Vallata

Came for restaurant week dinner and it was a great deal (three courses for $45), one of the best restaurant week dinners we have had. The food was superb, they serve their regular menu items (they don't invent dishes just for restaurant week) and the portions were solid (the same size I imagine they serve with their dinner menu). The service was fantastic, friendly and attentive staff all around. Our water glasses were never empty and they cleared our plates and utensils between courses. The restaurant itself is nicely decorated and complete with a full bar and open kitchen.We started with the focaccia and tomato conserva which was very tasty (not part of restaurant week but it was so good we got a second order of focaccia). We had the cacio e pepe arancini which were absolutely delicious and slightly spicy and the whipped ricotta as appetizers. For entrees we ordered the lumache bolognese and fluke oregonata. Both were very good and cooked perfectly, but the fluke was my favorite. For dessert we had gelato (chocolate stracciatella and vanilla) and sorbet (cranberry sage and mandarin cardamom). The gelato was extremely good and the mandarin cardamom sorbet was refreshing.It is a good spot for a nice date or dinner out and based on our experience we will definitely be going back!

I went to this new Italian restaurant by Tom Colicchio recently with a group. The staff was friendly though it took a while to bring out a second dish for a few folks who ordered late so they brought out an extra thing of their focaccia which was very nice of them. The place does not look too big from the outside but the inside has ample space and they have a nice open kitchen in back. They have a nice special called the Pasta e Vino consisting of your choice of one of their pastas with a glass of wine for $33 which is a nice deal outside of the bucatini cacio e pepe as the rest of the pastas are in the upper 20s which everyone else went with which was a choice of a red blend or a lighter sweeter white I believe for that night. I decided to get a cocktail instead regrettably and went with the Sardinian Sour for $18 from their amaro section with Nonino, myrto, lemon, and egg white. Amaro Nonino is one of my favorite amari as it has a light bitter orange bitterness with a touch of sweetness but I really couldn't taste much of that here as oddly the cocktail was sweet. I'm not sure if it was the combination of the amaro and the egg white but for a sour cocktail, it was more on the sweet end and not really a negroni nor that much balanced. It was tasty but not what I expected at all and I wouldn't bother next time with a cocktail and go with their deal.I split otherwise two bowls of pasta with someone else. Better of the two (though with a much worse photo) was the Ricotta Cavatelli with short rib, pine nuts, and raisins for $29. This had stronger flavors and a good amount of the very tender short rib. There was occasional crunch from the pine nuts and the raisins added a bit of sweetness. The only other time I've seen raisins in a pasta dish was at Norma Cucina Siciliana so it was interesting seeing this here. The pasta as with the other pasta was cooked properly al dente with a little bit of a bite.The other pasta was the Espresso Tagliatelle with lamb sugo, tomato, and mint for the same price $29. The pasta had good texture and had a faint maybe slightly bitter taste from the espresso which was unique. Again, there was plenty of meat (in this case the lamb sugo/sauce) and the little bits of fried mint were novel as well. This was also a tasty dish though as I like stronger flavors, I preferred the Cavatelli but both had their own merits with this being more unique by comparison with the mint and espresso.I got a side of the Broccoli Di Ciccio for $16 with garlic confit, chili, and lemon which was very tasty. The broccoli was grilled almost to the point of charring which is definitely my preference for both texture and flavor. The garlic flavor was quite strong and delicious and there was a little bite from the chili. This was a tasty side dish and I would recommend it to share.Someone ordered the Rosemary & Olive Oil Focaccia with Balsamic for $7 which is also available with some toppings for $5 extra. As noted above, they eventually brought out some extra and I had a piece and the focaccia was very good being not to oily with a fluffy texture and I think it came with three pieces. One other person had the Mafaldine with mushrooms & brown butter (for the same $29 price tag) which they said was outstanding and other people enjoyed their pasta from the Paccheri to the aforementioned Bucatini Cacio e Pepe. No one bothered with a secondi instead and no one got dessert though the plum crostata looks good.This is a pretty solid pasta place with a good wine and dine deal. They give enough meat to at least partially justify the price point and the pasta was cooked properly. The side dish was excellent as well. The only thing that was really at fault was the cocktail which was neither sour nor a negroni in any shape or form but at least it was tasty. Low but solid 4.

