I grew up in Stamford, CT and traveled home for the holiday season with my wife Gabriele. Stamford is only about 40 miles from New York City, so when we visit we try to get into the city.
Right after Christmas we went in to see Rent Off-Broadway at the New World stage (good show). We went in early to give ourselves time to enjoy dinner before the show. Earlier in December we did some online searching for a good place to go, since the theater district isn’t known as the best culinary destination in NYC. A few years ago we ate at Scarlotto’s which was fine but nothing special, though we were introduced to a nice Barbera.
Just a little time on Yelp uncovered a large number of positive reviews for Trattoria Trecolori, on West 47th Street. We had an excellent meal, and the owner working that evening made an excellent Barbera recommendation.
It was a Prunotto Mompertone 2006, a Barbera/Syrah blend from the Piedmont region of Italy. We’d never had a Barbera blend before, and it was very enjoyable. The wine had a fresh, earthy nose and the trademark tart cherry fruit we expect from a Barbera. The Syrah added some body and richness not usually typical in a Barbera, and for us the package worked very nicely. The wine wasn’t light or heavy, and was a good match for our dinners. It was also offered at a fair mark up, especially by NYC standards.
Our food was very good. If you like tomato and mozzarella appetizers, I’d highly recommend Trecolori’s version with eggplant added to the mix. Gabriele really enjoyed her squid ink pasta with seafood, and my Veal Sorrentino was a very good example of a classic Italian entree. The atmosphere was bright and lively, the prices fair and the service was excellent.
Two small nits on the service, one of which I should have seen coming. Our entrees arrived 30 seconds after we finished our apps. I really dislike that when having a nice meal out, but I’d not considered this was a theater district restaurant. Many diners who come in probably want and need that quick turn to make their shows. I mentioned this to our server Mark, who was a pleasure to deal with and he suggested letting them know ahead of time when you don’t have to rush to make your curtain.
The only other thing was not replacing silverware after the first course. Other than that, we had a fine dining experience as well as enjoyed a good show. Trattoria Trecolori doesn’t force you to compromise the former for the latter, and I’d recommend the restaurant when you’re doing a Big Apple dinner and show night. Just let them know if you have enough time to not rush through your meal.