locanda verde

tribeca, nyc

website

see earlier post about how jenny is always plugged into whatever is new and exciting in manhattan. locanda verde is located in the middle of nowhere, on the edge of the island, somewhere in tribeca. i took a cab to get to the cross-streets (north moore and greenwich), but was quite lost among the dark warehouses and quiet streets. suddenly, a door opened and i could hear the clanging chatter of a busy restaurant. i followed the noise, walked through the doorway, and politely shoved my way through the crowd of fashionably clad bodies to reach jenny, who was waving one hand in the air (the other hand holding a large glass of red wine).

we didn't have a reservation, but jenny had put our names down for two seats at the bar. fortunately, we were seated within 10 minutes (although two people who got on the list just after us were not seated for almost an hour). we started with bread, their housemade focaccia served warm and slightly crispy. amazing. we had seconds. our appetizer was also delicious. but the highlight of the meal was the ravioli, listed on the menu as "my grandmother's ravioli." i have never had ravioli this good before. the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, but the meat inside just melts in your mouth. sure, it's a little weird for meat to melt, but it's just that good. hands down, the best ravioli i've ever had. it is $17, but it is worth all 1700 pennies. save up. try it. thank me later.