Cheapeats, Inc. Blog

A few months ago,  I noticed an Italian Cafe opened up in my neighborhood. Every time I walk by, I make a note to myself to check  it out. Recently after a Pilates class, I decided to finally stop in and grab lunch.

Piccolo Cafe is a Tuscan jewel in Gramercy. The decor is very rustic and Italian with communal wooden tables. The menu is written on a large blackboard behind the counter. Within seconds of being inside, you’re immediately taken away to Tuscany. The aroma, menu and atmosphere. Va Bene!!!!

I scour the menu. So many options that sound delicous. Behind the counter a voice tells me that there are some specials that aren’t on menu. Sure, confuse me even more. Butternut Squash Lasagne, Gnocchi, Black Bean Soup with Truffle Oil and a few others I can’t remember. I don’t need the carbs today but the soup sounded wonderful. I’ll go with with the Black Bean Soup and the #12 Panini. Perfecto.

While waiting for my order, I notice bottles of EVOO on a stand. “Do you bottle this yourself?”  “We have a friend in Tuscany that does it for us.” “It’s the oil we use in our kitchen.” Authentic Tuscan Olive Oil? I’ll take a bottle.

Before I know it, I’m handed a brown bag containing my Italian delicacies  and skip home in anticipation. Immediately I’m in the Italian frame of mind. I sit down at the table with a place mat and cloth napkin and prepare to dine. My Father would be so proud.

I open my container of soup and am immediately hit with the scent of truffles. I dip my spoon in and take a taste. OH MY WORD…THIS IS THE BEST SOUP I’VE EVER EATEN!!!!!  I sit back in my chair with a huge smile on my face. It was a puree of carrots, onions, celery, garlic and black beans with a drizzle of truffle oil. QUE BONO!  Next is my sandwich.  Creamy Stracchino cheese (similar to Brie), salty but  tender Proscuitto, peppery Arugula sandwiched between 2 layers of light and airy flat bread. The Ultimate Sandwich!!  Dipped in my soup, it was the perfect meal. Even the complimentary side salad was perfection.

Needless to say, I was blown away by this tiny cafe and can’t believe I haven’t tried it sooner. Just being there and chatting with the owner, made me feel like home….My homeland Italia.

With Christmas being right around the corner, you can pick up a large or mini Panettone which is customarily eaten on Christmas eve and Christmas morning.  And the olive oil I picked up? PERFECTO!

Grazie Piccolo Cafe for bringing authentic Tuscan fare to NYC. I will definitely be back. There’s a Truffle Omelette with my name on it.  Ciao!

Happiness, $25 and under.

Tags: Cappucino, cheapeats, Cheapeats Gramercy, Cheapeats New York, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Panetone, Panini, Pasta, Piccolo Cafe, Proscuitto, Stracchino Cheese, Truffles

This entry was posted by Rosemarie on Monday, December 20th, 2010 at 8:00 pm and is filed under Gramercy, Italian, Manhattan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.