Trattoria Trecolori

254 West 47th Street

(between Broadway and Eighth Avenue)

After watching a weekday evening performance of the smash Broadway play Hamilton (which absolutely lived up to its hype!), we were in search of a nearby restaurant whose kitchen was still open.

Around the corner from the play, we came upon a very cute, low-key Italian restaurant—Trattoria Trecolori.

 

Feeling starved and seeing that they offered homemade black squid ink pasta, it was really a no-brainer. We both ordered the Linguine Nere alla Monsignore. It came with shrimp, scallops, squid, clams, and mussels in a marinara sauce. Delicious and definitely tasted homemade!

We started off with an order of the Caprese (fresh tomato, mozzarella, and basil). Very light and refreshing. Perfect, as we wanted to make room for our main course!

 

To accompany our meal, the server recommended their rosé—a 2014 Abadal: a light and refreshing option to pair with our heavy entrées. As with Mercato, the restaurant only had one type of rosé on their wine list.

 

After a tasting, we decided to order a bottle.

For dessert, we ordered their homemade tiramisu. Another no-brainer, as I always order the tiramisu if it’s on the menu. And like the homemade pasta, their tiramisu tasted fresh and homemade.

 

To cap off the dinner and to accompany the dessert, I ordered a glass of Frangelico—a kind of lighter version of brandy. I haven’t had Frangelico in a loooong time, but decided to treat myself to one. I also highly recommend adding it to your coffee (in lieu of milk and sugar) as an after-dinner drink.

Wonderful way to end a memorable night at the theater!

Pros:

Relaxing atmosphere.

Friendly, excellent service.

Authentic homemade Italian pastas and desserts.

Cons:

More rosé options.

Final Thoughts

Will definitely return, especially after seeing a Broadway play.

Mercato

352 West 39th Street

(between Eighth and Ninth Avenues)

A great small, cozy Italian space that has the feel of being in one’s living room.

The food is absolutely delicious. Starting with the thick dipping sauce (made up of lentils) for the bread. There was also a hint of sun-dried tomatoes as well.

We started off our Italian meal with a small dish of mixed olives marinated in fennel and rosemary. Some of the olives also had a bit of spiciness to their taste, but wasn’t sure if it was due to the brine or the specific olive. It was a perfect pairing with the bread and its accompanying dipping sauce.

We also ordered the Polpette Con Crostini (meatballs, tomato sauce, and garlic crostini) as an appetizer. This dish was probably the weakest of our appetizers as I felt the meatballs were a tiny bit dry.

 

The most interesting appetizer had to be the sardines we ordered. The appetizer came with two grilled whole sardines topped with salmoriglio sauce (a garlicky herb and lemon sauce). Salty goodness! But beware of the bones!

 

We then shared an order of the Linguine Al Frutti di Mare (linguine with mussels, calamari, shrimp, clams, and spicy tomato sauce). The kitchen very kindly separated the dish for us and served it to us on separate plates. Definitely spicy!

For drinks, I started off with their rosé (Puglia 2014). They only offered one type of rosé offering, but it was refreshing and light and went perfectly with the spicy food.

 

Also had a glass of their Primitivo (Amastuola Puglia 2013). Always love a Primitivo (as they tend to have a very smooth finish while still having a full body taste), so I try to order a glass whenever I see it offered on a wine list.

Only off note was their dessert special of a flourless chocolate cake. Disappointingly dry. Glad that I had my glass of Primitivo to wash it down!

Pros:

Relaxing atmosphere.

LOVE the dipping sauce for the bread.

Friendly service.

Cons:

Dessert.

Final Thoughts

Will definitely return if I’m around Penn Station or Port Authority. And to try their other desserts!

The Shakespeare

24 East 39th Street

(between Madison and Park Avenue)

The Shakespeare is a classic English pub located beneath The Peacock hotel.

 

Of course ordering a pint was a must! I went for a glass of the Fuller’s London Pride Pale Ale. A medium beer, which was one of their beers on draught. Very good and very refreshing.

 

The beer went particularly well with their mussels, which was made with beer, bacon, and celery. It came with a side of garlic bread. And this was their SMALL portion!

Of course you can’t eat mussels without ordering a side of fries (called “Triple Chips” on the menu).

 

Perfect pub fare!

 

Pros:

Relaxing atmosphere.

Nice-sized bathroom.

Cons:

Service was a bit slow, but that could have been due to the fact that I was there between their lunch and dinnertime.

Final Thoughts

Will return if I’m in the neighborhood and in the mood for beer.