Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!
Located on Bleecker in the heart of Greenwich Village, Romagna Ready 2 Go is an amazing restaurant where Chef and owner Lorenzo Lorenzi serves authentic Italian food straight from the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy. Chef Lorenzi designed the restaurant, that is divided in two main areas: the dining room, with its brick walls and various tools hanging there, as well as the covered garden interestingly decorated with things like his grandfather’s original racing bicycle painted with the colors of the Italian flag, an every day reminder of his home country and his family.
Food wise, we were there for a treat, with specialties that transported us, for a moment, to Italy. We started off with the rimini piadine, a traditional flatbread from the Emilia-Romagna region, simply made with white flour, olive oil, salt and water. This was like a sandwich made with prosciutto, arugula and stracchino cheese. It not only looked fantastic, but was succulent: the ingredients tasted fresh, there was a nice amount of prosciutto and that bread was spectacular, slightly crispy. I could definitely eat this every day (they have 22 different choices of piadina)!
The second appetizer was the bruschetta al pomodoro, that is tomato, garlic, oregano and olive oil on a toasted slice of bread. A classic perfectly executed.
Then came the pasta course, all homemade. First was the Lasagna della Nonna or Grandma's lasagna, probably one of the best lasagna I had in a while. The pasta itself was delicious, with no need for a knife to cut through. And then, there was a generous amount of meat and sauce.
The next pasta course was the panzerotti al porcini, a sort of ravioli that looks like a calzone, stuffed with mushrooms and served with a cream that has a hint of truffle (I guess oil). It was another hit: first, when the dish came, we could smell the truffle. And then, the first bite was divine, giving a rush of mushroom flavors. The panzerotti itself was sublime, perfectly cooked and soft, even on the edges that I find sometimes a bit hard.
The last dish was the octopus alla griglia spruzzato all'aceto balsamico di Modena or octopus broiled and grilled with a secret balsamic vinegar sauce. The octopus looked fantastic and was well cooked, being not rubbery at all. It was good, but I thought that the vinegar overpowered a bit the dish.
To accompany the meal, I got a glass of Sangiovese Doc Le More 2014:
We left full and satisfied after a fantastic meal. Chef Lorenzi is truly talented and serves and amazing food in a setting that will make you forget that you are in the heart of Manhattan.
Enjoy (I did)!
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