.jpg)
#InauguralReview #Audace Since 2024 by #MarioUrsumando #Italian #Napoli 365 Park Avenue South at 26th Street
Gnocchi Ripieni Al Pesto e Tartufo, Peachy Deegan's favorite
In 2016, Italy's loss became America's gain when Napoli native Mario Ursumando landed in Orlando, Florida and began his USA hospitality career in Disneyworld! In March 2019, Mario relocated to New York. Our newest culinary discovery is his brainchild: Audace! Audace opened November 6, 2024. It's Italian with a specific concentration on Napoli for the most part. The name means audacious in Italian, and is an upscale culinary homage to his homeland that includes recipes from his maternal grandmother and has been verified in person by his mom, who has traveled across the Atlantic to see just how audacious it is! Mario tells us that the menu here is traditional and reimagined.
There are three salad choices and we chose the Imperatore Cesare, above, and chose to add grilled shrimp. Romaine lettuce forms a fresh base and homemade croutons, cured egg yolk, 24 month Parmigiano Reggiano Vacche Rosse and freshly made Caesar dressing teamed up for an ideal classic.
The appetizer section has a number of choices, and we narrowed it down to first: the Gamberi e Calamari Alle 3 Salse. The saffron mayo was the highlight of this dish and excelled in flavor and uniqueness and won the virtual faceoff on Peachy's palate. Mediterranean Herb Aioli and Marinara played wingman to its center.
Note pictures are always unedited.
You excel like Mario, or we do not publish.
Also note it is probably harder to impress us as an Italian new to us because of our extensive Italian experience by now! Say enchante to Crudo di Dentice: Wild-caught Red Snapper Crudo, Leche de Tigre, Passion Fruit, Pistachio and Basil. We totally commend this intelligent combination and the proportion of each element to the others, and particularly love the Red Snapper in New York, rarely found by us. Normally we have it in Florida, however as we mentioned, Mario has Florida experience.
Audace receives fish deliveries every day we're told and is open seven days a week. Also it's a nice touch they make their own bread in house and serve it with outstanding Olive Oil from Sicily. Their cooking oil is from Napoli.
The pasta we encountered was truly spectacular and was the strongest area of the menu based on our first experience. Rigatoni al Ragu Napoletano was a classic reinvented, and presented in a gorgeous fashion. We found Audace to be highly aesthetically motivated in culinary presentation overall. Pastificio Mancini Rigatoni, Slow-Cooked Neapolitan Ragu, 24 month Parmigiano Reggiano Vacche Rosse fondue and homemade basil-infused EVOO lived up to the reimagined traditional theme and accentuated the true thesis of Audace. It was incredible and perfect for a chillier day.
Tagliatelle Ai Porcini was the next superstar with homemade Tagliatelle that was perfectly al dente. Porcini mushrooms exuded supreme richness amongst homemade truffle butter, reflecting a pronounced fall flavor exuding style. The movie stars on the walls surely want to jump out of the pictures and come alive to dine and we particularly liked seeing Paul Newman who was an even better race car driver than he was an actor! Twenty-five percent of the menu changes four times a year, seasonally.
The shining star of the entire experience was the Gnocchi Ripieni al Pesto e Tartufo. Seven select gorgeous little gnocci beauties are precisely filled with bright basil pesto, served with pine nuts and luxurious shaved black truffle and further highlighted with an amazing drizzle of intoxicatingly delicious burrata cream. This is a fragrant knockout sensation both visually and even more in terms of deliciousness, which is the real key to success.
Audace, though Italian from Italy, knows they are in New York after all and New York is full of people like Peachy who worship Chicken Parm. To that end, Cotoletta di Pollo has a make it parm option which we exercised with glee. Organic breaded chicken breast is a lovely rendition of the beloved classic here at Audace and is served with Organic Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes on the side in a bowl.
If you also love fish, Audace hits the high notes with Swordfish, the steak of the sea not often found on menus today. The sensational Grilled Swordfish is a revelation of fresh substantial flavor in a good size joined by eggplant puree, cherry tomato confit and capers.
Sixty-four seats are in the dining area, while you'll discover twenty more in the bar section.
They also have eleven pizzas but we have not gotten that far yet.
We sipped a glass of this superlative Italian red with Mario while the final selection, Filetto al Tartufo, arrived. Eight ounces of beef filet medium rare will thrill you with the brilliant Barolo Beef Jus, joined by asparagus that elevates the plate in color and nutrition.
Audace impressed us on their first try and we look forward to seeing what they do next.
