Homestyle, New York Italian...What's Better Than That?

Most of the restaurants and eateries located around Penn Station are hosts to a happy hour crowd of people gearing up to catch their train ride home. In this area of midtown, there's variety of Irish pubs to catch a fast drink and maybe some greasy bar fare, but never did I expect to find an Italian restaurant that I'd want to visit again and again.

Located in Penn Plaza is Lugo Caffe, an Italian American restaurant that will remind you of Sunday dinner (if you are Italian) and if not, make you feel like you are. Lugo has high ceilings and plenty of seats to accommodate the increasing number of patrons it's receiving.Inside, the decor revolves around black and white photos of an older generation and pictures of the old country. When the weather begins to warm, spacious outdoor seating opens up that would make for the perfect backdrop to enjoy one of Lugo's unique cocktails and a plate of assagnini.

Raised in an Italian American family, you learn from a young age that nobody makes sauce or "gravy" as good as mom's. That being said, my favorite thing about Lugo, is that Executive Chef Anthony Russo, was also raised in an Italian American family, and feels the exact same way. Although Anthony was trained at the prestigious CIA (Culinary Institute of America) and has worked under great chefs such as David Burke and Todd English, Anthony knows that good food is cooked at home. By combining his Italian American upbringing with the knowledge he's gained along the way, Anthony is able to create real home style dishes with incredibly fresh gourmet ingredients. Every dish at Lugo is made with the value of simplicity in mind, but there is flavor in every dish that will liven up every taste bud.

Like most Italian American restaurants, there are some classic, quintessential menu choices. It's hard to imagine being disappointed by Lugo since the staff takes pride in making sure that each time you visit, you receive the same quality dish as you did before. Lugo also has a nice variety of salads, but I still have yet to try them because of the compelling allure of some of Anthony's most popular dishes such as his meatball pizza that's crisp, rustic, and stealthily sweet and the Crispy Pork Shank, which is clearly distinguished on the menu with larger font and a box drawn around it(believe me, there's good reason for this).

The salty, crisp pork is covered by the sweetest and most colorful peppers and onions I've ever tried. The meat has been cured for over 24 hours in a blend of garlic, thyme, rosemary, orange, and bay leaf. The pork is succulent inside and as crisp as bacon outside. My one warning is that it's huge, so make sure you are ordering with friends that like to share.

Another amazing attribute that Lugo has is Beverage Director and house mixologist, Shai Fein. After learning that Shai was from Tel Aviv (not exactly the wine capital of the world), I was slightly surprised to see him in charge of the beverages at an Italian restaurant, but who ever decided to give him the position made an excellent choice. I was delighted by the wine choices made by Shai, who picked out a variety of Italian vintages that I would have never chosen for myself, but paired absolutely perfect with each course. My favorite was his choice of dessert wine, Gradisca Albana that was beyond complimentary to my Marscarpone Cheesecake.

If you prefer a stiff cocktail to a glass of wine, I'd have to recommend the Il Romano, made with Pear Hangar Vodka (my new favorite vodka that actually ferments fruit into the blend like wine), ginger liquor, and fresh lemon juice. Very simple, but it makes the perfect martini to begin the meal.

With additions of semolina gnocchi in truffle oil with earthy marinated mushrooms and handmade mozzarella covered in the freshest tomatoes and imported olive oil, Lugo is a place to find great food that reminds you of home. Like all American Italian tables,portions are big, and they're meant to be enjoyed in a group, while enjoying good wine and conversation. As Chef Anthony said, "I want Lugo to be a place to relax and be able to just eat and drink a lot with
friends. I want people to have a good time."

— Written by Valerie Cario

Photo credit: Lugo Caffe

< PREVIOUS ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE >

Tags : Anthony Russo, Shai Fain, Lugo Caffe, Valerie Cario, American Italian

Login to comment