While visiting one of my favorite cities – New York City, for a Food Network shoot, I had the privilege of reviewing the restaurant Sotto 13. Sotto 13 is a darling restaurant in the West Village. My husband and I were able to experience what Sotto 13 calls “Social Italian”, which is similar to tapas. Eating tapas, or small dishes, is one of my favorite ways to experience a restaurant because it allows you to taste several dishes. I don’t like to commit to one dish, or entree.
You have to know that Sotto 13 blew me away! Each dish that was brought out just tickled my taste buds and left me wanting more. It was the absolute perfect evening as my husband and I walked to Sotto 13 from our hotel, in a very light rain. Quite romantic.
We dined early so we could catch a Broadway show afterwards, and the atmosphere was perfect. We were seated underneath what looked almost like an atrium of beautiful trees, with a glass roof. Candles were lit on each table and everything from the artwork to the seating and lighting was just sublime. Now I’m sure you really want to know about the food….
Because we are not alcohol drinkers, we started our meal off with a virgin mango martini and some type of berry drink for my husband. Such a great way to start off our meal!
Between recommendations from the manager, our waiter, and our palates, we started off with a sampler plate of the 4 different Crostini’s offered at Sotto 13.
- Tomato, Basil, Capers & Olive
- Ricotta, Lemon & Truffle Honey
- Marinated Artichoke
- Fig Jam, Prosciutto & Gorgonzola
These were to die for! My husband and I split each Crostini so we could taste each one, and I’m so glad we did. Each one was so delicious that it would be difficult to pick a favorite. I think my husband was partial to the Ricotta, Lemon & Truffle Honey Crostini.
Hang onto your hats because when you find out what our next dishes were, you will be surprised! See the sticks on the left that appear to be some sort of breaded mozzarella stick? These are actually Chickpea Fries served with a Sun-dried Tomato Pesto. YUM! These were so light and creamy, and unbelievably delicious. The hubby and I had to fight over who would get the last fry!
Now for the dish on the right; this is a Butternut Squash Cannelloni with Bechamel and Brown Butter Sage. Oh my word this was so delectable! We still had three more dishes coming our way and couldn’t wait because each dish was a treat.
Next up was an order of Wood Oven Meatballs & Ricotta. This was probably my least favorite dish out of everything, but still a yummy meatball. The ricotta is what really set this meatball apart from other meatballs I have had. If visiting Sotto 13, I would recommend trying some of the more unique dishes to excite your palate!
Now for the main course – Wild Mushroom Pizza with Mushroom Duxelle, ricotta, mascarpone, bel paese, chives, and truffle oil. For the price, this pizza is such a treat. It is very affordable and was probably the best pizza I have ever tasted. I LOVE mascarpone and adding it to truffle oil and mushrooms was absolutely mouthwatering. I thought for sure we would be too full to eat the entire pizza, but we found a way! If you make your way to Sotto 13, you HAVE to try the Wild Mushroom Pizza. Really – be adventurous and try a variety of dishes because they do not disappoint!
Thank you Sotto 13 for a perfect evening and a spectacular meal!
I have just added this to my to-do list.. The strange thing is I am in the neighborhood very often and ca’t remember ever seeing this place. And I am one of those people who habitually read menus is restaurants whether or not I intend going in
Sounds absolutely delightful. I wish more restaurants would offer tapas type dishes. I just can’t eat a full entree and I want to try different things. This is why I don’t like Italian restaurants – cuz you get a whole big bowl of the same pasta and it gets boring plowing through all that pasta. You get to do fun stuff, girl!
Everything looks delicious, but I especially love those Crostini! I have also been wanting to make chickpea fries myself, so was happy to see your picture!
This totally looks like my kind of restaurant. Everything appears to be so fresh and delicious!
What a fun night out! That food looks so amazing!
Wow, everything looks incredible! I love great food with a great atmosphere and it definitely seems like you found that.
That looks so yummy! I want to eat there! I want that pizza NOW! =)
This place is just absolutely amazing. I’ve been here several times and every time it just gets better!!! The atmosphere in this place is definitely very social Italian, but if accompanied by the right person, it is totally romantic! Right on Sotto 13!!
Agreed! The atmosphere is fantastic! Thank for sharing your experiences there!