859 9th Ave
New York, NY 10019
(212) 581-4177
http://www.puttanesca.com
A friend has had couple of dinners previously at Puttanesca, and for that reason she decided it was the perfect spot for a dinner for our friend’s birthday. I will give this place a load of credit to begin with. We had reservations for 8:00pm and they held our reservations until 8:45 when we arrived. I am not a fan of arriving late, but it was extremely generous of Puttanesca to actually wait for us.
As we were seated we were given brushetta and bread, it might not be the most exotic or special thing in the world, but dam it is great to sit down and have food right there for you! Since we were late, and starving we quickly ordered calamari to kick things off. I honestly can’t say they were anything special, but it hit the spot!
The entrees set this place apart. Some of the meals ordered at the table included Bistecca alla Griglia (Sirloin steak), Costolette d’Agnello (rack of lamb), Branzino Marechiaro (striped sea bass w/ mussels) and Pollo Parmigiana (chicken parm). Except for the rack of lamb, I did take a taste of the all the dishes and everything was exceptional. I had sea bass w/ mussels and was thoroughly impressed.
Puttanesca is a great spot for group dinners, you can expect great service and an impressive meal – and the best part, the prices are extremely affordable. I am not sure if I can praise the place any more, it is worth checking out.