grappa. An insider secret, made on the premises by the owner, the grappa comes in different flavors throughout the year. At the moment, we savored fig/date, and to cap off the evening, a mint. Charming and sophisticated, without being stuffy: now, how often does that happen in New York City? Make your reservation today, and go treat yourself.
Peachy Picks Grifone!
Grifone continues to be Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
