Piccola Cucina Estiatorio — Restaurant in New York

I have been going to Piccola Cucina for several years now. My entire family really enjoys it (or did). It was always five stars for food and service, until our most recent visit. As for atmosphere, the place is lively, but the physical space is very cramped and just not comfortable. That has always been the case. When food and service are good, I will deal with a tight space. Unfortunately, now both of those elements appear to be in decline at Piccola.

When the hostess/server (she appeared to be functioning as both but not our designated server) offered us a table right next to the door during our most recent visit, we declined. Then she offered us one of the tables in the front window space, the one on the left if you are facing the restaurant out on the sidewalk. We know from sitting there multiple times that it is a very tight space for four people, and everyone in my family is thin.

Then we asked to sit on one of the sides of the restaurant where seating is half booth, half chair. The woman said no, claiming these areas are only for parties of two. Well, wouldn’t you know…During our meal, she went and sat a party of three in this very same space! Guess she didn’t want to turn down a party of three, but turning down a family of four (who she probably mistakenly assumed was from out of town) was ok.

On food, usually I avoid ordering seafood anywhere on a Monday night, knowing that many (most?) restaurants serve you old, leftover fish from their Friday delivery. Unfortunately, I forgot that rule at Piccola on a Monday night and ordered their Italian ceviche. It was terrible!

Not only was the fish (a mix of salmon, tuna, and yellowtail) clearly not fresh but the seasoning used in the attempt to cover up the bad flavor gave me a terrible migraine in the middle of the night following this meal. I know exactly what triggers this kind of migraine, and its chemicals like MSG that do it. Maybe they didn’t use MSG here, but if not, it was something like it.

I will never order this dish again at Piccola, and I may very well avoid the fish altogether. My husband says he had it once before and it tasted the same way. He didn’t realize it was the same dish when I ordered it, only once it came and he tried it.

The restaurant used to have a salmon tartare that I liked. That’s no longer on the menu. Not sure on a Monday the salmon tartare would be any better. There is a tuna tartare available. For the future, I will stick to the pasta and the fried zucchini, if I actually return.

Finally, I have to say that the service is not the same as it was a few years ago, even beyond the hostess/manager (not entirely sure what she is). Servers are polite, there are lots of smiles, and water is refilled regularly, but I miss the genuinely jovial nature of the staff pre-Covid, a staff for whom smiles came naturally and for whom providing the right table wasn’t an issue. Current staff appear harried.

In addition to the lame table excuse (and btw, we had a reservation), the hostess said our free bread was taking extra time because of toasting. Half an hour for toasting...

Too bad there aren’t more stars to click on. As a Sicilian/Italian every time I go to an Italian restaurant I have to always settle for the close enough. Not this time at Piccola Cucina Estiatorio, 71 Thompson Street NYC. After seeing their extremely authentic Sicilian menu online I knew that it had to be the real thing. After easily reserving a table online we showed up with yes our hopes being very high. For the first time the food was everything I had hoped for. Arancini: nicely crunchy and flavored. Not oily or old at all. Grilled veggies: although simply presented they were really tasty and fresh. Involtini: out of this world. Exactly made like in my town in Sicily. A Moist, tender, flavored with some really tasty mozzarella cheese, served on a nice bed of caponata. Maccheroni alla Norma: finally my very favorite dish. I almost cried. Besides a fantastic pasta, rigorously cooked al dente, there was a more than generous amount of diced eggplant, obviously, with basil leaves, olive oil and everything the Mediterranean has so generously given to Sicily for thousands of years. It’s worth mentioning the more than welcome grated “ricotta salata” as a testimony to the high attention to detail of Chef Gioele. That was a dinner I will not easily forget. The last thing I want to say is that, according to the highly professional and attentive staff, almost every single ingredient in this restaurant is flown directly from Sicily including the very tasty cannoli filled with ricotta cheese. (The cheese flies frozen during shipping). Sorry for the long review. I only wanted to show my super happiness with this...

I recently dined at Piccola Cucina on Thompson Street in Soho, New York City, and I'm here to share my experience.

Atmosphere & Service: From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was warm and inviting. We opted for a table outside, and the staff promptly set it up for us. Our server, was incredibly friendly and attentive, taking the time to explain the menu and inquire about any allergies. I give five stars for the atmosphere and service because the staff went above and beyond to ensure we had a pleasant dining experience.

The Food: We started off with some unique appetizers, including the intriguing onion souffle and the delicious eggplant parmesan. However, our excitement turned to disappointment when we received our main course. The pasta was excessively salty, making it nearly impossible to enjoy. As someone who appreciates Italian cuisine and frequents Italy, this was a first for me. Despite our disappointment, we chose not to complain. The server tried to explain that it was cheesy, not salty, but to me, it was the saltiest cheese I've ever encountered. The waiter recognized that something was amiss and kindly brought us complimentary cannoli as a gesture of goodwill. This, along with the delightful cappuccino I ordered, redeemed the meal.

Overall Impression: While the staff at Piccola Cucina were incredibly friendly, and the appetizers were enjoyable, the overly salty pasta left much to be desired. I would rate the food three stars, and unfortunately, I don't see myself returning. However, I would recommend the restaurant to friends looking for a cozy spot to enjoy dessert and a...