We were looking for an Italian Restaurant Midtown and stumbled on Il Corso, a small trattoria located a couple of blocks from the MOMA. Opened in 1993, the name of this place means The path. The owners, who are from the south of Italy explain it by saying that "their goal is to
guide their clients on a path to a wonderful experience". 

We decided to sit in the back room, not because of the decor that was somewhat simple and not so interesting, but because it was quieter. In terms of menu, they have the classic dishes you would expect in an Italian restaurant: burrata, octopus, bolognese or vongole (with clams) pasta, risotto...But know that their pasta, bread and desserts are homemade, that definitely makes a restaurant stand out, especially if they do it well.

Talking about bread, they brought us some white bread and focaccia with a dip made with lentils and olive oil that was delicious. But I admit that I was not that thrilled about the bread that were just ok for me.

As an appetizer, we decided to try their parmigiana estiva, a dish made with slices of grilled eggplant, tomatoes, basil and some Italian cheese that I do not recall the name (the menu online says mozzarella di bufala, but it is not that).

Although a bit pricey, I thought that it was a nice way to start, especially as I am a big fan of eggplant. I just wished there was more cheese and basil.

For her entrée, Jodi chose the homemade gnocchi a la Siciliana.

It was served with eggplant (again?), tomato, ricotta salata and tomato sauce. This was a fantastic dish; the gnocchi were amazing: light, not doughy at all. This was not heavy and the ingredients, namely tomato and eggplant added a nice freshness to it. I definitely recommend it.

On my side, I was inclined to order the Linguine alle vongole, but the printed menu mentioned that the pasta was not homemade. So, I ordered the Pici cacio e pepe or thick fresh spaghetti with black pepper, pecorino cheese and olive oil, served in a cheese basket.

This was very good, especially if like me you love cheese as there was plenty of it. The pasta was fantastic and perfectly cooked al dente. When you see the dish coming, you may think that there is not that much quantity of it, but in fact, there is enough. The cheese basket was a great idea, although it was a bit tough to cut with the knife and a bit salty.

Last was dessert. We decided to go with the classic tiramisu.

What a wonderful way to end a delicious dinner: the homemade tiramisu was succulent and flavorful; the lady fingers were perfectly soaked in coffee; the mascarpone cream was light and airy; there was a touch of chocolate and hazelnut paste, thicker than nutella, as well as a nice amaretto taste from the cookie crumbles on top of the dessert.

This dinner was unexpected and I am glad that I have found this place. Would I go back? For sure and I definitely recommend it!

Enjoy (I did)!

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