da Adriano — Restaurant in New York

Da Adriano — savor Italy, enjoy life Heading out of my condo, strolling down 1st Avenue, traversing through a big criss-cross, and you’ll find the tiny, timid, almost rusty-look Italian restaurant — Da Adriano, camouflaging with its neighbors — some aged, brownish, rarely-visited stores — part of the reason that my mom and I haven’t sniffed it out for more than 10 years being crazy foodies! (Shame). Quite ironically, how non-descript and “Spartan” Da Adriano appears to us, a thousands more times that the dishes are crashing my taste buds, making us desperate to come back as if the aroma still lingers in our mouth!

Honestly, I’m not a big fan of Italian food and Da Adriano is the FIRST authentic Italian restaurant that I’ve ever been to, and it completely overturns my stereotypes of Italian cuisine as only pizza and pasta. On the shingle, “CAFFÉ” “FOCACERRIA” and “BOTTEGA” rest peacefully with the super-stylish italic title “Da Adriano” (that signatural vibe literally steals my heart!), give that little space a bit more coziness and romance, and maybe some unique hometown memories for the Italians here in Big Apple. This is not a place where you could order a full table of lavish Michellein dishes to regale your friends or colleagues, but rather, it would always be the first and only option popping out of your mind when you are just off from work or study, and want to sit down and relax, put away your thoughts, savor and taste some not-so-fancy but satisfying enough meals. As simple as a plate of spinach, feta cheese and spaghetti, or a bowl of macaroni with black olives and mushrooms. Or a chunk of lasagna, my favorite.

Pasta is absolutely a major highlight. Not only does its variety dazzles me, homemade also adds an extra flavor. I can savor the tenderness yet chewiness of spaghetti, the smoothness and “fast-melting” of pappardelle, the doughiness and richness of gnocchi, the firmness yet sponginess of macaroni, but most unparalleled of all: lasagna. Lack of any word to describe, lasagna perfectly illustrates the highest realm of detectable flavor: the sizzling slow-cooked ragù with fresh tomato sauce drizzle from the top, concealing the warmness and richness of the inside — alternating layers of flaky pasta sheets, buttery bechamel sauce, zesty ground beef, and melted mozzarella. You probably don’t know what’s the best thing in the world, but I do. It’s when the steam, combined with mild fragrance, cracks out the lasagna and wafts through my nose; it’s when all those alluring colors glisten together, some layer over others — scallion-green, tomato-red, meat-brown, flour-yellow and cream-white… It’s when the fork cuts right through the middle, and scoups up a complete set of layers and seasonings, and all that goes into my mouth… Yum! I feel like the entire world has frozen for that moment… The tomato juice, the beef confetti, the buttermilk jelly melted together with the soft tagliatelle, along with the parmigiana reggiana sprinkles on top, caramelized my tongue, soothened my mind and took me to another kingdom that I have yet to discover. All I recall was the exceptional look, smell and taste of that lasagna. Healing. Tiny but delicate, that’s all I need: it revives my senses that were fallen asleep long long ago, it brings up those brief moments of joy and tranquility that were once part of my life, it simply punches me in the face and reminds me of the importance of smelling the rose. It’s not just the food itself that enchants me, more beyond, it’s the instant vibration, the connection and the resonation with the food that instills meaning back to my soul. I feel fulfilled when I eat something I truly enjoy (not for any other purposes),...

Since da Adriano opened, I've come in for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food can't be more authentic. It's Italian home cooking with a modern twist. The ambiance is cozy and elegant. What really sets it apart is the hospitality. Chef Adriano and his wife, Anja, really strive to create a neighborhood place where people feel genuinely welcomed.

Recently I had the experience of hosting my husband’s milestone birthday party here. The process was a breeze. I approached them after having coffee twice during the first few weeks of their soft-launch. I had no doubt that they would deliver great food, drinks, and service. And they truely knocked it out of the park! Anja is professional, considerate and so easy to work with during planning. On the day of the event, as soon as we arrived the chef quickly escorted us to sit down and served us two plates of pasta assuming we would be too busy to eat. That turned out to be unnecessary. We were enjoying all the food and drinks every minute while catching up with our guests. Anja, Adriano, and the staff took care of everything else for us. The service was seamless. Many of our guests were curious how I discovered this hidden gem. Of course, I gladly took the credit!

As the party came to a close, we were pleasantly surprised to find that there was no mess to deal with. Everything was neatly packed, making it easy for us to take home any leftovers and extras. Anja and Adriano's thoughtfulness even extended to saving our cake topper and candles, which was a lovely touch.

Finally, the food itself, especially Torta della nonna, evokes a sense of nostalgia for me. Growing up in Taiwan, the treats I enjoyed were quite different from those at da Adriano. However, what they share is the use of simple ingredients crafted in small batches, avoiding mass-produced food found even at...

I would like to start by saying not only do I rarely write reviews, but I rarely if ever write a bad review. I'm at a loss for words when it comes to understanding why our experience at da Adriano was so poor.

We were walking down 1st Avenue and, as a bread lover, I was allured not only by the promise of focaccia, but focaccia from a place noting itself as a foccaceria. It was about 15 minutes to 6, so the happy hour they advertised out front was still in play. Despite there only being one table of 4 people sat indoors, we were told we had to sit outside because there were "reservations". It was a bit chilly, but okay fine.

We sat down and the server/host was noticeably terse. The "Aperol" spritz wasn't likely made with Aperol. Before my partner could even get the fabric napkin in his lap, it was snatched away along with his silverware and a collection of paper napkins were set down along with the complementary focaccia which was stale. We were either left completely alone outside or hovered over. No one came by to ask if we'd like anything else and we weren't brought menus.

Again, I'm not entirely sure what we did (not that we were even given the chance to "do" anything at all aside from walking up to an establishment, daring to give them our money), but it was the strangest, most passive-aggressively hostile and unwelcoming experience I've ever had.

10/10 would...