Caravaggio
Caravaggio
23 East 74th StreetNew York, NY 10021
212 288 1004
Lunch: 12pm-3pm Dinner 5pm-11pm Everyday
Over the last several years, while walking on the side streets of Manhattan, I have had the pleasure of finding shops and restaurants fully decorated for each of the seasons and their holidays, from sparkling Christmas lights to red, white, and blue July 4th banners. When I visited Caravaggio in late October 2015, I was surprised by this splendid restaurant’s harvest decorations, including some extraordinarily large pumpkins. The Halloween decor blended seamlessly into the modern design. In one nook, it felt more like an art gallery, as there were original Matisse prints on one of the walls. Brothers Giuseppe and Cosimo Bruno from Salerno, Italy claim that there are a few million dollars worth of artwork in their restaurant, which opened in 2009. In addition to the Matisse prints, the back wall is decorated with a mural painted by Donald Baechler, depicting children’s expressions at a ballgame.
It is appropriate that Caravaggio should be so art-centric both due to its name, an ode to the famous Italian painter, and because of its proximity to Museum Mile. We spoke to the chef, Isauro “Luis” Rosas, who said that while the restaurant does get its fair share of tourists, he feels that Caravaggio is a neighborhood restaurant where the locals dine on a regular basis. Luis is no stranger to cooking for fine dining establishments, having previously worked at Tocqueville. “I’m having a beautiful time here,” he said, explaining that he has appreciated how for the past six years, Caravaggio has been able to combine traditional Italian cuisine with a modern, upscale presentation.
Luis invited Olivia, Tom and me into the kitchen where he whipped up a Duo Tuna dish with both carpaccio and tartare, as well as a herb-steamed branzino. We watched him garnish a creamy plate of gnocchi before he brought out an elaborate olive oil cake, complete with chocolate mousse and candied chestnuts, for us to photograph. Against the priceless art on the walls, the food holds its own and is just as eye-catching.
