About usPartner with usSign up to our Newsletter
Location
402 West 43rd Street
Esca 1 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West

This temple of seafood is devoted to serving the freshest fish in the most precise and tasty of preparations. Like the winsome, light-wooden decor, the dishes on the menu embody the opportunity for graceful simplicity. In southern Italy, there is a trattoria called "Esca,” or in English, "bait,” which is deeply dedicated to seafood. It is after this trattoria that the restaurant is named. Esca was envisioned, developed, and opened by the highly praised chef, Dave Pasternack and the two celebrated restaurateurs, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich. Along with carrying out his duties as chef, Dave Pasternack merrily perpetuates his identity as a fisherman, sporadically cooking one of his own catch. When asked about working with Pasternack, another member of the Esca team said enthusiastically, "He has a true passion for the sea,” and this becomes evident through each of his exceptional dishes.

Location
Loading
Sign up to Sidestreet Updates
Esca 13 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West
Esca 14 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West
Esca 1 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West
Esca 2 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West
Esca 3 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West
Esca 4 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West
Esca 5 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West
Esca 6 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West
Esca 7 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West
Esca 8 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West
Esca 9 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West
Esca 10 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West
Esca 11 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West
Esca 12 Italian Seafood Hells Kitchen Midtown West

More Italian nearby

Lost Gem
Mercato Trattoria 1 Italian undefined

Mercato Trattoria

Mercato was the perfect discovery as we were ending our walk across 39th Street. We found this spot to feel like a traditional trattoria that is relaxed with simple wood tables, upbeat music that does not overpower the room, exposed brick and touches of antique kitchen equipment, vintage posters and an impressive wine cellar. We easily settled ourselves down for some hearty, homemade pasta and a friendly conversation with Massimo, the manager and friend of owner, Fabio Camardi. Both from Puglia, a southern region in Italy, Massimo said that the menu reflects this cuisine - with "Tiella Pugliese" being their signature Puglia dish made with mussels and tomato in a rice and potato casserole - however, the chef also pays homage to Umbria, Sardinia and Sicily. When we first sat down, we were brought a basket of bread with a sauce for dipping that had lentils, garlic, capers and olive oil. Not a combination that we had experienced before, but we mopped every bit up. Another classic Puglia dish came next - pasta with broccoli rabe, breadcrumbs, garlic and olive oil. There is usually a touch of anchovies added, but in deference to the vegetarians, the chef was kind enough to leave them out. Despite this, the dish was extremely flavorful. Next up, we sampled Mercato's homemade ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta, butter and sage. So good, so rich and so filling. After being open for four years now, Massimo, was pleased to tell us that it is nice to recognize foreigners who are choosing to return, as well as the locals who are repeat customers. It is "consistency that has been our secret. We make sure that the flavors never change in our dishes - from the first plate that we served in 2010 - we are proud that those same recipes look and taste the same today. "

Lost Gem
Barbetta 1 Italian Founded Before 1930 Family Owned undefined

Barbetta

Not only does Barbetta profess to be the oldest restaurant on Restaurant Row, it is also one of the oldest Italian restaurants in New York. Opening its doors in 1906, in four adjoining townhouses built in the late 1800s by the Astor family, Sebastiano Maioglio began his long restaurant career. The emphasis has always been on Italian dishes and wine from the Piemontese region, where he was from. Sebastiano’s daughter, Laura, took over in 1962, and immediately began to remodel the restaurant in the style of 18th C. E. Piemonte. With her passion for collecting art, great sense of personal style, frequent visits in Piemonte, and an art history degree from Bryn Mawr College, it is no wonder that Barbetta’s exquisite interior has become as highly regarded as its food. The dining room demonstrates its old-world opulence, with ornate chandeliers, chairs, and tables meant to evoke a palazzo of the eighteenth century, during Piemonte’s cultural height. The baroque interior serves as more than just a reference to its heritage; it is a part of it. The great chandelier in the main dining room initially came from a palazzo in Torino, where it belonged to the royal family. Laura negotiated to obtain this 18th C. E. chandelier for two years. Other highlights of Barbetta’s extensive collection include the harpsichord in the foyer - crafted in 1631, as well as hanging wall prints from Piemonte - part of a distinguished set crafted in 1682. Items that could not be authentic, such as the numerous chairs and barstools, are reproductions of museum pieces that were specifically chosen by Laura to be reproduced in Italy. The garden, available for dining in the summer, holds trees dating back over a century ago, and, in line with the interior, holds the atmosphere of refined European aristocracy. Barbetta, while serving as a cultural landmark, remains focused on the excellence of its ever-changing list of dishes while serving classics such as risotto and polenta since its founding. Every dish on its menu since 1962 has been approved by Laura, and celebrating its long history and heritage, each menu item is marked with the year it began to be served, while dishes from Piemonte are in red print. Although esteemed for its dishes, Barbetta is also famed for its 72-page wine list, which has won numerous awards. Barbetta has also transformed the Italian dining scene through its numerous examples of “being the first”- from its conception to the present day. A few highlights include its beginning as the first Piemontese restaurant in New York, its status as New York’s first elegant Italian restaurant after its 1962 transformation, as well as its usage of numerous ingredients that at the time, were not commercially available in America and which had to be specifically imported by them from Italy. A particular example of one of these imported ingredients is white truffles. Years ago, Barbetta’s own truffle-hunting dogs became so well known that they were asked to perform a demonstration at Carnegie Hall in 1992. Barbetta is also unique in its emphasis on low sugar and low salt dishes - Laura even decided that Barbetta would smoke its own salmon to ensure it would not be too salty. Laura described Barbetta as “an institution, much more than a restaurant, ” due to the extensive culture that has been built around it and that it has created. The description as “much more than a restaurant” struck us as particularly apt, due to Barbetta’s long list of famous regulars - from The Rolling Stones to Jacklyn Kennedy - its exceptionally elegant and unusually spacious interior, variety of phenomenal food, and historical significance.

More places on 43rd Street