One 83
Photo: Cititour.com
Contact Info:
Address: 1608 First Avenue
City: New York, NY
Zip: 10028
map: View the Map
Phone: 212-327-4700
Website: http://www.one83restaurant.com/
Food Info:
Menu: View the Menu
Chef:
Esteban Salazar
Cuisine:
Italian
Payment:
Amex Visa Mastercard Discover
Cititour Review:
Sometimes, a restaurant is worth visiting – not to mention re-visiting – for one particular dish. In the case of One83, a comfortable Northern Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side, the reason I plan to return is the veal Milanese. When done well, this flatly pounded breaded veal chop topped with a sprightly salad of arugula and tomato is one of my favorite meals – and not just because I get my protein and salad in one fell swoop. But I could practically write a book about all the inferior versions of this seemingly simple meal I’ve had in Manhattan: too greasy, too tough, too tasteless. Some have even resembled the proverbial slab of cardboard. Not at One83, where the veal was tender and juicy, the breading was flawless, and the salad deeply flavorful. (Here’s a hint: a spoonful of two of fresh parmesan makes the dish even that much livelier.). In fact, the couple at the next table was so jealously eyeing my dish, I was momentarily tempted to give them a bite. I also want to re-visit in order to take advantage of the beautiful backyard garden; the night I went it was just a tad too humid to revel in the pleasures of dining al fresco. You certainly won’t be unhappy inside; the design is soothing, with lots of neutral tones, and the tables are generously spaced. If you want to stretch out the evening, you can leisurely sip a glass of wine while you nibble at the complimentary bruschetta and fine foccacia. Once you do get down to business, I recommend the Gamberoni One83, a quartet of nicely cooked tiger shrimp intermingled with firm cannelini beans all napped in a pleasant sauce of olive oil and fresh tomatoes. My dining companion was thrilled to discover that vitello tonnato – cold slices of veal topped with a cold tuna sauce – was one of the special starters. The dish’s appeal has always eluded me, but the kitchen’s version was definitely tasty and the portion was rather enormous. The house also offers eight kinds of pastas, either in half portions or entrée sizes, including trenette with fresh lobster meat, fettucine alla Bolognese, gnocchi al pesto, and homemade veal-stuffed ravioli. We sampled the most basic option, angel hair in fresh tomato sauce with basil, which did the trick just fine. The excessive humidity cooled my ardor for the kind of decadent desserts I usually favor, so I settled on the mixed berries in a cold zabaglione, which arrived (as all desserts do) with a plate of complimentary biscotti. It was very good, but when I saw the warm chocolate soufflé at the aforementioned next table, I knew just how that couple felt when I was eating my veal Milanese. Ok, so that’s one more reason for me to revisit One83.
Review By: Brian Scott Lipton
Location: