NYC Edition Tale of the Pie: Rubirosa

Window on left is where the nibble left his saucy mark.

So my parents generously invited Saucy, the nibble and me to accompany them on a trip to NYC last weekend. We of course jumped at the chance, as we love New York and hadn't been there since before the nibble was born. The two days were filled with plenty of eating and a bit of boozing, so we'll be sharing more in future posts.
We arrived Saturday right before lunchtime, and after leaving our luggage at our hotel (Hotel Mulberry, a great little spot in the heart of Chinatown), we scurried around the corner for a quick nosh on dumplings at a place that shall remain nameless (only because I have no idea what the name of the place is). You certainly can't beat 5 for $1, especially as you watch the owner rolling them herself. Delish!


Then it was onto our first pie of the trip, at Rubirosa in Nolita. Nice atmosphere, although I didn't actually see much of the restaurant because they seated us in the table between the hostess stand and window. We ordered a large Classic pie and a small portion of the homemade Ricotta Ravioli. Both were excellent. The mini-ravioli were so delicate yet so rich, in a sauce of brown butter and sage with tiny, tender cubes of butternut squash. And the portion size was larger than expected.

Now the pie ... the crust was pretty much perfect for a thin crust, not too crunchy, not too charred, somehow foldable (which is rare for a thin crust). Sauce was tart, but in a good way, and not overwhelming. Cheese was gooey and flavorful, but definitely not the main attraction.

Service was very good, and one of the waiters suggested Spitzer's Corner as a spot that we, as beer lovers, should check out (excellent suggestion, review to come). And they didn't even seem irritated that the nibble was leaving his saucy fingerprints all over the front window.



Pros: Near-perfect crust, tasty sauce
Cons: Can't really think of any major cons





Rubirosa
235 Mulberry St
(between Spring St & Prince St)
New York, NY 10012
212-965-0500



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