Vallata is a very classy, but not at all stuffy, place to have a special dinner. It provides an intimate space with thoughtful service and outstanding food, and I wouldn't hesitate to return. We had a dinner reservation for the last night of Restaurant Week 2024. I usually hesitate to do Restaurant Week having had some sub-par experiences in the past - not so at Vallata. It felt like any other night would, just with the chance to eat more than we probably would have a la carte. The star of the evening was the arancini starter. While I've had arancini many times at other places, these were true masterpieces that were far beyond any other version I've ever had. Each had the most delicate, crispy shell encasing perfectly executed risotto and accompanied by a wonderfully spicy tomato sauce and fried parsley. I would go back just for these. As a note, herbs made many appearances throughout our dishes, which was a very refreshing, nice touch. Other highlights were our entrees, mussels for him and lumache with bolognese and rosemary for me. Both were excellent, and while my lumache risked being too simple or ordinary or a choice, it was truly a delight. We both chose the same dessert of custard, peaches, and a variety of accompaniments for flavor and texture, which was an outstanding finish to a wonderful meal. While I would have liked for the sake of the Yelp review to have pictures to post, it just didn't seem right to break the classy ambiance with my phone camera. Service was also outstanding. Besides the excellent service provided by the main person for our table, the mixologist delivered our cocktails himself, as did the pastry chef with our desserts. I always find that kind of teamwork adds an extra level of class and enjoyment, and I really appreciated it. Sitting close to the open kitchen added to the enjoyment even more. All in all, this was a true 5-star experience.

Happy to say we really enjoyed our dinner here.We had a reservation for restaurant week at the bar. When we arrived, the host gave us a bar or table option - we stuck to the bar... glad we did!Bartender was great. No fuss, really cool, but of character, involved in our night but just the perfect amount. Good was delicious!!! So many options on the restaurant week menu, almost feels as if they offered the whole menu? Loved everything we got. Drinks were great too - if you like a Negroni, try the barrel aged Negroni on the menu.We'll be back - great little spot.

Fun and kind service from the minute we stepped inside. Not too busy (which we like and appreciate) so we could hear each other talk :) the food was delicious!! Every bite was better than the next! Both pastas we got were cooked perfectly and flavored impeccably. Their $33 pasta and wine combo is a steal! Will definitely be back! Thanks for such a wonderful, yummy evening!

I came here for NYC Restaurant Week 2024 dinner, and it later turned into a work reunion of former colleagues. It was great catching up, and the ambiance is very welcoming. There was a slight hiccup when checking in because, as I was enjoying my Occhi Vivaci spritz, I got two missed calls from the restaurant asking if I was I coming, lol. After that was resolved, the service from the staff was great, accommodating and knowledgeable. We all ordered from the restaurant week menu, and everything tasted awesome. They also had a wine special for $35 a bottle, and the red wine was so good. We started out with the cauliflower and olive focaccia. The focaccia was definitely fresh and so good, especially paired with the drinks ordered. For appetizers, we ordered the brussel sprouts with mint, lemon, and pecorino. The dish was refreshing as combined flavors and crunchy texture of the Brussel sprouts were perfectly balanced. The chickpea salad and soup (not pictured) were also ordered, and they enjoyed both items.For the main entrées, we ordered the skirt steak, cod, lamb, and personally skate. Everyone enjoyed their dishes paired with their red wine. Personally, my dish was small but very buttery and flavorful. For dessert, we ordered the cannoli bombolone and ricotta cheesecake. We all devoured our dessert, which masked the amount of red wine consumption. I will definitely return to this spot, especially for their pasta and wine special.

Another Tom Colicchio establishment and it did not disappointment. We came here with kids for weekend brunch, it's $45 for two cocktails and two courses, an amazing deal on the city right now when anywhere reputable cocktail would start at $20. ​They were able to make some delicious kids pastas, one in pomodoro sauce, one in butter sauce. Our kids devoured their pastas, and I personally thought it was yummy enough to be adult pasta. Our two entree pasta dishes were very well cooked, flavor was great, but I personally wish it were a little more al dente. ​Service was attentive and warm. Decor is beautiful. Bathroom is spacious and clean. This is a slam dunk for lunch.

02/28/23: This spot has been in my collection and my Seated List.Cute and cozy Italian restaurant. Greeted warmly and seated immediately. Plenty of seating available however within about 15 mins it started to be busy. Would recommend reservations.Our server Stephani was amazing. She was extremely friendly and highly knowledgeable about the menu and gave great recommendations.Drinks:I had a cosmo very yummy and strong. My friend had a Spaghetti Western.. very strong and spirit forward.Appetizers:Chickpea Salad with squid, shrimp and octopus not a fan of chickpeas but Stephani made it sound so inviting. Indeed it was, fresh seafood and it had a kick to it. Would have preferred it on mixed greens.Arancini, basically fried rice balls with a spicy to tomato sauce. Also very yummy.Mains:Malfadine with short ribs: yummy, good portion. Unfortunately it was very salty I tried to get through because it was so good. Couldn't do it I had them redo and it great.My friend had the steak..it was a bit on the rare side we sent it back and it came back how she liked it. One negative just having a steak with no sides and when asked for sides it was an additional cost.DessertWe shared a scoop of homemade passionfruit gelato.. deliciousness.All in all enjoyable dinner.

Perfect food, service, and ambience. 10/10. Our server was so kind and knowledgeable. The food was flavorful and perfectly cooked. Wine matched to a T.

Absolutely INCREDIBLE dining experience!! Amazing food, atmosphere, and service all around. Chef Phil is the best & I cannot recommend this place enough!! 10/10!