Flavors of the Season, Italian Style at Pó

Written by Carol Cain on 23 January 2011

On a cold, blistering Winter’s night, my husband and I decided to hit the streets of New York in search of some comforting Italian food. We made our way to Pó in the West Village, located on the then quiet street of Cornelia. The streets were void of pedestrians as everyone tried to stay dry and warm. The small restaurant was the complete opposite of that, it was filled with talkative, smiling patrons, and felt warm and cozy. At the bar greeting all who entered and making small conversation with those sitting near by was Steven Crane, owner of the establishment which he originally opened with Mario Batali 18 years ago.

It’s recommend that you make a reservation to dine at this very popular, often busy eatery. When we sat down at our table we couldn’t help but over hear our dining neighbor talking about the meal he had enjoyed there just the night before.

“Should I go for the Chef’s Menu?” he asked his dining partner.

“Not sure if I’m that hungry tonight.”

“I guess you’re right, but I could go for another order of the fish!”

That was tempting, so we gave it a try. Our server asked us if we had any food restrictions or allergies, we said no, and off he went. I didn’t even bother to ask what we would be served.

We were served a white bean bruschetta – a fresh treat lightly seasoned with the perfect amount of olive oil. This was immediately followed by a beautiful salad made up of roasted beets, artichokes, watercress, endive & taleggio crostino.

The Chef’s tasting menu includes 2 Primi dishes. They change daily, and as mentioned before, adhere to any dietary requests or restrictions of the guest.

Our first dish was a ravioli stuffed with sweet potato and served with a light cream sauce and basil. The sweet potato was perfect, I absolutely love that combination of savory and sweet.

Next was the Gnocchi della Casa, with lamb ragu & mint ricotta. I am not a huge fan of gnocchi, but thought this was a delicious dish. I thought the lamb ragu was full of flavor and would have eaten a plate of that alone if given the chance. My husband enjoyed this dish the most. Hearty and warm, it was a wonderful choice to have in this cold weather.

The Secondi consisted of a grilled Guinea Hen, with pumpkin, scallions, fregula & saba. My serving was a bit salty, but my husband’s was perfectly seasoned.

Chef Lee McCrath says that the dishes that make up the Chef’s Menu are things he wants people to try that they may not order for themselves, and it’s all seasonal so it changes very often. He also adds that the restaurant doesn’t love trying to fit everything into one dish, but there are a few that have been around for nearly the entire 18 years they’ve been open. Of those, the white bean ravioli is a great example of the style of cooking Pó tries to execute on the whole.

What this also means for us is that no experience will be the same. This was obvious when I checked over at my neighbor who was eating his meal as if it were the first he ever had one here.

To finish off our wonderful meal we were served with a delightful pair of desserts: a dark chocolate terrine, amaretti sorrano vin Santo & espresso caramel sauce and a ricotta cheese cake, with Vermont maple sauce. It took everything I had to not wipe my finger across the plate and lick the delicious caramel sauce. The ricotta cheese cake was one that even as I write this my mouth craves it.

This was further complimented by an espresso and made this experience worth venturing out into the cold, wet night.

On my way out I complimented Mr. Crane on the exquisite coffee. “For me it’s important,” he said. “It is, after all, the last thing you will remember having.”

This is true, though it does not stand alone. It remains on my list of other wonderfully unforgettable treats I had at Pó.

Pó * 31 Cornelia Street New York, NY 10014 * Reservations: 212-645-2189

Disclosure: This review is based on a complimentary meal at Pó . I received no other compensation and no requirements that I express a particular point of view.