Borgo
Fireplace dreams, a "pasta party," and other January favorites
After a cold and snowy weekend at home, Spencer and I were starting to feel the early effects of cabin fever and decided to trek out for dinner on Monday night. The very much still present snow meant restaurant cancellations, which allowed us to snag an early reservation at Borgo.
When we arrived, precariously stepping over the snow bank and heading inside, I was reluctant to give up my coat. When we were led into the dining room, I immediately knew I had made the wrong decision in keeping it. We were seated opposite a large wood burning oven and not far from a lit fireplace. All weekend, I had said that the only thing that could have made our apartment more cozy was a fireplace, and suddenly I had two.
Borgo feels like Stissing House’s older sister who recently moved into the city. She has the shared rustic touches of a wood-burning oven and dinner by candlelight, but on a contemporary block in Flatiron instead of a 1782 historic inn. The trattoria-style menu makes you feel welcome and service feels relaxed while still expertly attentive. The fireplace makes the double-wide space still feel intimate despite its size and location.
Menu highlights included the chicory salad, the ravioli di zucca, and the fettuccine with Guinea hen ragu. The bitter chicory paired with sweet apple, rich hazelnuts, and creamy gouda was for me a perfect pairing, expertly executed. The Borgo focaccia was good, but Spencer and I agreed we preferred the sourdough served alongside the excellent fava bean puree.
We opted to get three pastas instead of an entree (a “pasta party” as our server called it). The fettuccine with Guinea hen ragu was the closest dish I have had to the pasta at Chez Panisse. Extremely thin pasta, light sauce, subtle with a depth of flavor. The squash ravioli was an unexpected hit for me; their small size felt like wrapped candy that bursts in your mouth when bitten into. The lasagna with wild boar was good but paled in comparison to my Sunday favorite of similar profile at Il Posto.
Alongside the check, our server presented a small, quarter-sized meringue for each of us. As a vocal meringue hater, this was one of the first I have really enjoyed. Borgo’s version made me realize that it is an issue of scale, not the meringue itself. Chalk it up to the weather, but the white, snowy mounds were the perfect punctuation to a snowed-in long weekend.
Other Recent Favorites
Sushi that transported me back to a ryokan in Japan. A perfect frisée salad with bacon lardons, poached egg, and blue cheese. Our go-to ramen the moment we start feeling sick. New Year’s Day dumplings in a spicy peanut sauce. These are other meals I’ve enjoyed this month.
